On the third Thursday of every month, the IAE hosts our own networking night specifically for artists and entrepreneurs called Create.Innovate.Repeat. The event takes place from 7-9 pm at the ING DIRECT Cafe Chicago and features guest presenters from both art and business backgrounds talking about current projects, organizations and ideas that you can get involved with right now.

Last month’s event was BUZZING with conversation. There was so much energy in the room there was plenty left to take home!  So come pick up some inspiration and connections.

You can snag a free RSVP to the event by checking out our Create. Innovate. Repeat page. This is a private event so you need to reserve a ticket to get in the door!

ING DIRECT Chicago: 21 E. Chestnut Street View a map.
Telephone: 312-981-1236

1. Headspace: Artists, and creative people of all kinds, need intellectual room to breath. Headspace requires time, and – depending on one’s personal preferences – a certain amount of solitude and quiet. When interacting with others, creative headspace needs constructive feedback (both positive and not) and an emotionally supportive atmosphere. Too many conservatory environments, to provide one counter-example, include teacher-centered classes in which the master teacher expounds on his or her own work, negating the validity of the budding student artist. This teaching method does not promote the kind of headspace needed for students to be innovative and creative. Headspace is akin to the image I included last week as well as this: a wide open expanse filled with possibilities – ideas don’t happen inside closed minds!
2. Physical incubator space: Artists need physical space in which to develop work. Artists need physical space in the same way scientists need laboratories – a place to experiment and evolve ideas long before they are ready for exhibition to or performance with the public. Many of my region’s emerging visual, media, and performing artists were bred at the university at which I work, but once graduated, they lose access to the physical space in which to create the new work they were taught to value and create. Without physical space in which to develop work, the fertile headspace will lead only to frustration.
3. Networking space: Artists benefit tremendously from interaction with one another. The coffee shop next door (or inside) of the incubator space can serve this purpose physically, and the web provides those networking opportunities virtually. My colleague Jake Pinholster is developing a networking web-based space for metro-Phoenix artists called AMOK: Arts-Materials-Organization-Knowledge that, once it goes live, will create a networking space not only to facilitate the exchange of ideas, but the exchange of materials as well. How cool would it be if artists could use a site like this to create a local barter economy in art-making materials (and I don’t just mean visual arts, but performing arts as well)? There are some models for this nationally (the Ohio Theatre Alliance comes to mind for materials and Springboard for the Arts (Minneapolis) for knowledge sharing and other important infrastructure support – like healthcare) so we need not re-invent the wheel, at least not from scratch, to create such space.

My own headspace is opening up significantly as I begin a much needed sabbatical. No doubt my imprecise ideas on this subject will continue to evolve over the next several months.

Since I touched on the subjects of networking and virtual spaces, I’ll let you know that the p.a.v.e. symposium website has just gone live. It contains a mere tickler of information at the moment, but as the schedule develops, we’ll be posting updates. Registration for this free event will open in October. See http://theatrefilm.asu.edu/initiatives/pave-symposium.php

It’s easy to get sucked into the social vacuum of the Internet and be fooled into thinking you’re making actual connections.  I spend as much time on Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz and the blogosphere as anyone (let’s be honest, probably moreso…it’s an obsession), but the bulk of those connections aren’t technically real.  The thread connecting me to many of the people who I communicate with is an invisible, digital one…and at the end of the day, that can’t hold a candle to looking someone in the eye and shaking their hand.

That’s why we created Create.Innovate.Repeat. to begin with…to facilitate more of those handshakes.  This time, we’ve teamed up with the ING DIRECT Cafe Chicago in downtown Chicago to host a free night of networking and presenting designed to bolster your real world contacts and make connections that could prove invaluable as you continue building your business or brand.  We’ve been inspired by the PechaKucha networking nights (if you’re unfamiliar, look it up…they have a great following) to do our own form of show and tell for adults.  We have ten presenters lined up, representing an assortment of artists and entrepreneurs from all over Chicago, who each have 10 slides and 5 minutes to share the art or business concept that drives them.  From them, you might find inspiration…you might find a way to get involved with a new project…or you might find a partner that you never knew existed who could provide a mutually beneficial team-up opportunity.  Check out the list below to get a taste of who’s presenting…and we still have a slot or two open, so if you’re interested in being one of these folks, e-mail me at Shawn@TheIAE.com and I’ll get you set up.

Again, the event is totally free, but registration is recommended.  Go to createinnovaterepeat.eventbrite.com to RSVP for yourself and up to 3 friends…and pass the link along to anyone else you know who might be interested.  We’ll have free cafe drinks, courtesy of the ING DIRECT cafe, and snacks to make sure you’ve got energy for some intense networking.  The event takes place Thursday, June 10th from 7-9 pm.  The ING DIRECT Cafe Chicago is located at 21 East Chestnut Street.

We’ll have social networking stations onhand so you can connect with people online as you talk to them in person, but don’t forget to bring a few business cards just in case!  And come say hi to me, I’ll be the bald guy wearing lots of No More Starving Artist buttons…because we could all use a few more passionate entrepreneurial cohorts, right?

Here’s Adam:

Before you make the first call to a presenter, you need to have done your research. Know who you are calling, what their tastes are, and have a sense of what about you might interest them. Be aware of any common acquaintances, shared interests, even alma maters. Just like a good pop song, you need a hook.

Once you get on the line, you need to get that hook in within 7 seconds. If you can’t state who you are, and get traction on the hook in that time frame, your sale is likely done for. The people you call are always going to be busy, so drop whatever names you need to drop toot sweet.

