Resources
Arts Research
Seeing Visual Artists
I conducted the first city-wide survey examining the conditions of artists’ lives in the pandemic, combining data from Portland’s visual artists with research on art, culture, and economics to explore the art ecosystem. The project was funded by a Warhol Foundation Arts Writer’s Grant and published by the Center for Art Research at the University of Oregon.
Americans for the Arts Social Impact Explorer
A fun, fact-filled tool for exploring thirty-nine different domains in which artists make an impact, from civic dialogue and public welfare to housing, technology, and the environment. Lots of surprises here!
Understanding the Value of Arts & Culture
The AHRC Cultural Value Project is another valuable compendium of research that illuminates the vital effects that artists’ labor has on their communities.
Bibliography
Help Desk
From 2012 to 2017, I wrote over 100 installments of “Help Desk,” an arts-advice column that demystified practices for artists, writers, curators, arts admins, and the general public. The column was originally published on DailyServing.com, which sadly no longer exists; but the columns from 2012 to 2014 are still archived at San Francisco’s KQED.org.
Big Magic
Novelist Elizabeth Gilbert’s funny, unflinching look at the ins and outs of leading a creative life, and the situations in which you might find yourself: “Perfectionism is just fear in fancy shoes and a mink coat, pretending to be elegant when actually it’s just terrified.” Ouch! Thank you!
The Artist’s Way
The first time I had Julia Cameron’s classic self-help book in my hands, I read three pages and promptly dismissed it as hippie nonsense. Fifteen years later I bought a copy and diligently followed the exercises to great effect. All I can say now is: It works if you work it.
Art/Work
A sanity-saving career handbook for the visual arts professional. Authors Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber walk you through working with galleries, licensing, marketing, organization, taxes, and so much more.
How to Write About Contemporary Art
Gilda Williams’s essential guide to writing exhibition reviews, gallery guides, museum websites, academic essays, and catalog texts. If you write about art (or want to start), this book is your companion.
The Byline Bible
Within a mere five assignments, Susan Shapiro will teach you how to write and sell creative nonfiction essays and op-eds. Shapiro’s advice is clear, direct, and wise.
Full Catastrophe Living
Jon Kabat-Zinn’s groundbreaking work in mind-body approaches to counteract stress, reduce anxiety, and be more in touch with the strength that already resides in all of us. Hot tip: the author’s warmth and wry humor really come through in the audiobook.
Acting with Power: Why We Are More Powerful Than We Believe
What does it mean to be powerful? Deborah Gruenfeld has investigated this topic for over twenty years, and her wisdom is distilled into this insightful volume. If you’ve ever felt disempowered, this book has the potential to change your life.
The Energy of Money
Money is one of the trickiest career aspects to navigate; for artists, sometimes it seems like our only choices are to be “paid in exposure” or to “sell out.” In this book, Dr. Maria Nemeth, founder of the Academy for Coaching Excellence, outlines a simple way to build a successful relationship to money so that you can thrive.