Here are the Week 1 blog items. Please read or watch by next Class Weds April 1. Most should open up in a new page. Return to this page and post a comment on at least one item in the comments section below
Goal-setting: Judge a goal by how well it changes your actions in the present moment-
http://sivers.org/goalsGoal Setting: Define your goal (your final destination) – then contact someone who’s there, and ask how to get there.
http://sivers.org/call-the-destination“What if you can’t Get Paid for doing your art?”
http://enteringtheprofessionmusicbiz.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/what-being-a-professional-means-maybe-you-cant-get-paid-for-doing-your-art/“Beware of turning Hobbies into Jobs”
http://enteringtheprofessionmusicbiz.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/pre-workshop-readingbeware-of-turning-hobbies-into-jobs/“This is a different time”- NY Times Article
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/business/economy/19grads.htmlAMANDA PALMER/“Nothing for Money”
http://www.ted.com/talks/amanda_palmer_the_art_of_asking#t-801637
http://amandapalmer.net/blog/20120919/
http://justincolletti.com/2012/09/13/in-response-to-amanda-palmer/
AUDIENCE “Why should they come?”
http://www.missionparadox.com/the_mission_paradox_blog/2014/03/delivering-the-feeling.html
Artistry in Action 
My comment is on: “Outlook Is Bleak Even for Recent College Graduates.”
I am so glad this article is written nearly four years ago!!! This was the case then and it is changing now. I lost my job in the recession. I was a banker in a small private bank specializing in e-commerce and international banking. When the bank went down so did my job. However, now is a different time. Unemployment is much lower. Jobs are starting to pop up again. Graduates are also starting to find jobs. Things are getting better on the job front with the exception of wages which are stagnant. However that is a topic for another day.
I think what this article is a great example of is that idea that we must fortify ourselves against adversity as much as we can. Ply our craft, learn our trade and have a plan A and B and C. Be flexible! That is what got me through.
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I was really interested in the Amanda Palmer Ted talk, blog and articles. I recently ran my own first go of public funding for a mural I was painting and will soon be setting up a new account for the next mural gig. It really does bring up a mixed bag of emotion, judgement, morals etc., I think for both the artist and the public. The art I am funding is public and therefor I believe the public should have an opportunity to invest to whatever degree they would like. There does seem to still be a double standard for art and artist, a devaluing. Why is there such a thing as too much money for an artist? Is that true of a banker or politician? Palmer is criticized for allowing musicians, fans of her music, to volunteer their time to play with her. How many handouts do politicians take each year? It feels like the haters are completely missing the point of community in art, of joy and giving in art. For a musician to play with a band she loves is a great gift to the musician that could serve as profound inspiration. Does everything need a monetary value placed on it?
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The “kerfuffle”, as Amanda Palmer termed her volunteer scandle seemed to do little damage to her career or her tour, but I wonder about the compound damage her initial play for hugs campaign has done.
Some time back, my performance troupe performed and was paid; all the other acts were expected to put their time and effort into the night’s entertainment for free. The moment we discovered the arrangment we rallied on behalf of all the acts to get paid. Ultimately the greedy promoters decided not to pay, but the acts still got paid. We took our payment, fifty dollars and split it between all the acts. Our experience is neither isolated nor unique.
Palmer’s initial decesion to pay certain musicians and support teams but not other’s plays into the myth of “art for the passion not for money” as well as some acts being more deserving of pay than others. Palmer doesn’t seem to acknowledge the perpetuation of a culture that regularly takes advantage of artists, especially in the wake of the internet, in which even the originator of the art can be lost. Palmer finally making the decision to pay the musicians may have come a little to late. The community, Palmer so successfully built now has more than a seed planted that musicians need not be paid in real money, despite this same community exceeding her Kickstarter campaign by a million. Palmer had the chance to set a precidence of not only asking for guest musicians but also paying them for their time from the get go; a gesture that could have hepled smash the expectations and further encourage her fans in the right direction.
The gesture seems empty and almost spiteful, based on the tone of the blog post. At the very least, the conversation was brought into the public. A conversation that hopefully continues to work in the favor of artistry as a paying gig.
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I N R E G A R D T O ” G O A L – S E T T I N G ”
I found these two items provided a great perspective on the nature of goal-setting. I know that I personally (and I’m SURE I’m not the only one) have a severe problem with procrastination. And viewing my priorities through the lens of these articles helps me see that many of the things I worry about may simply not be worth my time or energy. This is a good mental exercise to consolidate priorities and to set meaningful and realistic goals.
I N R E G A R D T O T H E A M A N D A P A L M E R ” K E R F U F F L E ”
These ones were really interesting to me. Watching the video and reading Amanda Palmer’s post, I struggled to relate, but I think It’s because I didn’t fully understand the situation. Reading Justin Colletti’s rebuttal clarified things for me. Like Colletti, I see the value in Palmer’s stance, and I wholeheartedly support volunteerism in the right context. But accepting volunteered goods and services from people she can absolutely afford to compensate IS exploitation.