Now that you’ve got their attention, draw them out. Cite aspects of their series you appreciate and ask them to tell you more. Learn about their audience, demographic, and taste. When appropriate, tie in what you learn to facts within your own organization or presentation. If they talk about a runaway success they had with a particular style of performance, share the successes you have found recently—reviews, audience numbers, grants, etc.

If things are going well, send them more information electronically or by post so that they have time to live with your materials, mission, and body of work. Don’t make this first call too long. Rarely will you find a situation where you book a concert on this initial call. Don’t try to make this happen. Send more information, and let them know that you’ll follow up a week later to make sure they received it, and answer any questions they might have. This encourages them to review your materials in a timely manner, consider questions, and potentially be ready to discuss a project with you later on.

Booking a concert is a partnership between performer and presenter. The initial call is really just a cheap pickup line in a crowded bar. Get in there, get the digits, and get out. Better to follow up later if you want it to be a lasting relationship.

Adam is the pianist and Director of Artistic Programming for Fifth House Ensemble. For more information, please visit www.fifth-house.com. Like what you read here? For more music entrepreneurship tidbits, visit www.playingclosetothebridge.wordpress.com, brought to you by members of 5HE.

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Our fortune cookies and No More Starving Artist Button Board were a big hit at the Chicago Creative Expo.

On Saturday April 10th, at the 7th Chicago Creative Expo held at The Cultural Center in Chicago, The IAE was in full blooming form.

Our imagination training ensemble, The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble, performed What’s Your Imagination Worth? to a just about full house in the Claudia Cassidy theater.

During the day, Bite-Size Arts Ensemble members Shawn Bowers, Lance Hall, Dharmesh Bhagat and a helper from our PR firm, PR Chicago maned the IAE booth, fielded questions and  handed out applications for our workshops and 2 year program. We had so many different kinds of artists stop by, and every imaginable question asked about our workshops and programs, that not only were these guys talking all day but they gave almost ever brochure, button, and application we brought with us away!

Meanwhile, I spent the day in the Consult-A-Thon helping artists work through various issues with their existing business or start-up ideas.

Bite-Size Arts Ensemble member Dharmesh Bhagat signs up a potential student to our mailing list.

Shawn Bowers fields a question about The IAE curriculum

Bite-Size Director Lance Hall answers questions about our 12 week imagination training workshop that begins June 7th.

Here are some quotes from emails I received already today from some of the artists I met at the Consult-A-Thon!

“Thank you for giving me such a positive experience at the Consult-a-Thon.”

“You showed me so many different angles to look at things I would have never thought of (or it would take me a very long time).”
“I’m still decompressing from this weekend but will  regroup and take action!”

Is Your Imagination Worth Investing Into? The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble gave away over 300 fortune cookies with our special message inside.

“Just wanted to tell you thanks for the wonderful meeting on Saturday at the Expo. You may have changed my life!”

“You gave me so much to think about. I have been in a buzz with friends ever since.”

I have already signed up for the boost camp online..”

So what about you? While the Chicago Creative Expo 2010 may be officially over, the energy, enthusiasm and support for The IAE it created has just begun and we are calling YOU to action too!

Do you know what your imagination is worth? Is it worth investing into by becoming a Bite-Size Arts Ensemble member and creating your own show to build your communication skills and test your business ideas in our 12 week workshop beginning Monday June 7th?

Or what about shaping or re-shaping your business idea to create a better plan of action to move your career and ideas forward with our 2 week Boost Camp that starts Monday July 26th?

Or what about joining us and learning how to live life on your own terms  ONCE AND FOR ALL by attending The IAE’s 2 year weekend program that begins January 5th, 2011?

Early Bird registration discount of 20% for The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble Workshop or Boost Camp if you apply by May 15th. Discount code is: ICanFlourish

Here’s Adam:

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One of the most important aspects of creation in the arts is collaboration. Though people do work in isolation, the most powerful performances in my memory are all products of intriguing partnerships. And yet, some of the biggest train wrecks that have ever graced a stage were also the products of collaboration, so what makes the difference?

1. Start with great music played masterfully.

Audiences are very, very sensitive to imbalanced art. If the music is less than stellar, it detracts from the performance immediately. Performers must love what they’re playing, and be invested in the repertoire selection process. Similarly, you can never treat another art form as stage make-up for bad work. It’s easy to underestimate preparation time, but start early, and rehearse often. By the time you begin to incorporate the other aspects of the final performance, the music should be concert ready.

2. Find partners with musicality.

Collaborators don’t need to be musicians, and don’t even necessarily need to be well-versed in the repertoire you’d like to present, but they have to be musical. A good collaborator knows how to listen, and wants to talk about the tone, shifting moods, and story of a good piece. A great way to start a dialogue with a potential partner is by listening together and discussing personal reactions to a specific piece of music.

3. Be a good audience member.

If you want your collaborator (and audience) to appreciate your final product, you need to familiarize yourself with different types of art as well. School yourself on the media of your collaborator, so that you can have an educated dialogue about their work.

4. Trust.

It’s hard to do… really hard. We’ve all spent years developing a hearty self-confidence, but nobody can control everything. If you’ve selected the right partners, you need to let them control their aspect of the work. Keep an eye on the final product, but give a bit of yourself over to the bigger cause. If you absolutely need to, get an impartial eye to check it out. Make sure that this person is independent of either discipline, so as to avoid bias. See what the reaction is, and talk about possible revisions as an entire team.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t share at least one stellar example, and to illustrate these points, we can look at one of my favorite interdisciplinary works, “Falling Down Stairs,” Mark Morris’ modern dance set to Yo-Yo Ma’s performance of Bach’s C major Cello Suite.

