Excerpt
PURPOSE/ORIGINS
The purpose of this work is to lay a groundwork for the artist in each of us to be nurtured and grow by creating a practical framework that allows the business of art to thrive without impinging on the creative process.
This began as a series of lectures presented to both writing and business professionals regarding the project management of an artist, especially when that artist is oneself. It has been presented to hundreds of writers covering every genre.
The authors have collaborated to create a structure and methodology (a way of thinking and a way to do things) that is accessible to every artist whether they are a writer, a photographer, a painter, or a professional sand-sculpturist (who even knew there was such a thing until we saw them specifically disbarred from a local sand-castling competition on the Oregon Coast).
WHAT THIS BOOK IS…AND ISN'T
The first lecture in this series began when Matt became overwhelmed by the problems of how to write, work to contract deadlines in traditional publishing, publish his own work in the then new indie-publishing, and learn all that he felt he had to learn… while working a totally insane day job.
Through a long series of experiments, both failed and successful, and wide study, we decided that the conflicts and overlaps became easier to manage when we divided our thinking into three areas:
1.The craft of our art
2.The business person managing our art
3.The business of our art
This book is intended to reside completely within the second of these three. This is not a book of craft in any field. Nor is this a book of the business side of whatever craft you practice. This is a book talking to the person who must manage both of these in any field.
Further, within that middle role, we can easily list dozens of sub-roles. These roles can all be filled by one person. (Matt's friend Scott Carpenter, who we'll revisit later, calls his writing career: "Running a publishing empire from my laptop.") Or these roles can be filled by many people. Each form of art will contain differences, but may include items such as:
- Education
- Educator –for often the best way to learn is to teach
- Finance
- Insurance
- Designer
- Contract specialist
- Materials analyst
- Purchasing
- Marketing…
The list feels infinite, and we have no intention of trying to address infinity (just in case it turns out that the list really is infinite, we don't want to know). What we are hoping to address is one tiny, but we feel all-important job:
Managing your inner artist to the greatest success.
That success can be defined as monetary, creative, innovative, and a myriad other ways. But the challenge we faced was: how can we best help that inner artist find their way toward our chosen goal.
This task can't be outsourced. No one can create a document and present it to your inner artist that will help them. No one can demand of the inner artist what they are unable or unwilling to give. Or that they flat out don't understand. Attempting to do so will usually shut down the inner artist, the last thing you want.
This role of managing and nurturing must be owned by the artist themselves for only they will know what works and what doesn't.
The intention of this book is to offer a toolset to aide "You the practical person" in working in a collaborative manner with "You the artist."