As a Graphic Design student, we are constantly told never to do speculative work. Hoping for money instead of requiring it in exchange for our services is a wonderfully romantic notion. But relying on altruism to pay the bills on a regular basis simply isn’t practical. It is a devaluation of our profession to create work for the purpose of entering contests that may or may not grant us the exposure we seek (which may or may not lead to an eventual paycheck). Contrary to Palmer’s perspective, I think speculative work perpetuates the perception that art isn’t a real job. Designers are asked to deliver a fully developed branding system or website for a measly $100 because someone is always willing to do it cheaper. If we wish to be treated as working professionals, we need to value our time and demand proper compensation for spending it.
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In Response to Amanda Palmer’s TED talk and her blog post:
I fully support crowd sourcing and I think what Amanda Palmer is doing is brilliant. I think this is the way buying music/art should always go. Crowd sourcing allows for less focus on the money and more focus on community. I think artists that are going about business this way are creating a much needed positive ecosystem of give and take.
With that said, admittedly, there is still a part of me that cringes when I think about asking for money to support my own art practice. It must have to do with those stupid myths we talked about in class, “Art should be free”, “Making art can’t be a serious job,” etc. I think since these myths have become so ingrained in our society it subconsciously creates a certain amount of insecurity in me. But that’s why platforms like kickstarter and Gofundme are great, because their like a middle man to take away some of the pressure, haha.
Natalie Graff
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I have been a fan of Amanda Palmer for a while now. I loved The Dresden Dolls, but watching her TED Talks makes me like her more. I won’t go into the politics of her business practices. Instead I was moved by her ability to connect with her fans and even total strangers.
Human beings want and need to connect with each other. It is so easy to forget this with the electronic isolation that pulls us apart. I have found that, where once not too long ago, I would have started a conversation with a stranger in the elevator, I am more likely to check my email on my cellphone to avoid eye contact. So sad! I use to love to engage strangers. You have nothing to lose because you will probably never see them again.
I was inspired my Amanda Palmer to try to connect again with those around me, to be brave and fearless. There is really nothing to be afraid of.
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I’m commenting on “Beware of turning Hobbies into Jobs.”
I thought turning my hobby into job is the best idea and the best job I could ever have, but after reading this blog, now I think it is not always a good idea. However, I wonder what was the real reason Andrew became alcoholic and lost his job. It might be nothing to do with turning his hobby into the job. It might be because of a relationship problem with his boss. I think if he had more than one hobby then he still got a job and another hobby. So I think turning hobby into job is still a good idea, but we should also have a different hobby.
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The article by Derek Sivers under Goal Setting, was very direct and helpful. I enjoyed reading it because it was straight to the point in every way from the writing to the advice about getting to where you want to go by being resourceful and determined. This blog stood out to me because he asks the right questions to the right people, goes straight to the source, and isn’t afraid to ask the questions to the professionals who already have experience in the industry. I believe this advice could help anyone in the art industry. I especially liked the instructions by Sivers saying, “Ask them what criteria must be met in order for them to take a chance on an act.” This is an important question I can certainly take with me because in my art practice and many other types of art practices, there is a variety of things people are capable of doing or creating in one or more art forms, but some professionals or industries are looking for more specifics from the artists to meet their needs or goals, like what kind of style they want for their company or what will represent the company best.
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Response to: Goals shape the present, not the future by Derek Sivers.
To categorize goals as bad or great makes for easy reading, gives opposing extremes, and unfortunately oversimplifies the dilemma of making choices. Once you have thought of an idea that you want to pursue, the process of making choices begins.
Wanting to do something someday is not a bad goal, rather, it is a great beginning towards reaching that goal and part of that process may be waiting to improve your future. Immediate action may not be possible in the present moment, but would be nice to accomplish at a later date in your life.
“I’ll do it as soon as I do this other stuff” is not a bad goal because the situation of today’s obligations and responsibilities may require your attention and time which causes you to be distracted at the moment.
Perhaps the most offensive, condemnatory, and crushing statement of all is “unless it changes your actions, right now, it’s not a great goal”. These words have the brutal power to destroy the budding dream of aspiration and excitement in someone who is just discovering their Great Goal.
Life choices are not bad or great, black or white, now or never, but rather, not yet! Instant gratification is a growing cancer of our society. Sometimes, life is a journey to learn patience without losing sight of your Great Goal.
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Derek Sivers tips definitely prove useful, and I think his way of simplifying goals into what will make you start doing things immediately is extremely helpful for me personally. I’m an only child and thus probably an introvert so I can relate to the way he thinks about and handles situations as he says he is an introvert himself. Derek Sivers is a great character. I remember purchasing some of Drums and Tuba’s albums from his cdbaby.com website back in 2004. I read most of one of his free PDF books on promoting your band when I was booking a little tour in 2012 which helped me stay motivated through the difficulties intrinsic therein.
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