In this piece, you can enjoy it with your eyes closed. The music is graceful, gritty, powerful, and earnest. Yo-Yo presents it with a finesse rare even among the highest echelon of performers. But when you open your eyes, you can see incredible work by Mark Morris. Though Mark is not a musician, he clearly understands structure, line, and counterpoint. When you watch the film version of this piece, you can see Yo-Yo delight in the dancing that surrounds him. When it comes to the actual process of creating this masterpiece, I have no idea what the dynamic between Yo-Yo and Mark was. I do know, however, they they both did some of the best work of their own careers.

So the next time you’re considering a partnership or interdisciplinary work, think about if you are ready to commit to this lengthy process. It’s always more work than a solo show, but when done right, it can expand your abilities, your audience, and your experience as a performer.

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Adam is the pianist and Director of Artistic Programming for Fifth House Ensemble. For more information, please visit www.fifth-house.com. Like what you read here? For more music entrepreneurship tidbits, visit www.playingclosetothebridge.wordpress.com, brought to you by members of 5HE.

And for all you local artists- this Saturday is the big event! The Chicago Creative Expo runs all day! The Bite-Size Arts Ensemble is performing at 1:30 in the Claudia Cassidy Theater.  I am also offering free one on one consultations.  The consult-a-thon will be on the 5th floor on the Washington side of the Cultural Center, 78 E. Randolph. To schedule an appointment click here. I am also willing to set up additional times after the expo for any of you who are unable to schedule a time with me there. Email me at lisa@theIAE.com if you are interested.

Here is the complete list of all of the FREE workshops being offered at the expo and where they will be held! Hope to See you this Saturday at the EXPO!

When we hibernate for the winter, it’s not uncommon for our creativity and willingness to pursue new projects goes dormant as well.  That just means that you have all the more reason to jumpstart your imagination and let your ideas out to get some much-needed sunshine.

At the ETA Blog, we’ve put together 4 simple steps to give your creativity a boost.  Try one, try them all, and let us know if they work for you!

This kitten loves spring. Why don't YOU?

1. Work Outside

I know, I telegraphed this one with all that talk of sunshine, but it’s true…working outside, surrounded by fresh air and natural light, can go a long way to letting your ideas flow more freely.  Take a notepad and a few hours and plant yourself on a bench in your favorite park.  Use your surroundings to help influence your brainstorm…the natural sounds that surround you are essentially just a better, less expensive version of one of those Sharper Image ambient noise machines. You’ll have all sorts of time to sit inside in front of your computer screen later as you’re doing the butt-in-seat work of executing whatever type of creative project you’re working on, but for now…disconnect.

2. Set Your New Season Resolutions

Remember New Years?  Remember when you said you were going to do all those marvelous things that you never really ended up doing?  New Years You was going to lose the weight and change the world, but most resolutions tend to mysteriously disappear within a month or so.

So what?  I’m a believer that the frozen wasteland of winter isn’t actually the most ideal time to create a new battleplan for changing your life.  Ignore tradition and use the coming of a New Season to set yourself some more attainable short=term goals.  Especially if you’re launching a new venture, this gives you a perfect opportunity to build some waypoints and break down your overarching endgame into more bite-sized pieces.  (In case you haven’t heard, bite-size is the way of the future)

3. Hit The Streets

One of the most charming things about Chicago is the sheer volume of people meandering down the sidewalk (when its nice enough to do so).  Many of them have no explicit reason for being out…they just like being out, looking in windows, sitting in outdoor cafes, people watching, whatever.  But those people, who have no particular reason for being out, represent hundreds of possible connections who might be interested in your or your work!

I’m not telling you to accost people.  I’m saying find a creative reason for being outside and a creative way to promote yourself or your product.  Even if its just handing out fliers with a friendly note and a link to your website, you’re drawing attention and shaking hands and actually TALKING to people, which will always be a thousand times more valuable than any retweeting or Facebook status update you might do.

When I moved to Chicago, one of the first people I talked to was someone who was participating in a Free Hugs Day event in Millennium Park.  All they were doing was standing with a sign that said free hugs and, you guessed it, hugging anybody who would take one.  And by doing so, they got people like me to stop, hug, and talk to them about anything and everything (including their group, Positive Focus, a name which has stuck with me all this time because of the simple, unique touchpoint they created).

What can you do to stand out on a busy street corner?  How do you draw attention to yourself in the real world in a way that makes people want to come talk to you?  Chances are, if you can answer that question on the streets, you can answer that question in your creative industry as well.  I’m just saying…

4. Take a Boost Camp!

Our compatriots at the Institute For Arts Entrepreneurship are offering the Creative Enterprise Boost Camp this summer, and the whole thing is designed to galvanize you into testing and structuring your idea so that it’s ready to become a real business plan.  I don’t think I’m the only one who tends to do my best work when I have a deadline looming, and this 2-week intensive can act as your personal deadline to finally take a leap and COMMIT yourself to that creative business idea you’ve had sitting in the back of your head for too long.  For more info on the Creative Enterprise Boost Camp, go here.  And for info on all the Summer Workshops and Intensives from the IAE, go here.

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So do any of these work for you?  Or do you have other Springtime rituals that you want to share?  Sound off in the comments below!

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Shawn Bowers is a writer, actor and producer in Chicago, IL.  He performs regularly around the city and encourages you to click over to his website at www.ShawnBowers.com to check out all sorts of stories, videos and a full performance calendar.  Internets are fun!

A Case for The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™

Introduction:

Founded in 2009, The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ (The IAE) is a Chicago-based 501c(3) organization committed to helping artists create sustainable artistic careers through achieving self –sufficiency.  Our mission is directly tied to the belief that artists have an extraordinary amount of yet-to-be-realized value they can provide to society, especially in these economically challenging times, if they can be taught to apply their artistic capacity in new ways to allow their talents to become relevant and necessary.

