Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The Art of Managing Your Career is a resource guide for self-employed artists & cultural workers

The Art of Managing Your Career

http://www.culturalhrc.ca/amyc/index-e.asp

The Art of Managing Your Career is a resource guide for self-employed artists and cultural workers in live performing arts; writing and publishing; visual arts and craft; film, television and broadcasting; digital media; music and sound recording, and heritage.

The Art of Managing Your Career was updated in 2009 to include fresh and original examples, brand-new links to useful websites, and up-to-date information on finance and technology. It also includes province-specific examples and procedures along with the information found in the original version.

The Art of Managing Your Career and its discipline enhancements were developed by artists and cultural workers to provide emerging self-employed artists and cultural workers with pertinent and practical information to better manage their careers.

Support material for The Art of Managing Your Career has been developed: a Teacher's Guide and Course Modules. The Teacher's Guide is designed for use with young and emerging artists and cultural workers. The Course Modules are designed for teachers at the college and university level and for use by professional associations.

Here is an overview of the 5 chapters:

Chapter 1: The Culture Biz (PDF)
Includes topics such as:

  • How do I establish my career goals?
  • What is a business plan?
  • How do I shape my career goals and business plan into a career strategy?

Chapter 2: The Art of Self-Promotion (PDF)
Includes topics such as:

  • What constitute an effective promotional package?
  • How can I economically promote my work?

Chapter 3: The A to Z of Project Management (PDF)
Includes topics such as:

  • How can I get organized?
  • How do I write a successful proposal?
  • Where else can I find financial support?
  • How do I develop an action plan?

Chapter 4: Money – Keeping Track (PDF)
Includes topics such as:

  • How do I prepare and administer a budget?
  • How does self-employment differ financially from employment?
  • How do I handle income tax?

Chapter 5: You and the Law (PDF)
Includes topics such as:

  • How do I establish and enforce contracts?
  • How do I protect my copyright?
  • How do I resolve a legal dispute?

Free Online Courses in arts and arts-related skills:

Free Online Courses in arts and arts-related skills:
http://www.onlineclasses.org/free-online-classes/free-online-classes-for-artists/

Why Continuing Education Is Important for Artists

Many times, artists become proficient at the creative side of their work while the business side of their work suffers. This is one of the many reasons it is important for artists to take part regularly in continuing education. Along with providing key training on the business and promotions side of the arts, continuing education can help artists keep up with the latest trends and techniques and learn Web design skills so they can make their art available to a wider audience. For some art forms, such as tattoo art, you may even be required to undergo continuing education in areas such as health and safety to maintain state licensure. Continuing education is important to artists so they will not become stagnant, but instead be constant learners, pushing their craft forward.

The Advantage of Taking Online Classes

The convenience of online classes is their greatest advantage to artists. Instead of having to drive to a campus at regularly scheduled times each week, you can go to class simply by turning on your computer and connecting to the Internet. This helps artists access the courses they need 24/7 without interrupting their busy and sometimes unpredictable schedules. Besides, artists are known for thinking outside the box, and may not prefer to go to class the traditional way. With online classes, you can advance your education in the arts from your home, a scenic outdoor area with Wi-Fi or a down-to-earth coffee shop instead of going to an institution. And since online classes are just as challenging as traditional classes, and taught by experienced, qualified professors, you won't be losing out on quality either.

How Free Online Classes Can Supplement Your Career

Typical college courses can cost a pretty penny, and if you're a "starving" artist, every penny counts. So why not take advantage of the wide variety of free online classes that are available to all takers? Many of the nation's top institutions are offering free, typically non-credit-bearing educational classes often called Open Courseware. Some of those institutions include MIT, the American Film Institute, Tufts University and Minnesota State University. There are a wide variety of free classes available to suit your interests, including: The Art of Color; Introduction to Sculpture; Creating Interactive Media; and Theatre & Society in the Age of Shakespeare.