Art & Numbers

I started reading the book Arts & Numbers by Elaine Grogan Luttrull. I am really enjoying the book so far. The first part of the book really takes a hard look at the "starving artist" persona. There is nothing sexy or particularly creative about living in poverty.

Dave Chow Starving Artist

The book even begins with an anecdote about how people are shocked to hear a person is unable to read but don't shutter at someone proclaiming, "I don't do numbers." The reality of today's economy is that financial illiteracy can be just as debilitating as not being able to read at a fourth grade level. I like to say in the classes that I teach for C4 Atlanta that a budget is just a numeric representation of your vision, goals and mission. 

If numbers really aren't your thing, then get help. Partner with or hire someone who can help you understand basic concepts such as cash flow, profit and loss and debt reduction. Many cities offer classes on these topics. My organization, C4 Atlanta, just started a new class: Financial Literacy 101. 

And I am not coming at this from a place of finger shaking--I had to learn on the fly how these concepts applied to a small nonprofit. So I can tell you from experience that understanding them, is taking control of your creative destiny.  

Kids and art making.

I posted a link on the C4 Atlanta blog to an article that cites resources for artist-parents. Great resource. It isn't always easy being a parent--no matter the profession. I stayed home with my kids for several years and just worked evenings and weekends. THAT wasn't easy. But I have a few memories of trying to be a performer-slash-parent that still trouble me.

I once auditioned for a touring children's show. Once...in another galaxy (decade ago or so). At this time in my life, I had something under "special skills" on my resume about being able to drive, eat and sing Barney songs to my toddler. After I auditioned for the show I was asked about my daughter. I was asked how old she was and got some mumblings such, "aww. How precious." And then the smile on the director's face faded a bit, "do you think you will be okay touring without your daughter? Won't you miss her?" I didn't know how to respond. I knew even from my limited retail management experience that I could get fired for asking those types of questions during an interview. Of course I would miss her! Did that make me unqualified? Does a person who travels a lot for any other job miss their children? Sure they do! The thing that got me was that this person would never consider herself anything but a supporter of women's rights. I may not have been right for the part. My audition may have sucked. But don't ask me whether or not I can "handle" the responsibility of raising a child and working. People do it everyday.

Several years later... I had my second daughter. I just re-entered the world of acting. She was several

Where you pump at work

months old. Still breast feeding but she also ate solid foods and dad could give her a bottle of milk. I still pumped, though. I didn't want to stop breast feeding. Long story a little shorter...I was working on a show and the cast went on break. I needed to pump. I didn't really have anywhere to go. So I sat in my car, ate my lunch and pumped. It is not that I expected anyone to go out of his/her way to accommodate me. I was the only, that I know of, lactating cast member. I just remember feeling like I wish I had somewhere a little more dignified to go. Not my car.

It is great to see a resource that brings together artists who are also parents. The two shouldn't be mutually exclusive. We are a community. We should support one another.

Is it easy? No. But not much about having kids is easy except for hugs and "I love you."

Writing a proposal

On my "to-do" list this week is to submit a proposal for the National Arts Marketing Project. I want to talk about how artists and arts organizations can use "lean" marketing to discover and retain loyal patrons. Lean marketing is big in the startup world. I think it has a practical application in the art world with a few modifications.

At the core of this strategy is solving a problem. We talk about doing this all the time in the arts: better education, healthier cities, lower crime, etc. And these are all big problems to tackle. But the problem a consumer faces may not be that big. Maybe she needs access. Maybe he needs entertainment options. Maybe a person needs a context for appreciating a piece of work. It is an experiment.

Get to know your patrons. Understand their problems, desires, wants. Help them. Sell artwork. Easy, right?

It does take a lot of work and dedication. The good news is that you can do this type of marketing on a very tight budget. But like any business, you have to put some strategy into it so you don't end up wasting a lot of time and money.

To be continued...

Final reflections - C4ward March Blogathon

There were some technical difficulties along the way... For those of you who participated, I am sorry. This has been a great learning experience for us. I have been impressed with all of the blogs I read. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, photos, bits of inspiration and more. I love this community--and it was a community that crossed state and country boarders.

I am also thankful to Ruth Schowalter for bringing this idea to C4 Atlanta. Thank you, Ruth. Thank you, Deborah, for the prompts and your contributions and thank you, Joe, for your technical support. This was not a one-person endeavor.

My final thought is this: I don't want the connections to go away. I don't think I am a blog-a-day kinda gal, but I do look forward to writing more. I also hope C4 can do this type of "event" more--maybe once a quarter?

Keep sharing. Keeping creating art. Enjoy this weekend!