The 2009 Artists and the Economic Recession Survey created by Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) demonstrates how financial difficulties can impact an artists’ ability to sustain a productive creative life:

• Artists often have to hold multiple jobs to make ends meet – 66% hold at least one job in addition to their artistic practice, while 21% hold two or more additional jobs.
• Two-thirds reported their total 2008 income was less than $40,000, including nearly one-third who earned less than $20,000.
• Artists have experienced a decrease in sales of work (48%) or a need to lower fees/rates charged for work (44%), both of which suggest the arts are experiencing the contraction in consumer spending as much as many other industries.
• More than a third of artists reporting a decrease in the monetary amount of grants (37%), the number of awards granted (36%), and the number of grant opportunities available (35%). More than a third of artists’ report that compared to 2008 they have fewer bookings scheduled (38%) and fewer opportunities to exhibit/perform/present their work (35%). About three in 10 say there are fewer services available by nonprofits (31%) and fewer teaching (30%) and artist residency (27%) opportunities.

And yet these financial challenges pose more than the obvious problems they reflect in an artists’ ability to create their art or deliver quality cultural experiences to their audience. It is the belief of The IAE that the economic stability of artists, or lack thereof, has not only significantly contributed to the erosion of the demand for cultural and artistic expression in general but, in today’s economic environment, has put at risk the very need for it to exist entirely.

With roughly 100,000 fine arts majors graduating each year from institutional arts programs around the country, and no decline insight of prospective students who want to study art, the fact that only 2.1 million tax payers in the US report that they earn a living as artists demonstrates the attrition rate after graduation is quite high.

While the romantic stereotype of the “starving artist” to a young artist/student initially often serves to only further fuel their artistic imagination and desire of what life can be like living a bohemian lifestyle, comments from family, friends, employers, colleagues, and distant admirers as to their career prospects as an artist, once he/she graduates, creates both external and internal pressure to embrace a profession that assures stability. After all, even the bohemian lifestyle of an artist gets old when you can’t afford your car payment, let alone buy a house and raise a family—which an annual income, at best, of $40,000 a year income does not provide.

The IAE believes that the rate of attrition of post-graduates has contributed to the decline of the creative sector. The value of the full-time work these artists could have been doing has never been realized inside the communities they would have served. And the communities in which these artists began to work experienced, on some level, these artists inability to survive — reinforcing the lack of relevant value the arts must hold, despite their patron’s attraction to them.  Thus the notion of the starving artist syndrome continues. And as we know, perceptions create reality. And as such, over the course of a 40-year career span, the impact those artists could have made, we believe, has had a slow, steady and now significant and measurable impact on society’s view of the need and relevance for consuming cultural experiences in daily life today.

Henry Fogel in a speech he gave to the National Association of Schools of Music in November 2009 said this: “Any careful examination of newspapers across America over a fifty-year span, will demonstrate dramatically the shrinking of arts coverage. Fifty years ago, every small town newspaper had an arts critic, sometimes more than one.  Now, many smaller communities have let that lapse completely, and even many large cities have offered buyouts to retire their art critic, and chosen not to re-fill the position. Look at Public Television if you want further proof of the decreasing importance of the arts in America. Public Television was started precisely to broadcast programming that would have too small an appeal for commercial TV. (Never mind that in my youth, classical music was seen regularly on commercial TV – the Ed Sullivan Show, Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s concerts, the Voice of Firestone, the Bell Telephone Hour, and live operas on NBC). Now, PBS considers Sarah Brightman, Andrea Bocelli, or André Rieu to be “highbrow” programming. The number of symphony concerts, quality jazz, dance, and even staged operas, available in this country on television has been declining at an alarming rate.”

Specifically, as a result of the absence of proper training to ensure more artists who graduate from art school can fill needs in their communities and financially afford to remain in the creative sector, we believe society has been left with little choice but to be unable to perceive the impact, value and relevance of the arts in their daily lives as a whole.

According to a 2003 major study, Investing in Creativity, completed by The Urban Institute and financially supported by over 38 foundations, only 27% of adults think artists contribute “a lot” to the general good of society, far fewer than recognize the social contributions of teachers (82%), doctors (76%), scientists (66%), construction workers (63%), and clergy (52%). The public perceives the contributions of artists in much the same way it perceives those of elected officials (26% say they contribute a lot to the general good), and just slightly better than it perceives the contributions of athletes (18% think they contribute a lot).

And yet, as noted by John Cimino, Creative Leaps International, scholar Thomas Homer Dixon says the space between problems that arise and our ability to solve them- the “ingenuity gap”- is growing today at an alarming rate in business, scientific research, education, the environment and world affairs. And innovative thought leaders like Ken Robinson, Daniel Pink and Richard Florida are helping to create a mindset that the arts, and artists, are capable of offering so much more to society. Author Ken Robinson proclaims we are “Out of our Mind” to have sidelined creativity and the arts when every layer of American society from elementary education to supply-side economics is starved for more imagination, more original thinking, and more creative intelligence”. According to business writer/entrepreneur Daniel Pink, “Artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big-picture thinkers – can now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.” Economist Richard Florida argues that artists and other members of the “creative class” are vital to regional economic development.  He suggests that they comprise the vital cultural core essential to attracting and developing workers for knowledge industries, which are increasingly important to the U.S. economy.

In these economic times, innovation is a critical tool that can grow revenue like never before and catapult our largest companies and newest start-ups to new levels of international competitiveness and profitability that we truly need to not only save, but redefine how we achieve our future economic vitality. Certainly the arts offer, with training, fertile ground to devise new ways to contribute and become vital, integral and again relevant to society.

