Artists are moving away from the era when business was someone else’s job. It **is** possible to be a wildly creative artist AND a develop some serious business savvy. Flex that muscle!
I’d like to offer up a simple concept that has helped many, and may help you if you’re feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or out of control. (First off, you’re not alone, or this post wouldn’t seem necessary!) It comes from the Japanese Mizu no Kokoro, commonly translated as “Mind like water”. This concept is rooted in … Read more
Due to non-List issues over the last year, we’ve had to set our launched-too-soon podcast aside for a bit, but we’re back! Check out the latest episode, where Lauri talks with Pacific Chorale’s President & CEO, Andrew Brown, about this year’s Grammy® award, what that means to be the first organization in Orange County to … Read more
“You don’t feel like a realtor yet,” I said to a friend recently, and then I watched his whole face change. While he’d been licensed and practicing for six months, it was true: he hadn’t yet made the shift in his own mind. And it was getting in the way of his marketing. This happens … Read more
As we start to get busy again, I’m hearing a theme in the posts and emails and conversations and general vibe from some of our Listers: FEAR. We’re all dealing with the same reality: fewer jobs around, and way too many talented artists vying for them. It’s exactly what we’ve all trained for… but more … Read more
Call it processing. Call it the buddy system. Getting some perspective. Finding a new viewpoint. What you probably already know is that being an artist and performer is hard, and no one should go through that life alone. Whether you need a single session to clarify your goals or lay out some plans, or a … Read more
It’s probably no surprise that this has been coming up a lot lately: The world around us talks about achieving wealth incessantly, and any number of gurus have methods they’d love to sell you. But regardless of the viability of any or all of these plans, there are far too many artists who give up … Read more
New Year’s Day is almost over on the West Coast, and I don’t want to let it slip away without any sort of comment. We’ve been through a rough couple of years. And it’s not over yet. With the rise of Omicron and arts organizations necessarily canceling performances and changing plans as the days wear … Read more
Are you a big fish in a small pond, or a wee fishy in Lake Michigan? The real question is, what do you want your work to be? If you feel like a small fish, you’re in danger of working (and sounding) like one more often than you’d like to admit. If you believe you’re … Read more
My mother loves owls, which I have always thought rather apt. She is a very wise woman. Of course, she thinks she’s completely ordinary, which just makes her insights into the rest of the world more potent. So here’s a quote — not because I love my mommy (which I do), but because she reminded … Read more
As we head into what we hope to be the last several months of the arts shutdown, we cross fingers and toes, WEAR OUR MASKS and think of stages and lights and singing together again. But simply waiting can take a toll on creativity, so I offer you a challenge, if you haven’t done it … Read more
