First, let me thank each of you who emailed me thoughtful responses to these questions.  I am reading every one of your letters and compiling your ideas to complete “Step 1”. 

List all the tasks or activities creative artists want or need to carry to be successful.

This inquiry has released an outpouring of creative responses which touch on some of the deepest questions and feelings about how we find Meaning in our lives and the role art plays in this important, soulful, quest. As I continue to read your emails I am thinking that your ideas are too valuable to be lost to email archives.

I am considering a number of alternatives for sharing these with other artists who might benefit from the wisdom you offer. I promised in my original offer to keep all of your communications private. And I will certainly honor this. However, I am looking for ideas as to how, with each of your permissions, we could share this with others. Here are a few alternatives I’m considering and I want more ideas from all of you.

1. After each of you has an opportunity to edit your thoughts, we could add some of your ideas to our E-newsletter in future issues.

2. We could start a conversation in the “This-N-That/Forum” on our website. With your permission we could post your email (or your edited version) on the site for other interested artists to read and respond to, if they wish.

3. We could write a magazine article about “What Creatives Want” or “What is Important about being an artist, to you” and submit it to magazines to gain a broader audience for this discussion.

4. With your permission we could include some of your thoughts and ideas in this special report that only goes to those of you who are part of this project. I could include each author’s email address (with your permission) so that others can respond directly to you, or you can remain anonymous. Your ideas on this are welcome

SPECIAL EMAIL PROJECT GROUP:   If I have not responded immediately to each of you, I apologize, and want to tell you that I will. I am just a little overwhelmed by the number and depth of thoughtful responses. I’m looking for a few more hours in my 48 hour day. I have added each of you to a special email list so I can communicate with you as a group. The project is growing to the point I may not have the time to talk with each of you individually.

CURRENT STEP:  I am now building a list of unique “tasks, activities, jobs, steps, etc” that you have presented as part of your creative paths. These seem to break down into the following categories:

• SKILLS / TRAINING INSPIRATION & ENERGY
• PERSONAL REASONS/MOTIVATIONS
• PLACE to do art
• MANAGING TIME QUALITY OF WORK
• QUANTITY OF ART WORK
• RESOURCES NEEDED
• MONEY ISSUES / SALES / THE BUSINESS of ART

NEXT STEP:  As soon as this is done I will be creating a questionnaire in which I will be asking you to rank the importance of each of these items, to you…Step 2.

Please invite other artist/craftspersons to join this project.

We will continue to look for the broadest range of ideas as we move forward. Again, Thanks for sharing your precious time and creative energy with me and this project.

Jim Powers

See Exactly How It’s Done

Creative Catalyst Productions

jim@ccpvideos.com