After all, the visceral nature of the arts provides a unique barrier breaker -a unifier- regardless of race, religion, gender, age, status or income across all sectors of society and industry. No matter what the subject matter, using the arts in new interdisciplinary ways can bring people to new levels of understanding and simultaneously create new sustainable financially viable career paths for artists.

According to the Investing in Creativity study by The Urban Institute, their research suggests there is a substantial demand for artists in hybrid markets and yet few programs exist to support their development. Artists are involved in art and community development, social services, education, health, civic engagement, and youth development, among other areas through arts-based organizations such as Project Row Houses in Houston, Street Level Youth Media and Little Black Pearl in Chicago, Cornerstone Theater in Los Angeles, El Centro de la Raza in Seattle, Life Pieces to Masterpieces in Washington, D.C., Zumix and Troubador in Boston and many more examples can be found in every one of LINC’s case study sites.

Although many artists do important work primarily in the context of conventional cultural markets, LINC found scores of examples like the ones listed above.  Investing in Creativity research suggests that many artists work in all of these sectors, either at the same time or switching from one to another. Their field research in fact highlighted this pattern.  It also reveals that artists seem to benefit when there is a wide range of different sector opportunities in which they can engage.

And yet demand for what artists do is not fully conceived or well articulated, in large part because the formal validation mechanisms in both arts and non-arts contexts are relatively narrowly developed.  For example, if an artist is working at the intersection of arts and community development and making contributions in both areas, it is very likely that the full extent of those contributions will not be recognized or valued in either the cultural realm or the community development realm.  Moreover, adequate language to describe such practice and contributions currently does not exist.  The IAE seeks to bring clarity to the value of these hybrid roles to the community by focusing on the development of self-sufficient career paths for artists who will be motivated to illuminate the value of their hybrid roles to society.

Additionally, arts administrators, researchers and analysts, funders and policymakers tend to view the public, commercial, nonprofit and informal sectors as separate realms with little connection to each other.  Often artists seem to be categorized as “nonprofit” or “commercial,” as if those categories were mutually exclusive and as such funding sources are difficult to obtain and not rising in priority as demand, and need, is growing because of the cross pollination that occurs in a hybrid artistic role.

Respondents to the Investing in Creativity study emphasized the critical nature of peer-to-peer and mentoring relationships for training and professional development across the discipline spectrum and how important these relationships are to successful career transitions. Artists working at the intersection of arts and other fields, such as community development, education, health, justice, or other areas noted that the public validation and training programs needed to sustain and advance these practices is generally weak. Furthermore, many artists feel they lack the skills to market themselves to the wide range of realms where they could potentially be successful.  Our own survey, currently underway, indicates the same results. Over 83% of all respondents have said they would undertake a two year course of study to increase their skills to earn a living as a self-employed artist.  Additionally, LINC’s research revealed that many higher education and training institutions for the arts are not proactive in developing markets for artists or teaching them the business skills they need to succeed and that funding for such programs is virtually non existent.

The IAE believes that by helping artists imagine and create new innovative career paths we can play a significant role in helping both artists and the community rediscover new ways for artists to be recognized as contributing “a lot of good” though the development of self-sustaining hybrid careers that can become relevant to the communities these artists will serve. As such, through our programs at the IAE, we seek to helps artists grow their artistic imaginations about what is possible, while teaching them tangible necessary skill sets to give them the assortment of tools they need to turn their creativity into self-sufficiency.

The IAE seeks to make it possible for artists to develop a business arising from identifying gaps in the market place they can uniquely fill with a form of their creative practice. These businesses will be varied and may relate directly to a product, societal problem, service or process, a form of expertise, consultancy, or their values, beliefs or knowledge.  IAE training will provide the means for artists to understand how to create the infrastructure and environment for new creative opportunities to be realized.

Although there are increasingly quality arts entrepreneurship courses and programs in colleges and universities around the country, given the attrition rate of artists exiting the field, the need for more quality programs is self -evident. Furthermore,  The IAE knows of no other school focused exclusively on the development of self-sustaining hybrid career paths in the arts leveraging the strengths of ongoing one-on-one mentorship and experiential learning across all artistic disciplines. The most notable nationally recognized program happens to be here in Chicago, at Columbia College. Unfortunately,  the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Program,  not for a lack of student enrollment or interest, but instead because of a change in institutional priorities, it is in the process of undergoing a major restructuring that will result in a majority of its programs being eliminated or significantly diluted.

The IAE is committed to bringing artists and their creativity into the center of economic activity.

An emerging drama troupe wants to develop a better business model. So they meet with other small theater companies and study their structure. Problem is, actors aren’t typically the best business experts.  Wouldn’t it be better to meet with actual small business owners outside the arts world, to learn from their experiences?  They’re not talking to the right people.  

A visual arts cooperative needs to raise capital for an upcoming initiative. So they approach known arts donors in their community.  Problem is, financial resources from these patrons are already stretched thin.  Wouldn’t it be better to cultivate relationships with other wealthy citizens who don’t currently have their fingers in the arts?  They’re not talking to the right people.

A group of college professors hopes to produce artists who are more entrepreneurial.  So they organize an academic conference on this issue.  Problem is, none of the faculty presenters actually make a sizeable living through their art–they’re primarily educators.  Wouldn’t it be better to invite actual freelancers and art entrepreneurs? They’re not talking to the right people.

A community of dancers wants to attract bigger audiences.  So they go to a bar to discuss this issue, and wind up complaining about how no one appreciates great music any more.  Problem is, you can’t solve a problem by kvetching. Wouldn’t it be better to meet with actual people from the demographics they hope to attract, and learn what motivates them to attend an event?  They’re not talking to the right people.