Contemplating Community and the Role of Art in It

Day 13 of the C4ward March Blogathon! Today's prompt is about community and the role of art in it (I think the blog title was a hint).

I mean, the first thing I think of is a whole body of research devoted to economic impact, quality of life, healthy citizens, the list goes on. And all of that data is great, it really is, but it doesn't really sum it up for me.

I just feel like life would be absolutely boring without art.

I was interviewed not that long ago by a group conducting research on arts districts. The research was for a feasibility study in Atlanta. I answered a ton of questions. "Economic impact" was a phrase that I recited dutifully as an arts advocate. However, it was the final answer that surprised me. It wasn't the question. It was my immediate response. I didn't prepare for the words to come out of my mouth.

The question: "What if all of the arts in Atlanta went away today? What would we lose?"

My answer: "We would lose everything. All of our records. Our history. We would lose our place in history."

I believe that. I believe that the question could have also been: "what if we just cut out your heart now? What would happen?"

But this post is about community.

It is much easier for me to talk about this over a glass of wine...or three. Here is just a quick thought:

Yes. Communities should support the arts. More specifically, I mean fund the arts. Georgia is 49th in funding for the arts. We are also at bottom in education. The arts bring in money to the state and local communities. They bring in WAY more than is allocated. The phrase "government grant" is a misnomer. The grants are actually a contract for services performed by artists and arts organizations. These services include programs for disadvantage populations, educational services, quality of life projects, etc. Art is a public good.

I will tell you more later over that glass of wine. I have to eat a very late dinner with my birthday girl!

Rant, rant go away

Today's C4ward March prompt is about ranting...

I can rant. Boy, can I rant. I sometimes have to just get it out and let it go.

Several years ago, I had a colleague chastise me for charging artists for C4 classes. I didn't know what to say. If I wanted to take advantage of anyone, I would charge what our classes are really worth and then some. We don't because we are a nonprofit. The classes are subsidized by donors and funders. But here is the thing too, we hire artists. We pay them a good wage because we believe they deserve the pay. Yes, sometimes people (including attorneys and CPA's) volunteer to lead classes. We don't charge for those classes. We also work hard as heck to raise money for scholarships. If I built C4 on donations solely, we wouldn't be doing anyone, any good. Do you know why? Because we wouldn't survive. Donors and funders are fickle and the next generation of "givers" are not loyal...not to charities and not to brands. No matter how noble the cause.

I will say this, artists give all the time to C4 Atlanta. They mainly support our scholarship fund. And I can assure you that we use those funds, track them and make sure that we are super stewards of every donated penny. Artists give because they like our work...but more importantly they give to support their fellow artists. I am so grateful for that.

So this is no longer a rant. 

I remember I got an envelop in the mail from a friend/fellow artist. Inside this envelope was a check for $500. This was also several years ago when C4 Atlanta just started out. We barely had any programming. I started crying when I got the check because I know how hard my friend works. That money meant as much to me as a $5,000 check. She asked that she remain anonymous on our donor page. That gift was more than a monetary donation. That gift was a gesture of faith and that gesture is absolutely priceless. I saved the note that came with the check.

Everyone's business strategy is different. What that colleague did years ago was not ask questions. He didn't ask "why." He just made accusations. That hurt. We talked through it later--after I followed up and expressed how much his comments upset me. He did apologize.

Humans like tools

Humans do like tools. We like to make life "easier." I hate to think of people as tools, but I need the help of people more than any other resource on this planet. I am very fortunate to work with, live with and commune with people who love me, support me and most importantly make me laugh.

Humor is a tool I use often. I don't really have anything funny to add to that statement.

So. Some questions to go with today's C4ward March prompt:

• What knowledge gaps do you have?

• What classes are you dying to take? Creative, professional, technical, etc…

• If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently – or in a different order?

• What resources do you feel are essential to the growth of your creative or entrepreneurial practice?

• If you had a super power, what would it be?

• If you could work with anyone, who would it be?

I have a lot of knowledge gaps. Predicting the future is one. I try to look for patterns in a budget, participation in my classes and I try to gauge the feelings of my colleagues. And sometimes, I miss it all. I just don't catch the pattern until too late.

I want to take a welding class, a finance class, a proposal writing class, but more importantly I want to be able to ask important people important questions. Oh, and I want to take a ballroom dance class with my husband.

I don't think about doing things in the past differently. I will adjust for the future.

Mentors are essential to my personal growth. I have a few as of late. I want to continue to nurture those relationships. I also need quality time with my friends and family. And plenty of vacations.

My super power is learning.

I would like to work with Meryl Streep. I mean, why not? Actually, I would be happy seeing her process.

