“The hardest thing about getting started is getting started.”
-Guy Kawasaki
When I was 15, I was deeply interested in starting my own creative business, but had no idea where to begin.
I spent an unprecedented amount of time Google searching, reading books, and attending as many arts events as I could, just to gain further insight into what it takes to be an arts entrepreneur, and more specifically, how to build my brand as an artist. When I asked people how did you get where you are today? Many of them glossed over the details, and gave me simple answers like, “I just networked” or “I just kept working at it”. Unsatisfied, of doing this continuously, I thought:
There must be a better way.
In 2018, I began an 18-month research project called, ARTRE/CESS: Unlocking the keys to artrepreneurial success, to gain further insight into the skills required to be a “successful” arts entrepreneur in today’s day and age. Since then, I have developed a working model for artrepreneurial success (article forthcoming), and developed a series of talks, workshops and mentorship opportunities to help emerging artists jumpstart their careers. To date, I have spoken to over 300 students in 2 countries about how to make their dream creative careers a reality. I have also directly supported 30 young people in devising their own creative business/project ideas, pitches, and arts journey maps to help support them in their evolving career identities.
Read about the working model for artrepreneurial success or “artre/cess” for short.
Explore the creative arts entrepreneurship resource guide I created in partnership with the University of Toronto Scarborough Library.
Invite me to speak at your school. Send me an email.
Do you self-identify as an emerging artist?
Ready to launch your art career, but don’t know where to start?
Other affiliated research projects:
Artifex: A publicly accessible database of research resources for creative workers, administrators, artrepreneurs, academics, media, funders and general interest audiences interested in the arts and cultural sector in Canada.
Created through a partnership between Mass Culture and the Creative Hubs and Networks Mapping Initiative (CHNMI) at University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) with support from the Critical Digital Methods Institute (CDMI) in 2020-2021.
My role: Research Assistant
The EM Garden: An ever-growing and blooming space in the cyberverse for resources, reflections and conversations around embodied learning, community arts, and well-being.
Currently in development. Previews available upon request.
My role: Primary Researcher