When presented with a challenge, we often approach others who are kind of like us. It somehow feels more comfortable to be in the presence of familiarity.  By networking with clones, we confirm our suspicions and continue further down the same path with increased confidence.

But someone with a different set of experiences, skills, and perspectives may be better equipped to assist. Better equipped to view the problem from a distinct angle, imagining uncommon, bold, and powerful solutions. And often, these are the very people with the greatest potential to actually help.

You hope to advance your career to the next phase.  Are you talking to the right people?

Check out this quote:

According to Barnes, the decision [to let fans tape shows] was not entirely selfless: it reflected a shrewd assessment that tape sharing would widen their audience, a ban would be unenforceable, and anyone inclined to tape a show would probably spend money elsewhere, such as on merchandise or tickets. The Dead became one of the most profitable bands of all time.

It’s inspiring stuff, and shows that a little bit of innovation (and goodwill toward your audience) can go a long way.  I’m not even a Grateful Dead fan, but I think I might be now.  Full article is in the link below.

Management Secrets of the Grateful Dead [The Atlantic]

Now in its 7th year, this CCE connects artists and art organizations in all disciplines (music, dance, theater, film, design, new media, fashion, publishing, visual art) with the businesses, information, services and networks they need.

EVENT INFORMATION:

The Creative Chicago Expo is a free, day-long event that takes place throughout the Chicago Cultural Center.  It has three main components:  Vendors, Workshops and Consultants.

Vendors are grouped by discipline or service in GAR Hall, GAR Rotunda, the Randolph Street Cafe, and under the dome in Preston Bradley Hall.  Workshops and Consult-a-thon are held in meeting rooms and the wings of Preston Bradley Hall.

In 2009, 5,500 people attended the Creative Chicago Expo, meeting 130 vendors, participating in 23 workshops and making 200 appointments with 40 consultants.    This is a premier event to connect with Chicago’s top creative artists.

Happy 10th anniversary SEA! The SEA conference is coming right up and if you have never attended you need to! Come learn more about how to turn your artistic passion into a living from other successful artists.

What The Conference Offers

In addition to keynote presentations, topic specific sessions by artists, panel discussions, faculty sessions, and workshops,  come hang out with a lot of really fun, creative artists and entrepreneurs.  I will be speaking and hanging out there too! Hope you will join the fun.

Here’s the list of speakers and topics that will be presented:

Visual Arts:

Robert Fishbone – Keynote & Social Media Panel
Jeanette Smith (Art Consultant) – Art Licensing
Robert Lee Fritz (3-D Artist) – Creating niches and corporate sales
John McDavitt (Commercial Artist) – Heroic Decision Making
Janet Bloch (Artist & Consultant) – Exhibiting Professionalism
Andie Burchett (Pencil Artist) – TBD
Jessica & John Page – Photography & New Business (Alum)
Ping Wu – Fashion Design (Alum)

Media Arts:

Kelley Baker (Filmmaker) – Guerilla Marketing & Self-Distribution
Julie Freestone (Sundance Institute) – TBD
Jeffrey Fisher (Fisher Creative Group) – Be a Mobile Media Mogul

Performing Arts:

Matt Hennessy (Musician and Recording Engineer) – Recording Industry
Greg Eichelberger (Musician) – Creating & Managing a Career
Lisa Canning (Musician & Entrepreneur) – New Economic Opportunities for Artists
Victoria Lyman (Dance Boutique)- Turning Your Artistic Passion into a Retail business
Vanessa E (Singer) – Multiple Income Streams
Matt Boresi – Mock Auditions & Closing  Keynote

Literary Arts:

Jennifer McCord & Sheryl Stebbins – Publishing Today
McCord & Stebbins – Writing a book proposal
(A limited number will have the opportunity to have a book proposal reviewed.
Please see website for more details.)

Nuts & Bolts:

Elizabeth Russell (Russell Law)- Legal Issues
Tim Kelley (Columbia College) – Legal Issues for Performing Artists
Kay Osborne (Drury University) – Accounting for Artists

Panel Discussions:

Marketing
Social Media & Websites
Portfolios
Getting Started
Faculty Sessions:
2 Faculty Panels of Coleman Fellowes
Pam Mickelson (Morningside College ) – Brand Builder Matrix (for faculty & students)

Learn more about the speakers presentations:

Here is the schedule at a glance:

There is no time like RIGHT NOW to register! See you at SEA.

Can’t come to Lisle, Illinois?  Here are a few other opportunities to get involved:

March 13th SEA OzArts : Coordinated by Drury University in Sprinfield, MO

March 26th & 27th SEA BizArts:  Coordinated by Edmonds Community College in Washington

March 27th Southern Entrepreneurship in the Arts Conference: From Survival to Success
Coordinated by The University of North Carolina Greensboro

TBD SEA South: Coordinated by The University of Tampa

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, it can be devastating—I have to give credit to Stan Wojewodski for this one.

And, most dangerous of all,

4.    You are reliant on other people for your sense of worth and success.

Number 4. is not a very empowering place to be. It’s not good for one’s self esteem. As a teacher, I try to instill in my students, a strong sense of having their own internal success monitor (not to be confused with self-judgment or criticism). They know how they have done and do not need to ask other people. This knowledge stems from working with goal setting and practice.

It is natural to want to hear peoples’ thoughts on how we are perceived…and it’s fun. But, the artist needs to have a core that shields him or herself from the winds of external opinion. I am a Texan and sometimes we live up to our stereotypes. In Texas, we have a sayin’. Here it is: “Opinions are like a**holes. Everyone’s got one”.So, take opinions with a grain of salt (whether positive or negative).

Now, this said,  your success in the market, which is guided by peoples’ purchasing, which is ultimately peoples’ opinions, determines one’s success and the market often has very different ideas about what is of value (when compared to peers).

