Sustained Growth: Three Economic Principles for Creatives
What does the creative sector have to learn from the world of economics? In a world where the cultural sector interacts with everyday economics, here are three economic principles artists and creatives — Paths for Generating Income: Doing and Owning In the 1867 documentary “The Bowler and The Bonnet,” director Sean Connery explores two fundamental […]
Creative Placemaking: Eight Tools to Strengthening Communities
What is Creative Placemaking? “Creative Placemaking” is a multi-disciplinary approach to community development that combines urban studies, environmental planning, sociology, architecture, design, and the arts to revitalize communities around vibrant gathering places. Placemaking revitalizes communities by addressing social challenges through inclusive spaces that provide a forum for gathering. It involves collaborating with artists, residents, local […]
The 4As of Adaptive Leadership
The 4As of Adaptive Leadership Adaptive Leadership offers creative entrepreneurs a practical toolkit for diagnosing and solving complex challenges. Four key steps form the basis of the Adaptive Leadership mindset… Anticipation Articulation Adaptation Accountability These so-called 4A’s form the core of the Adaptive Leadership problem-solving process. Here’s what each means and to use them in […]
Overcoming process-blindness: A roadmap for arts organizations
As organizations grow, they often develop the problem of prioritizing process over product. The more they mature, the more focused they become on rules, procedures, and documentation — losing sight of the product-focus that got them started in the first place. Why does this happen, and what can team leaders do about it? Three main […]
Solving Complex Challenges — Adaptive Leadership for Creatives
Adaptive Leadership offers a path through uncertainty for creative problem-solvers in a world facing unprecedented hurdles. What is Adaptive Leadership? Adaptive Leadership is the art of mobilizing people to address tough challenges and thrive in the face of uncertainty. First introduced at Harvard Business School by Ronald Heifetz four decades ago, the practice is more […]
The Art of Economics: How Creativity & Markets Interact
Economics and the arts may seem like distinct fields, but they are deeply intertwined. Today’s creative professionals can enhance their work by understanding this dynamic relationship and how it shapes our world. 1. Shaping human behavior Economics is not just numbers and graphs. It is about human psychology and sociology. Economics can provide insights into […]
Audience Connections: Five Engines of Engagement
Want to engage more with your audience? Navigating the landscape of community building can feel daunting. Here are five ways to help — Moving Connections: A good way to build a community is to bring the audience on the creative journey with you. Look for ways to give them access to processes they may not […]
Five Innovation Lessons from Duke Ellington, Jazz Legend
Duke Ellington was a prolific jazz composer, pianist, and bandleader who revolutionized the field with his pioneering approach. His journey offers valuable insights into the nature of innovation. Here are five lessons: Innovation comes from experience: Duke Ellington learned by doing, not studying. He figured things out independently and was fearless in breaking the rules. He […]
Three leadership lessons from Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was a visionary artist who rose to fame in the 1980s and made an indelible mark on the arts and culture that continues to shape our world today. Basquiat’s life and work reveal many lessons about leadership. Here are three – – Be yourself: Basquiat did not conform to the expectations or norms of […]
3 Ways Arts Leaders can be Torchbearers of Change
Creativity knows no bounds. More than ever, the global art world is calling for creatives to lead a new era – digital, vibrant, sustainable, diverse, and equitable. The new year invites creative leaders to unleash their imaginations to lead projects that resonate with diverse communities, foster meaningful connections, and spark transformative change. Here […]