For those of you who know me, and for those of you who do not (yet), it is not a secret how passionate and determined I have been throughout my professional career in the arts to help artists not only survive but make a difference with the talents they have. And yet, I cannot say often enough, it is...

If I told you I could make a genie came out of this lamp and grant you three wishes for anything in the world you wanted would you believe it could really happen? How far are you willing to believe in what your imagination can do for you and your future as an artist? The truth of the matter is that...

Henry Fogel, the most well known executive director to orchestras and orchestral musicians around the world, gave this speech to The National Association of School Music administrators in November of 2009.  As I read it my heart jumped for joy! It is so deeply satisfying to see someone with so much...

Stephanie Sack changed prices at Vive La Femme from high-end to "cheap and chic," which "completely saved the business," she says. Photo: Erik UngerBy: Christina Le Beau November 09, 2009 Written By: Christina Le Beau  Crain’s Chicago Business, November 09, 2009 The “new...

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...

When we think about what kind of business we can create with our artistic skills, sometimes the ideas that come to mind piggy-back on to the product of another. Think of iphone apps and you quickly get the idea. The story of Jibbitz illustrates this idea perfectly: For years, Sheri, a busy mother of...

As our summer programs for The Institute for Arts Entrepreneurship™ begin to roll out, I find myself consistently thinking about just how much blue sky and open space there is in the world of entrepreneurship for artists. So many new businesses and new ideas to be implemented that no one else EXCEPT...

As the owner and founder of the Gorilla Tango Theatre in Chicago, Dan Abbate has done something that so many aspiring arts entrepreneurs aspire to do: he’s found a way to make a profit and make a living while providing opportunities all sorts of opportunities for local producers and performers. I’ve...

“Somehow I can’t believe that there are any heights that can’t be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is...

Following my last posting on the fiscal health of theatres, my fellow ETA blogger Jim Hart contacted me with some provocative questions. I thought I’d address two of them – and forgive me, Jim, for paraphrasing slightly: 1. Can we teach our aspiring theatre artists to avoid the traditional path of...

As we get closer and closer to the opening of the Institute For Arts Entrepreneurship in Fall 2010, we wanted to spotlight some artistic entrepreneurs who have found success in their field. In our new series, Questions and Artists, we’ll pose a few burning questions to these brave artists who have...

So are you making the right decision? How do you know? Does self-doubt sabotage your willingness to experiment with new ideas, interests or meet new people? Self-doubt often increases our self-judgment, making us more self-conscious and less entrepreneurial. Self-doubt serves an important entrepreneurial...

As you may recall from a previous posting, I’ve been doing some research on the fiscal health of nonprofit arts organizations, specifically theatres. Prior research indicated that one could look at several factors (revenue diversification, operating margins, administrative expenses, and access to equity)...

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,...

In the early 90’s Juanita Donica and Dianne Syme owned a struggling gift shop full of unusual  items they personally adored and thought, as a result, their customers would too.   But business was very slow and their products did not seem to sell. Worried their gift shop would not make it through...

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,...

What is personal freedom, for the rest of your life, worth to you?  What would you be willing to pay right now to know you can have it?  Would you trade 3 years of your life plus $30,000 for it? What would your life be like if you were 100% in control of your daily routines? What if the job you had...

Karma. Murphy’s Law. Tommyluck. There are lots of names for the concept of “When god closes the door he opens a window”. I’ve been experiencing this first hand this week and it has reminded me that no success can be earned without struggle. The good news is, that Blue Damen Pictures’...

Bite-Size Arts Ensemble Member, Dharmesh Bhagat, built this blue bike out of balloons for me. Isn’t it cute? What does your blue bike look like? Do you know? And what does it mean to build a blue bike anyway? To me, the journey of learning how to take the pain in your heart and transform it into...

I received this email from Rick Cherwitz this morning and it stopped and made me think– What can all of us trained artists do about changing these statistics? Would love your suggestions and I bet Rick would too.. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Folks, In...