Looking to other people for cues as to how you are doing as an artist is a trap. It is a trap for a host of reasons. Here are some: 1.    People are not always honest. 2.    Sometimes people do not have good intentions. 3.    When the praise is good, it is never good enough and when it is bad,...

When you engage in the act of creating something new, if that thing develops roots and begins to take hold, you will find a mix of public reactions. You will likely hear lots of support from friends, family, colleagues, peers, well-wishers and others. Simultaneously, you will likely encounter sour pusses,...

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your...

One of the many tricky things about being a starving artist, is that so many of one’s basic needs are not met. When basic needs are not attended to, our sense of balance becomes out of whack. As our balance is off, most of us are not able to operate at our potential or achieve any sense of sustainable...

So many artists, following graduation from school, flee to either New York or LA. What a shame. These markets are so oversaturated. Artists have been flocking to these cities for decades and there are, in these cities, tons and tons and tons of under working or non-working artists. Ideally, I believe,...

Education is, first and foremost, a business. As is exemplified by rising tuition costs, educational institutions are not charity organizations. There are a vast number of arts education schools in the states and the competition between schools is fierce. If schools desire to be well thought of as serious...

If you crave celebrity, this post is for you. It is no surprise when I say that our country is obsessed with celebrity. Celebrity sells and celebrity images are pumped out to the point of exhaustion. I think that most young artists, if honest with themselves, would admit to having celebrity lust. They,...

Uncle Eddie is drinking a little too much and grandma can’t hear. The kids tore the hinges off my office door and another took a crap behind my daughter’s playhouse. Yea! It’s Thanksgiving time! That time of year that many of us cling to the possibility that this time…it will be magical (and...

In our present day economy, our US greenbacks are no longer based in precious metal. Rather, they are based in what we say they are. Such is the advantage of being a super power.  Though that is likely to change with time… Money is a Symbol of Energy. Paper money. Is it not just an agreed upon symbol? I...

Just as the energy of moving water can propel a water wheel into motion, so can stimulus engage the imagination and our creative impulses. We need input, in order to output. We need gas in our mental engines, in order to move forward. Group brainstorming can provide such fuel. Brainstorming. What a great...

In September of 2010 The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ will open its doors at 3020 N Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Our two year finishing program, will teach artists how to make a living from their artistry. To learn more about IAE check out our website. Applications for early enrollment are now...

Baaahhhh! In Australia, it is called “Tall Poppy Syndrome” (the tallest poppies get cut). In Scandinavia, it is called Jante Loven (or Jante’s Law). Many countries weave a societal pressure into their cultural fabric, teaching youth to not stand out, to fit in, and to tow the community party line....

All entrepreneurs, by definition, must engage with risk. What is your risk tolerance? Let me ask you a few questions. Are you doing what you love for a living? If you aren’t already, would you like to? What would you be willing to do to have the happiness that can come from doing what you love for...

A number of years ago, while at Yale, I had the good fortune to meet renowned playwright, Arthur Miller (author of The Crucible, Death of a Salesman and All My Sons). This was, for me, a truly magical encounter, as he is one of my favorite writers. I asked him if he, in his creative process, met inspiration...

Entrepreneurs are notorious for lacking balance in their lives. The initial volume of work one must accomplish in the process of building something can feel overwhelming and steal much of one’s time and energy. At least while developing, many find themselves engaged in seventy to eighty hour workweeks,...

The first time I created an original work of theatre,  a production I wrote and directed at the Yale Cabaret called The 9th Annual World Weight Wrestling Blood Exxxtravaganza—a social commentary told through “professional wrestling”, I was given sage advice from renowned stage combat choreographer...

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Entrepreneurial Arts Training must have equal parts artistic and entrepreneurial techniques. We must invest deeply in each or one will suffer. The Iceberg Theory w/ Hart's Diagram. I want to discuss a phenomenon, which is one of the keys to artistic freedom and greatness. Though I give examples from...

Artists can play many roles in our society and have, throughout history, been thought to exist somewhere between high priest and prostitute. When we look to cultures past, attempting to understand their values, their thinking, often we look at their art for insight. (c) James Hart. Balinese Ritualistic...

In his book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell, also author of bestselling books Blink and The Tipping Point, makes the case that success is less about talent and more about Develop discipline like a marathon runner. opportunity. He argues that those who are exposed to more and greater opportunities have...