#1 According to HEADS, The Higher Education Arts Data Services Project, a joint effort of the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Theatre, and the National Association of Schools of Dance, the United States currently produces more than 100,000 graduates with fine arts degrees annually.
Yet by stark comparision The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of May 2006, states that only 1,727,380 reported being employed, largely self-employed, in an artistic related field.
So what exactly are the majority of universities that offer all these graduates fine arts degrees preparing their students for?
Day jobs?
#2 As big as you can dream it, you can have it if you try-
Remember Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and more recently Lonely Girl 15, Jessica Lee Rose, or take a look at chocolatier Katrina Markoff, who is turning chocolate into a sweet success.
#3 Creativity is considered today to be critical to financial success in corporate America.
NY Times best selling author Richard Florida, The Rise of The Creative Class has shown us that we are, in fact, living in the new creative economy- the 21st century.
How can you use creativity to capitilize on corporate America’s new value?
What motivates you or stirs you up in your art-form? What are you nerotic, passionate, agitated or mad as hell about, but that you still enjoy using or doing regularly in your life? Whatever that is, “IT” can transform your art into a business.
#4 The missing link-
You need to PLAN your creative entrepreneurial life. A good start is with a business plan.
#5 Become a hammer and all you will see is nails
– Cingular Officially Announces Music Initiative
– Coca-Cola Spins Unsigned Artist Downloads, Podcasts
– Best Buy to launch music service with Real, SanDisk
– Starbucks Positions Catalog Within iTunes Music Store
– Cingular Initiates Flash Concerts, Taps Leading Artists
– Red Bull Energy Drink selects BIG HOUSE for Its Cutting-Edge Multisensory Marketing Program
– Red Bull MusicLabs
– Musiwave Powers Upcoming Vodafone Music Services
– News Corp, China Mobile Strike Music Partnership
– Mercora Announces Key Mobile Music Distribution Deals
From a music career perspective, all of this is good news. It means that everyone with a love of music are no longer limited to traditional “music companies” for employment, sponsorship or support.
With the right pitch, and fit, you can potentially partner with any company, smaller ones than Cingular too, seeking to add your creative art form into its mix.
And from an economic perspective, it means that at least music consumption throughout the world is heading north (not south), boding well for both musicians and music entrepreneurs alike.
You see, we are passing through a period of creative destruction. We are presently watching the death of the arts like a present day dinosaur; many of whom we have known and loved. It is difficult watching them self-destruct before our eyes and expire.
Future generations will talk about the state of the arts, during this period of time, like we talk about the day JFK died or John Lennon was shot in Strawberry Fields. We are watching, right now, the creative world search for dramatic change.
What new world emerges, ladies and gentlemen, is up to us, and what we do with it and about it.
#6 Find a good use for your creativity that can earn you a living and use it over and over again.
Joseph Barbera and William Hanna sure did exactly that by creating Tom and Jerry, Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Do, Yogi Bear and Jonny Quest.
What real life cartoon character can you become, that the world can enjoy and love, while you creatively thrive?
1 Comment
mobile music is of course special since it is catered specifically for mobile phone users:~;