Monday, January 18, 2016

Artists U - Free Program for Learning to Build Sustainable Creative Live

This past weekend I attended Artist U.   This fabulous workshop focuses on professional development for artists:  finances, strategic planning, and time management. Get this....it's free!

Andrew Simonet heads this program which is taught in Philadelphia, Baltimore and South Carolina (currently in Charleston and Greenville).  Simonet says, "Grounded in my 20-year career as a choreographer, I look at why artists' lives are so punishing, and what we can do to change.  Since 2006, my program, Artists U, has built a grassroots, artist-run platform for building balanced, sustainable artist lives. 



The program is outlined in his free ebook:

MAKING YOUR LIFE AS AN ARTIST

A GUIDE TO BUILDING A BALANCED, SUSTAINABLE ARTISTIC LIFE.

DON'T STARVE. MAKE ART.


Go to the Artists U webpage and you download a FREE copy of this book or buy a professionally printed copy.  It's a good read.  Here are some of the questions he addresses.

Why artists are poor and why we shouldn’t be.
The crucial role artists play in culture, and why it’s often under-valued.
Tools and principles artists have used to thrive.
Why artists already have the skills needed to make balanced, sustainable lives.


When I applied to attend the workshop I expected to find myself among a very young crowd and there were a number of younger people at the workshop.  But I was surprised to find that the majority of those attending were not just fresh out of college.  It appeared to be people who have been working at their art for awhile and have art driven life but still have the desire to improve or begin a new way of sustaining that life.

The work from the program is something you take home and do with groups you form during the weekend so there is much to look forward to.  I give this program my highest recommendation to anyone open to changing or refining how they sustain their art lifestyle.
Thank you Andrew for your generous sharing and for caring so much about about what artists contribute to our society.