Fresh Arts Podcast Fresh Arts

Being a creative is tough work: planning, research, drafts, creation, revision, audience engagement, etc., etc. Add to that: finances, health, networking, any number of things it takes to succeed as a creative and/or small business. Starting a family seems like another bale of straw on the camel’s back, so to speak. But artists and creatives can have families and fruitful art careers. We will have two guests discuss the apprehensions, transitions, frustrations and joys of having an arts pract...

You could be a writer with ten years of writing experience and still be considered ‘emerging’ after your first book comes out. You can be a painter with years of experience, exhibitions, recognitions, and clients and be considered ‘mid-career.’ Or you can just not care about any of that. What is the point of those labels anyway? Who finds them useful and why? How do you use them to your benefit? We will have two guests explore career labels, what their experiences are with them, and when they...

Artists can do many things with their work to combat injustice: begin or contribute to larger conversations affecting people; bring light to an issue not being addressed by society; conceptualize a solution to a problem in a new way; etc. But some issues are so vast and large that even addressing it presents its own series of issues. One could enter a conversation with generations of artists having already laid the groundwork, requiring research and participation before engagement. A good que...

“It’ll pay in exposure!” artists have heard time and time again. Often, this just means doing something for free, that being featured on a platform is somehow a form of compensation in and of itself. Artists should value themselves and their work by requesting monetary payment. However, artists are also vital members of their community that can serve in various roles: advocate, volunteer, supporter, activist, etc. Does one interact with a small community center the same as an institution with...

Are you a sculptor considering collaborating with a writer? A dancer wanting to work with a filmmaker? A graphic designer looking to create something with a fashion designer? An artist’s creative imagination knows no bounds. However, how do you even begin defining your project’s parameters if you’ve never seen a model for it before? Can you work with someone if you don’t speak the same artistic language? We will have two guests to discuss their experiences in developing and executing inter/mu...

You see them packed into artist bios: residencies, grants, fellowships, awards, etc. What are they? What’s the difference? Are some better than others? A residency may grant you time to live rent-free to work on your art, but can you just up and leave your life like that? A grant can give you funds to complete a project, but how long does that last? An award can add attention to your work, but what do you do with that momentum? There are pros and cons to some blessings, after all. We wi...