Full Sail University Master's Graduation!

I will be graduating with my Master's of Entertainment Business from Full Sail University​ on Friday, June 5th.  While I'll be enjoying a mini-vacation/graduation treat trip by attending my graduation in Winter Park (Orlando) Florida, anyone who would like to live-stream the ceremony and attend from afar may do so by visiting http://www.livestream.com/fullsailuniversity that morning.  My walk ceremony will begin at 8:30 am.

I expect to enjoy Orlando from Tuesday-Sunday that week and then a friend of mine and I will be taking a few days to sight-see, visit and wander leisurely North to Ohio.  If you're one of my Orlando friends who would like to come see me graduate (again!), call or text me at (216) 904-0539 so I can get you a ticket and/or plan some fun/social time with me so we can catch up in person during my visit!

Business Plan Advice for Artists

It is no secret that “working” for an artist is different than it is for other professionals.  However, great benefit can come from an artist having some of the structure in their business that other professionals take for granted.  Having a solid business plan, for example, will help an artist to be focused about the monetization of their work and how they can earn income from their creations.

Cory Huff is an artist management guru who runs a website on artist business practices.  Huff’s goal is to dispel the starving artist myth by encouraging artists to work the business end of what they do themselves, removing middle men such as gallery owners and curators from the picture.  He offers much advice to artists through his business planning guide.

One of the ways he encourages artists to identify their Unique Value Proposition for business planning purposes is to define the emotional or societal impact that their work has and then work backwards.  Perhaps one of the most valuable tips I got from his guide was to not be afraid to repurpose old work in order to make it more marketable and saleable.

Neil McKenzie of Creatives and Business offers further assistance on his site.  McKenzie suggests that artists should calendar their progress on not only creative works but also business activities of their business.  This will help in measuring the success of their goals.  He also discusses setting specific and measurable goals in great length and including the largest of these goals in their business plan as part of their strategic analysis of strengths and opportunities.  

No matter how you do it, you should have a business plan to guide the financial side of your creative work.  The resources listed above can help you get started.  Often the biggest hurdle is in beginning the process.