Thank you for coming to our “door” on the internet. I’m so glad you’re here. Below you’ll find information about a business program I’ve developed for artists based on my own 30+ years of entrepreneurial experience, and the success of others in the arts and other creative careers.
To the right you see myself, and two of my co-facilitators in the course. You can click on the image to learn more about us, and the part we play in the 6 months of your course.
There is enough information in the two sections to give you a fairly thorough, initial understanding about The Guerilla ExhibitorTM, and if you want more or have questions or special requests, please get in touch with me and let’s discuss your needs. My e-mail address is a@workingartistsonline.com
Welcome, and thank you for visiting.
To Art and All it Brings!
Adrienne Fritze, course leader
and founder of Working Artists LLC
Is This the Place for You ?
You’re in the right place if:
- You are an artist or creative professional who is interested in thriving financially as well as creatively;
- You know that traditional business planning systems fall short of what you need to build a successful arts- or creativity based business;
- You find yourself pulled to making your own way in the world, and are looking for like-minded, and like-motivated, people to do it with;
- You are more inclined to cooperate with other folks in business, rather than compete with them
- You are compelled to create, and are finally over resisting the urge to make this creative endeavor your career; and
- You know you need some guidance and support, and your preference is “real world”, “hands on” training.
What are artistic and creative professions we mention in the first bullet? Well, in the end you decide. The way some of the people who’ve taken, or will be taking, this course describe their pursuits are: visual artist, poet, performer, musician, sales person, curator, art retailer, results coach/possibility pusher, political cartoonist and poet, graphic designer, identity developer, arts administrator, kemono artist, fashion designer, landscape designer, photographer, student, entrepreneur, teaching blue-collar art collector.
If this is you, or you’re clear your job or business belongs in that list, please read on…
“I love the way this workshop stimulates, clarifies and motivates. It isn’t a ‘how-to’ workshop that spoon feeds information to the participants. It creates a framework that enables an artist to find the information they need, find within themselves the confidence to move forward, and a support system that creates accountability. “
Leslie Peterson, Artist
and Guerilla Exhibitor graduate
COURSE OUTLINE
No matter your artistic or creative discipline, this course was developed for folks who are naturally prone to doing, who have a highly developed creative nature, and who are ready to move beyond the mental and emotional barriers that can severely hinder any forward motion in pursuing a creative profession.
The GX course has the following components:
Day 1 – Breaking Through Beliefs That Bind. This day is a combination of intellectual inquiry and applied-art exploration designed to break through the emotional and mental clutter slowing you down in your pursuit of reaching your goals.
This session results in the creation of:
- a Vision/Gratitude box – a tool for celebrating daily successes and achievements, and
- Your Vision Statement – the guiding light and tool for the rest of your course.
Day 2 – Stake in the Ground. You will create a project, 9-18 months out, that is focused on you and your art/creativity form. When Day 2 is over you will have a first-draft, detailed description of your “perfect” event showcasing you and your work-an event designed to make your heart sing!
Participants’ events have looked like: exhibit openings; completion and presentation of a portfolio to an ideal client; meeting with a bank loan officer and presenting a business plan for funding; preparing for a tradeshow. Yours will be unique to you and your art or creativity form.
You leave the weekend with your first segment assignment – “Home Base/Time & Money”.
6 months of Design and Implementation Support (6 segments). We reunite for 2 to 4 hours once a month (we set up and agree to the schedule on Sunday), which gives you 4 weeks to complete your assignments.
The follow-up sessions follow this basic format:
- ONE-ON-ONE. Six 30-minute, one-on-one, coaching sessions with your Course Leader. From time-to-time the focus needs to be entirely on you, so you will work with Adrienne completely focused on you and your business in these 30-minute focused sessions. If you want more one-on-one time, you will receive a 25% discount on any additional time you schedule. Sessions can be either in person [during Adrienne's regular Office Hours] or via phone [a more flexible option].
- EMAIL. Group Check-in regarding the previous Segment homework. The criteria we use for check-in includes: a 1-5 rating of where you are mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually and where where you feel you are in the course; sharing a significant step forward and a critical challenge you are currently facing as it relates to the current assignments.
MONTHLY CLASS SESSION.
- Overview of the next segment, with Q&A. We review the concept, terminology and processes of the new segment, and finish up with a Q&A session.
- Review the assignments for the new segment. For the regular assignments, we go over the new worksheets together and do an in-meeting exercise using them. If the course facilitator or the group sees a need for practice in a particular area related to the segment, or there is a need to go deeper into a given topic, this is where the BONUS ASSIGNMENT may be given.
The Segments include:
Segment 1: Home Base/Time & Money
Segment 2: Research and Team Building
Segment 3: Business Systems/Tools, Legal & Taxes
Segment 4: Project Planning & Management
Segment 5: Marketing & Sales
Segment 6: Business Management & Financial Planning
Completion: You “graduate” from GX.
Between sessions you may receive additional assignments specific to your circumstance, or that apply to the entire group. You are encouraged to check-in with the group weekly via e-mail during the time between sessions to share your wins, challenges, ask for help, share resources and more.
At the end of this process you have an action/business plan structure that you may expand to incorporate all the aspects of your business. It’s an unconventional approach to business planning and implementation, and it works.
Registering for the Course
Dates for the 2009 Course: Aug. 1 & 2
The course is $1,350, and includes:
- weekend intensive,
- the manual + updates and supplemental materials,
- 6 months ongoing segment training and support group sessions every month, with
o a special full day session devoted to Marketing and Sales, and
o a half-day session on legal issues with attorney Peter Vaughn Shaver, and
- bi-weekly e-mail check-ins to be reviewed and commented on by the course leader + references to other sources of information, services, etc.,
- six 30-minute one-on-one coaching sessions with your course leader, Adrienne Fritze.
PAYMENTS
WAN accepts payment by check, money order, cashier’s check or credit card. To pay by check, money order or cashier’s check simply send it in for the full amount to: Working Artists LLC, 2211 NW Front Avenue #302, Portland OR 97209.
PayPal can be found at http://www.workingartistsnetwork.com/?page_id=587
We very much look forward to serving you – and please – if you have ANY questions, e-mail me at a@workingartistsonline.com or call the office at 503.349.6075
Information on Scholarships
We are often asked if we give scholarships, and we do, however they may not be the kind of scholarship you are used to in other situations. We award one work study scholarship for every 5 full registrations we get into a course. The work study discount on the course is $250 in exchange for 25 hours of your volunteer time with Working Artists projects.
The work could be gallery related (prepping the gallery for the next exhibit, hanging the show, lighting the exhibit, postering, etc.); office related (database entry, HTML e-mail invitations and news bulletins, phone calls, etc.); marketing (updating our info on our online communities, craigslist, and the like, sending and following up press releases, flyering, etc.).
If you are interested in being put on our scholarship list, drop me an e-mail at a@workingartistsonline.com or call the office at 503.349.6075. As of this page being published there are two people on the list.
Information can be found at http://www.workingartistsnetwork.com/?page_id=587