And I know that money is not the answer to everything, but I need about $50,000 to launch a new program. That has been a huge weight lately. It is different than any other project because this project is really one big experiment (remember that experiments are based on educated guesses). Actually, I need $130,000 for the whole project, but I can start with $50K. What makes this project so unique is that nobody in our region is doing it. It takes concepts from other industries and puts them into a learning module for artists. It is a risk. But with this risk comes the potential for a HUGE payoff--for the participants and the community.

Make checks payable to C4 Atlanta. But seriously. It is a great project. I wish I had the energy to write about it more tonight. Later...

Fighting Entropy

There are a lot of things we just can't control. And it is this weight that sometimes crushes humans. We are fighting against the Universe. But I like the challenge. I think of it as a dance...or music. Call and response. In planning, I enjoy the problem solving. Strategy is fun...except when it is not. It can be stressful and make you feel alone. I sometimes feel like all of the atoms in my body are trying to escape into the Universe at once. Maybe they are. And it is my job to stop them.

I am trying to think about creative risk. Maybe it is subject matter. Maybe it is tweaking one, seemingly insignificant piece of the puzzle. That one shift in perspective can make all the difference.

Puzzle at Lincoln Carnegie Library 

Maybe risk for me is just starting...again. Maybe it is getting back into an acting class. Muscle memory. Maybe it is just stepping back into the gym after a long weekend of chips and hot dogs.

Maybe shame stops us.

Risk can be so many things. In my day-to-day life, risk is controlled by planning. You don't have to worry about sand traps if you don't hit them. And we do learn by making mistakes, but there are some risks that are too big to take just for a lesson. That is where mentors can help.

Creatively, risk is being exposed. I have all the support systems in place. Accepting them is the hard part. I try to overcome risk by getting past all of the excuses: "I don't have time, I am too tired, I don't have the bandwidth..." Often, this is true. But sometimes it is not.

I do remember when I was performing, that not be nervous before a show made me nervous. If that makes sense? I think a little fear keeps our senses heightened and ready for anything. Complacency is the worst. Overcoming risk is overcoming the status quo.

Day Seven! Creative Spaces & Photo Fridays

Day seven of the C4ward March Blogathon! Wow.

I have mentioned this before (like the last blog) but I really do enjoy working at Fuse Arts Center. That deserves a photo. Today, I am home with a cold. Working from my bed. With a dog next to me. My husband just brought me some food between his appointments. Despite the burning sinuses, it isn't a bad place to be.

My other creative space pops up often in the time between fully being awake and coming out of a night's sleep. I have an idea and I have to repeat to myself: "remember this in the morning, remember this in the morning..."

And these ideas are about art projects. Sometimes, I reach a moment of clarity about a concept I have been mulling over. Other times, I get an idea for a conversation I want to have with a particular person. Not all of the ideas are brilliant... They just are. They are conversations between my my awake-self and my dreaming-self.

From "How Life Works" 

A Perfect Year for Supporting the Arts

Day six of the C4ward March Blogathon. So this prompt is about a perfect year of art creation. I can dig that.

My perfect year, money not a consideration, would be a mix of creating art and winning the lottery so I can help artists pay for projects. It would also be about learning. I would like to learn a new skill.

As part of the prompt, I am asked to consider:

• Where are you geographically?

• What does your dream work environment look and feel like?

• How is your studio equipped?

• Who are you creating or collaborating with?

• Who supports your daily life as you make your creative work?

• How many hours do you spend creating?

• How many hours do you spend selling your work or managing the business end?

• What do you do for recreation?

• What do you do for inspiration?

• Do you have any specific goals for this year?

I would like to be all over the place. Different cities. I have a dream work environment: an old building with beautiful exposed brick walls. I would like to add a pinball machine, a nice sound system, editing terminals and a Foosball table. A nice selection of red wines would be nice too. I would be working with my husband, mostly. I would like to complete a few projects with my daughters. I would also like for my colleague, Deborah, to teach me how to use her letter press.

Cabernet in the Primary Fermenter 

For both recreation and inspiration, I like to visit new places and eat new foods. It doesn't have to be exotic. My husband sent me a photo of an artwork in a clients office today. The piece was made up of cork from wine bottles. We have been collecting these corks for years. Occasionally, we make wine. This weekend, we want to re-create a photo we took on a vineyard in Italy with the painted cork as the medium. Photos to come.

Ecstasy in the Studio - Day 5

I don't have a studio practice per se. My ideal work space changes with my mood. When I am working on a grant, I usually stay home so I can be away from the world. My dog sits next to me. Actually, my dog, Beanie, brings me a lot of joy.

The Face of Gods, I tell ya!

