This workshop is suitable for artists of every persuasion - musicians, actors, dancers, writers, visual artists and craftspeople - anyone who is trying to make a living out of their creative work. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect to examine for yourself when you participate (it's OK, you can make it a private experience if you wish!)
Motivation
- Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Model
- Peer relationships and networking. “Your relationships are everything. You cannot work alone”
- Practical tips for managed networking
- Fame – How will you cope with it? How will you cope without it?
- Money – How much do you need? Discussed in detail in “Financial Management”
- Self-actualisation – How important is your art to your personal happiness?
- Assessing the current industrial landscape
- How are artists perceived in Australia?
- What options are available to you to avoid or overcome exploitation?
- Political; (legislation which affects your livelihood)
- Economic;( realities of finding funding, Award wages and conditions)
- Social; (Do you tell taxi drivers what you do? Building a professional “safety-net”)
- Technological climate analysis.
- An analysis of the dangers inherent in the creative professions
- Coping with rejection - comparing ourselves with our peers and others
- Unemployment – making the best of a bad situation
- What is cognitive dissonance? What is internal locus of control?
- Strategies for dealing with disempowerment, isolation and loss of self-esteem.
- Develop a strategy for building the life you want
- SWOT analysis –consider your strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats
- Decision-making & commitment
- Goal-setting & persistence
Marketing
- Develop a marketing plan
- Product – defining the product, (your work, your style, yourself?)
- Positioning – market segmentation, (where will your product fit?)
- Placement – targeting segments ( do you specialize or spread yourself around)
- Promotion – making decisions (what physical means of marketing do you choose?)
- Pricing – knowing your rights in relation to Awards, Agents, galleries, publishers and the marketplace.
- Develop a plan for achieving your financial goals
- Portfolio life
- Financial Empowerment for the Freelance Artist
- How important is the Alliance in shaping your financial future?
- Thinking long-term – what can and does JUST Super do for you?
Outcomes for participants
- An insight into personal motivation
- A strengthened sense of artistic identity
- A greater understanding of the business environment in the Arts & Entertainment industries
- An awareness of the pitfalls inherent in the business, and some tactics for coping
- Some skills to apply strategic thinking to a career, including: some basic marketing tools and a model for financial empowerment
- A resource listing