Summer is here, and this is my absolute, mostest favorite time of year. I love the sun. The heat. The long days. It's the one season each year when reggae doesn't cause me acid reflux and going barefoot feels imperative. Dolphin Girl Summer with Y2K beach vibes is here, and this should be my year.
But I'm struggling with some difficult things (aren't we all), and this summer is not feeling the greatest. There are so many problems it's like a choose-your-own-adventure of economic crises, geo-political angst, and trying to get through the day without crying. It could just be me, but I think I'm reading the room accurately.
A few things are keeping my brain distracted. First of all, I received great feedback from the interview with Artist Agent Gan Uyeda (the interview is only live through July 31, so catch it before it disappears if you are curious).
That conversation with Gan highlighted for me the gap between what an artist agency offers and what someone like me offers to artists. I see the main difference being a sponsorship model (let me do that for you) versus a mentorship model (let me show you how and then cheer you on).
I've been embarking on a quest to find out what support could be offered to artists in the middle. What would it look like? Could a more active sponsorship approach be feasible for emerging or mid-career artists who are not yet generating significant income from their work?
This has given me an idea, and so I’m engaging in some R&D (that’s fancy talk for Research and Development) over the next few months. This involves connecting with lots of people and listening to what they have to say about my theory. And wow, is it nice to be talking with people and having intentional conversations around a topic.
This process is reminding me that connections with other humans bring so many benefits. I know that sounds obvious and simplistic, but it's worth saying out loud because there are so many ways our culture and society tell us otherwise. ChatGPT does not have all the answers.
I keep thinking of that scene in Harry Potter when Harry is comforted by Luna who succinctly explains that division and isolation is a tactic from those who want you to feel disempowered.
Artists are naturally lone wolves, but seeking out friends, colleagues, collaborators, supporters, and those you can support greases the wheels of an art career.
That's a large reason why Elana Mann and I are teaming up for more grant workshops. These collaborations give us the chance to share information and lean on one another. We both grow as grant writers and as small business owners, and together we offer something better (and more fun) than if we did it alone.
Coming up next month is Get That Guggenheim! Like our other grant-focused workshops, we will go over the application process and then spend the majority of the hour sharing examples of successful Guggenheim applications and giving tips.
Applying for grants isn’t something you need to do by yourself and your applications are likely to improve if you don’t go it alone. You can do this in many ways: take a workshop, ask a friend to provide feedback, form a Guggie accountability group, work with a grant writer, or join the Guggenheim Cohort next year.
So take a cue from Dolphin Girl Summer: go back to Y2K before everyone had their eyes locked on a smartphone and was asking AI to give them the answers and seek camaraderie with other humans.
Heading to the beach,
Virginia