Just when I thought that art and money won't ever be compatible, Christopher Davies came along and convinced me that YES, I can make a living out of my artistic pursuits. In his Artist as Entrepreneur seminar (the second installment from the Business for Artists and Creative People Workshop Series) that took place yesterday here at Kapisanan, he started off by briefly touching upon the importance of goal-setting and mission and vision statements, and then blasted off into explaining the sales process and the target market, and emphasizing the importance of cost-and-benefit analysis and business plans, among many other valuable points. He broke down the processes into simple and understandable steps; explained every detail clearly and demonstrated his points with relevant and interesting examples from the media and from his own experiences in the arts/cultural/entertainment field.
Sounds boring? Well his talk definitely wasn't. With Christopher Davies' quick wit, I found myself attentive and engaged, with my eyes wide open and my hands madly scribbling on my notebook. He was straight-to-the-point, and he gave me the information that I wanted and needed to hear. In a short span of two hours, he managed to turn my abstract and imaginative mind -- that thinks in terms of colours and aesthetics -- into a pragmatic mind. I definitely gained confidence that indeed, I can earn money while doing the thing that I am passionate about. That's something to tell my parents : )
--Marianne Rellin, Kapisanan Vinta Gallery Intern