Relying on other people for your sense of success in your work as an artist is poisonous thinking. It is not good for your self-esteem. Why? Because you are giving away your power.

It is far more empowering to be your own judge of how you are doing and here is a simple exercise to assist you in your process:

Goal Setting.

When approaching your respective “canvas”, have specific goals in mind (goals that are challenging, but realistic to achieve). “I want to accomplish these specific things today”… in my performance or painting…or whatever your medium.

After you complete your work, ask yourself the following:

“Did I accomplish my goals”?

If you did, awesome. Good for you. Go celebrate.

If you did not, ask yourself “Why”? Then ask “What will I do differently tomorrow” or next time?

This ritualistic self assessment of goal progress will keep you focused.

It enables you, as artist, to maintain your self-empowerment and maintain your own internal meter or monitor for success. It gives you a gauge, by which you can better yourself.

This little technique is profound, in that it enables you to become your own teacher. Become your own teacher and you will forever be in a state of learning.

Independence. Pass it on.

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

During your holiday ritual, allow yourself to drift back and think about the time of season that it is.

It is autumn and damn near to winter. Autumn is a time of dying, falling and decomposing, which is followed by winter. Winter is a prolonged period of seeming and literal death, of sleep, of dark. Few leaves are on the trees. Many summer animals are hiding. The winter wind hurts my cheeks. Sludge and more sludge. It’s dark and cold and the darkness just seems to linger—like a house guest who has overstayed their visit. Then…just as you begin to entertain the thought that “maybe this year, spring will not actually arrive”, that this year, perhaps the universe is out of kilter and spring shall be no more, it comes. Then, hallelujah! Newness. Birth. More light. Sweet flowers. Green returns (seemingly on one day). Spring. is mating season…Out of the lingering fall of autumn, through the death of winter, comes life anew in spring. Nature is poetic and beautiful, yes

You are nature. Unless you believe that you were beamed here by some mysterious cosmic spaceship, then you have come up, out of the earth, just as all other living matter has. And if you buy into this thought, then you must accept that you are nature. You are a part of it and are it. Everything you do is natural, as you are nature. How could it be otherwise? You are the voice of the earth. If not you, what?

If you roll with this idea–that you are nature, then so too are you bound to the inevitable and constant transformations of all nature. We know that the only constant in the universe is change. Change is happening all around us and to us…all of the time and will continue to do so every minute of every day, the rest of our lives. Cycles of birth and death and rebirth. There exists a wonderful example of this transformation in the form of our Thanksgiving dinner. Death (whatever plant matter grandma has baked and that turkey there…sustains your life. Plant matter or animal, life is feeding on death, to continue life.

If you are the typical American on this uniquely American of days—you might find yourself, as I do, sitting on the couch with the game drearily chattering in the background. Family members bump about in the blur of your wine and turkey stupor. Your pants beg you to let your belt loose. You do. Wow. That feels much better. Much better. Bloated to the gills, you are sleepy, sleepy, sleepy from too much turkey… Your mind wanders to all sorts of places. This after eating sit, as people are cleaning dishes, chatting at the dinner table, going to the bathroom and generally wandering before regrouping in some way, is my favorite. As the blood leaves my brain, to fiercely work at digesting all that I just put in my stomach, I dream. Foggy brain time.  If you find yourself in a “this year” comatose, allow yourself to mentally hacky sack with this:

How will you choose to change this year?

There will be a ton of changes you will be a part of, of which, you will have no control over, whatsoever. No doubt about that. Death may come into your life this year, sickness, promotion, chaos, love, peace. Who knows yet?. We have a forecast of certain change ahead.

Considering how much uncontrollable change is in our lives, what will you control? What change will you CHOOSE to make? What new-ness, of your own deciding and making, will come out of you, as we enter a new calendar year? What part of you might die, be cleared away and made room for something new?

Again, change is inevitable. What change will you (at least try to) control?

Symbolically, the garden is a symbol of the soul. Doesn’t that make sense? Every time I read, hear or say that, I think, “Yea. That’s right”. My feelings might stem from my loving to garden. In the garden, you see a constant show of “Out of death, grows life”. If you look, if you pay attention, you will see new stuff “going on” every day. It is a living, evolving canvas. Any change you make to that garden is temporary, no matter how permanent your intentions.

What mangy growth do you spy in your garden? What plants have appeared, Have any invasive ones? Have you done battle with interlopers, who are determined to eat and decimate your roses, those beautiful flowers you give so much time to? What plants do you see that have potential, but need more attention? Do they need to be moved someplace else—perhaps one with less intense light and more water? When you look around that garden, what conditions and maintenance are necessary, in order to get all of your plants in your garden, to thrive? Make a list and follow through on it.

Time to clean out the waste, unless you want to still have that crap around, come spring time. We cut out the overgrowth, the seasonal plants that have expired, the parasites we find. We want to open planting space and prepare for the dramatic return of spring, in order to encourage new, desired growth. We need to clean out, to weed the unwanted or downright poisonous.

What stands in your way from realizing your higher self and your dreams? Let’s not play games. Here is the answer:  You…of course. Just you. It is a frame of mind.

Some find such a thought difficult to accept and own. But, the sooner you do own it, the faster you will begin to grow. Ever desire to be super man? Ever desire to fly? Well, until you accept that you can fly and will and will log the hours necessary to “figure it all out”, to learn to fly right (like not into buildings and whatnot), then you are grounded, indefinitely.

Get rid of all that is holding you back—whether unhealthy relationships, habits that led to poor health, poor financial structuring, lifestyle choices, etc. Whatever it is, whatever things those are…which are uniquely yours, cast them out. There is no room in the boat. With your greatest of gusto, cast them into the sea, just to feel how fast you can row your boat without them.