I got laid off from my job prior to C4 Atlanta. At the time, Beanie was new to our house and only four months old. He sat on my lap. Now, at close to 80 pounds, he doesn't sit on my lap. Sometimes he leans on me or I get a head in my lap. In those moments...I don't think it is ecstasy I am seeking. Just a calm dog and a lap warmer.

I also clean before I work. Cleaning my work area helps me think. I makes me feel in control in an often out-of-control world.

Ecstasy. Hmmm. I get really excited talking about certain projects and planning with my colleagues. I recently read that having a sense of urgency isn't about feeling like you have to get something done; rather, it should be about being so excited that you can't wait to show the world your work. I feel that way about a project we are currently developing. More on that later.

In theatre, that feeling of ecstasy, for me, happened when I was on stage and heard a line differently. We may have rehearsed it a dozen or so times, but something happened to make that line sound brand spankin' new. That is a wonderful moment. Discovery.

I miss them! Your Mom's Mom at the Black Box Improv Festival, 2010

When I was performing with an improv team, of course every line was new. What made me excited was achieving "group mind." Being so in sync with the other performers that you can't believe you aren't sharing a brain. I love that. Group mind. I also love the motto of most improvisers--which is to support the hell out of your fellow scene mate(s).

Huh. I had more to write about than I thought I would.

Day Four - Coffee Spoons, or some other way of measuring (Jessyca Holland)

Responding to prompts on my (late) lunch break. Day four of the C4ward March Blogathon. Today is about goal setting--whether professional or personal. Feeling a bit overwhelmed today, so I am going to dream BIG.

1) List FIVE GOALS you would like to achieve in the NEXT 30 YEARS

I want to be alive :) From there:

1) step foot on 6 out of the 7 continents.
2) Learn how to take care of horses
3) Travel with my daughters every year (my husband can come too)
4) Earn an MBA
5) Create 5 short films with my husband

2) Now, thinking of the above far-reaching goals, list FIVE GOALS you need to accomplish in the NEXT FIVE YEARS to move towards achieving them.  

My Horse - Diamond

1) Build C4 Atlanta to a $500,000 organizations
2) Hire my successor
3) Save for that MBA
4) Pay off debt
5) Spend more time with my horse

3)Finally, list FIVE GOALS to be accomplished in the NEXT 12 MONTHS… as if it were the last year of your life! What will you have accomplished by March 4th , 2015? 

1) Change doctors
2) Write 5 LOI's (for grants) each month
3) Spend every dinner with my family
4) Cuddle
5) Read about travel, business and make a film with my husband

In Italy with my husband

Catching up: this one is hard for me

Okay. My organization, C4 Atlanta, along with an amazing blog-a-thon coordinator, Ruth Schowalter, presents C4ward March, a 15-day blog challenge. I missed the first two days of March. I was busy putting the final touches on a mult-month home restoration thanks to a chimney fire back in November. SO! Now I am ready to participate...

Here is today's blog prompt:

Look at your body of creative work past and present. What work is your favorite? Why? What work are you the most proud of? Why? Are they the same work or different? Explain. How would you communicate your feelings about this cherished work to a broader audience? How would you share both the work and your ideas about it with the public? 

Okay. So here's the thing. I spend a lot of time working with artists. And not-so-much time on creating art.

I started performing at age 7 (almost thirty years ago). I love theatre. I think I love rehearsals the most. I love seeing a piece go from page to script. I haven't abandoned theatre. It is suspended in my heart for the moment. Over past several years my "body of work" has been creating classes for artists. And I am proud of that work. It isn't a plan B. I am doing what I want to be doing. As for the work I am most proud of: Fuse Arts Center. I love that space. I am proud to have a center for art creation downtown. But more than that, there is exists a place for potlucks. All of our programming leads back to one idea: community. Building community around a shared interest--a desire to dedicate a life to working in the arts. A desire to capture a moment in time.

Fuse Arts Center Lobby

Here is what I think about art and supporting artists: we need it. We (people) need (cannot live without) it (art). It is as the heart of how we survived on this planet. It is how we communicate, it is how we share stories, it is how we spread democracy (which is predicated on the idea that citizens have a right to information, ideas, etc.). We need it. I will do everything in my power to help artists to continue advancing the human condition. I am proud of that and I am proud of the people I work with and meet everyday who share that vision. This blog is one way to share those ideas. Maybe another way to continue sharing my ideas is to talk about it more and seek out others who share and support this notion.

C4 Atlanta Arts Potluck - Love these! 

And to be sentimental... my greatest works are eleven (going on twelve) and fifteen.

I actually DO create. I work on projects at home. None of them I display or sell. I also have a variety of character voices--at least one for each pet (three dogs, 5 hens, a cat and a bird).