In the garden, remember that when weeding, unless you get them by the roots, they will come back. Streamline your life and promote only healthy growth in your garden, only life affirming elements. In doing so, you will find a greater peace, balance, health and stillness. Cultivate the positive, life-affirming relationships you have and let go of all that holds you back in any way. Once you let go of that damn heavy luggage attached to your waste (which you may not have even realized you were dragging all this year…at least), you are going to find that you can then run so fast…and skip…. and hop.

Happy Holidays.

Jim Hart

Jim Hart is the founder of The Hart Technique www.harttechnique.com and The International Theatre Academy Norway.

I  have found two resources that pay off – Newsletters and Blogs.  New, constantly updated information around the main subject on a regular basis.  And that’s the catch.  Although the content is important and stimulating and maybe even well written. readers will vanish quickly if you are not CONSISTENT in producing new material to hold their attention.  That means every week you MUST send out that newsletter or update that blog.

If the blog and/or newsletter engages the reader, you now have a dialogue within a community established.  Thus the blog/newsletter becomes a source not only of important information in a particular field, but a major source of community that reaches beyond the writer to include valuable opinions, points of view, discussions and deeper information to help the reader succeed in the use of your product/endeavor/service, etc.  It can be a source of help in reworking your product and collaboration and more.  It can make people feel that they know you and have a personal connection to you.  All this works to your benefit.

Now some of you may think writing a blog or newsletter may be difficult.  I had a lady I met a few days ago at a networking event tell me that she just could never write a speech.  I assured her if I just asked her the right questions, the speech would be there.  Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and ask yourself the questions they would want answered and then take it from there.

But above all start writing.  It is just one of the tools you have in today’s market that can help you.  And you must not let it fall away as part of your marketing plan.  Too many people are reading and writing for you not to be included in this exciting way of promoting yourself.

Barbara Kite is an Executive Speech Coach and a Professional Acting Coach in Portland Oregon
<a href=”http://www.barbarakite.com”>www.barbarakite.com</a>

BUSINESS - INTERNATIONAL

HERALD TRIBUNE 

By Hillary Chura

Published: Thursday, January 11, 2007

Any effective social movement throughout time can be traced to 3% of the population working together to make it happen – critical mass. In Fresno that’s 15,000 people. 15,000. Not that many people really. We can get 15,000 people united to the cultural arts.

If we had 15,000 people connected and engaged in a thriving cultural arts sector we would have a very different place to live.

Imagine what we could do.

At this year’s Cultural Arts Conference on 10/2, we, the cultural arts providers, community, business and public leaderships dedicated to a thriving cultural community, come together to create our 3% and mobilize behind our first Critical Mass project – the Fresno centralized event calendar.

Go to www.fcash.org. The cost is only $45 for the day, $65 if you want to go to the Funders’ Breakfast.

We’re also trying a grand experiment – the morning State of the Arts session is being done Pecha Kucha style! No one that we know of has ever done a part of a conference Pecha Kucha style. Kiel and Travis are moderating it and it will either be a fabulous success or a major flop.

Come. Be a part of making something amazing happen.

Cynthia Cooper
Executive Director
Fresno Coalition for Arts, Science & History
1401 Fulton Street, S-904
Fresno, CA 93728
559-286-8282 Cell
559-485-1100 Fax
ccooper@fcash.org
www.fcash.org

10/2 Third Annual Cultural Arts Conference
Creating Critical Mass – Making the Cultural Connection
Fresno Coalition for Arts, Science & History
1401 Fulton Street Suite 904 Fresno, CA 93721 United States
559-485-1100
info@fcash.org
www.fcash.org

Remember my friends from my post An Entrepreneurial Lesson and a Little Bit of Magic? Well, they seem to have fox trotted right past more than a few explosives. They have managed to find new space at a price they can finally afford, allowing their business to survive, but not with the landlord I referred to in the post. Of course many weeks of negotiation and uncertainty had to pass to bring them to this point.. and I am sure a few sleepless nights as well wondering if they would get through this…

Remember those 200 film editors I told you about in my post 200 Resumes, $1200.00 dollars? Well, I have received a total of 373 resumes from out-of- work or under employed freelance film editors wondering how they too can get through this period of time and make the bucks they need to survive.

Entrepreneurship is NOT for the faint of heart. You need an original idea or a new twist on an old one to stand out from the crowd in your field. This alone can seems difficult to find, as evident by 373 film editors in Chicago alone- and counting- looking for work.

And yet having entrepreneurial vision does NOT mean your entrepreneurial idea will work smoothly, quickly or be easy to scale, let alone survive, no matter how good and valuable it is– as my entrepreneurial friends from the first post I mentioned demonstrate.

Having vision ONLY means you see a unique path that you feel will have value to others and are inspired to try and turn into reality. The REAL HEAVY lifting comes from actually beginning to navigate your way THROUGH the obstacle filled field in front of you to turn your vision into a valuable resource for others and, as such, an income producing path. (Let the rumba begin!)

So, how long does it take to do this? And how difficult is it, really? ( Funny you should ask. It seems I have been in need of reminding myself of the answer to this very same question lately.)

It all depends on:

How much time you spend daily focusing on what you uniquely have to deliver and who will want it.

Your willingness to accept that a good idea is not enough… you need self confidence, tenacity and to figure out exactly how to market the hell out of your ideas without running out of cash until they resonate with others.

None of these skills, in my opinion, are any harder than learning how to excel at your artistry. They just are riddled with different problems, new challenges and a few explosives. What in life isn’t….

Thank you Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship GCCE for adding us as a link to your blog! What a terrific resource GCCE is for ETA readership.