This was originally posted at The Merch Girl, where I tend to post more often nowadays (Tumblr makes it easy to post snippets). I figure I'd post it here too - there's a few of you that read this site regularly, but don't know about The Merch Girl, so here's some goodies!
So Problogger recently had a list of 30 bloggers to watch in 2010, mostly in the personal development/lifestyle design/Law of Attraction area. (Man, I remember when productivity and GTD were the big blog trends.) After a couple of people made their own lists, Problogger asked their readers to make up their own lists and share.
I follow 900 (!!) feeds on Google Reader, and there's the posts I find through Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, or even just friends emailing me things. It's difficult to create a performance-art based list, let alone a burlesque or circus-based list of blogs, as there aren't that many blogs in those areas that update regularly or have content outside of self-promotion. There are some blogs I am especially keen on though, and I think they need more attention, so here's my list (in no particular order):
Jim Munroe has been pretty busy working within the DIY scenes in Portland - he's published books, comics, even his own movies. He also provides all sorts of resources for those wanting to publish the indie way, with guides on indie publishing and indie movie-making, as well as essays on zine culture and events, non-profit counterculture shops, and a ton of other issues. My favourite thing from him is Time Management for Anarchists, an awesome guide to getting your act together that doesn't sound like every other personal development blog's 10 Ten List.
Jim's deeply motivated by indie creativity and supporting communal culture, and he demonstrates that by providing consulting and webhosting services to alternative creative productions. He graciously gave me some feedback on my site and asked for my thoughts on his too! I was looking for someone who had good project management sense but wasn't a capitalist suit, and he was just the ticket.
I found Bridgett while looking for other Tumblrs tagged "dance" and we now have a creative friendship full of reblogging interesting shows and workshops to each other. I've learnt a lot about bellydance, performance work, and being a professional both literally and in character in the arts. She is so full of passion - she obviously loves what she does and loves sharing it with the world.
Her main Tumblr is a scrapbook of inspiration and observation; the other one's for her External Oblique show at the Adelaide Fringe Festival 2010. I'm so excited for her, I wish I could be there, and I greatly recommend you follow her to learn the process and heart of true performance artists.
Marie was another person whose Tumblr I found through random Directory-hopping. Her original username/title was "girls, books, food, art, love" which pretty closely describes her Tumblr's content.
What I love about her Tumblr is her recommendations of zines, books, and other media that inspire her, as well as her personal reflections on her influences. I'm not a big fan of picspam Tumblrs, but I get a strong sense of personality from hers, and I've even bought some zines on lucid dreaming thanks to her Tumblr posts! Her posts are always delightful and inspiring and I always look forward to see what she's found next.
Natalie will say what's on her mind, and sometimes I've been guilty of enabling her by sending her articles that will make most of us go "OMG WTF". I trust her opinion on most things and know that even if we don't agree, she's thought through her point strongly. At the same time, she isn't afraid to be vulnerable or personal, sharing her challenges and downtimes (with our hugs in return).
I was shocked to discover today that Autostraddle was less than a year old. What?! They are tons more professional and entertaining than many "pro" blogs that have been running for years - and the design's top notch too! It's a pop culture webzine geared towards lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, but there's something in it for everything - from insightful commentary on the hidden dangers of the lawlessness of gay marriages, to good-natured perving at Hollywood actresses that play gay characters (or should).
It is largely US-centric, due to the location of most of the staff, but there's a vibrant community of commentors, editors, and interns from all over the place that keep Autostraddle fun, fresh, and friendly. I think this will become one of the most influential media sources for current-day young queer women - a voice that's interesting, quirky, silly, and also smart & solid. So much fun!
The Bakery, run by Jaime of Design Milk and Erin of Design for Mankind, provides consulting to creative businesses - from getting a business plan up and going to promoting yourselves. It was from consulting with them that I got this blog set up and running while I developed my site.
They're currently busy running a 6-week course, Half-Dozen, which guides you through setting up a creative business from the ground up. Because of this, their blog's a little quiet at the moment, but I feel that 2010 will be full of more great posts on business for the creatively-inclined.
Danielle LaPorte writes some great inspirational posts on rocking your creative self, especially if you're entrepreneurially minded. I like that she can empathise with those of us who don't fit the norm, and - like The Bakery and Jim Munroe - can talk about creative businesses without being all "suit"-y about it!
I would love to have a Fire Starter session; it seems like I would get a lot out of it. But if only I had $300 spare!
kSea has pretty much single-handedly managed this magazine (from when it was known as Big Top) to share his passion for circus, steampunk, and carnival culture. I'm a new reader, but I can appreciate the effort and passion he goes into documenting his subculture. The CultureFlux rebranding is very recent and I'd love to see what he has up his sleeves for 2010.
Another person whom I can't believe has only been in business just under a year. James does some funky, creative tights and leggings (I'm personally more fond of the stuff he made at the beginning - too bad they're discontinued!) and it was a delightful surprise to find out that he's based in Brisbane. He writes about his creative process, the items that inspire him, and the occasional copyright battle. He has an eye for the unusual, which I appreciate. I'm waiting for his catsuits - I bet they'll be gorgeous!
The people behind Mission Paradox (I don't know their name/s offhand) share a lot of inspirational resources for arts management and arts marketers. They're big on innovation, on moving away from stodgy old responses and rethinking the value of arts in the world. A lot of their content is more conceptual and visionary, rather than "here's how you make a budget" practicalities, but I really like their direction and I always gain a lot from their posts. While they're geared towards arts institutions - galleries, theatres, and so on - anyone who works in the arts will find inspiration from them.
Chris Guillebeau travels the world while living off the knowledge he shares with his readers - creating a sustainable online business, using frequent flyer miles effectively, dealing with money as an artist. What I love more about his work is his open, welcoming eyes to international cultures, and his pragmatic wisdom. He is very intelligent, friendly, and has given opportunities for other people to live their dreams and express themselves. Out of all the "location independence"/"lifestyle design" blogs proliferating the Internet, I think his is most earnest and sincere, and is definitely my favourite.
As you can tell, I enjoy blogs about business and project management that don't sound like typical blogs about business or project management. KPIs, asset management, quality processing...not my bag. Tara Joyce's blog deals with entrepreneurship from within - creating a business that you are personally passionate about and running it by your own principles. She's also lovely and friendly, and will give a listening ear to anyone in need of some encouragement.
I first met Rachel Hills when she interviewed me for her post-grad thesis on young people and sexuality. However, it wasn't till later that I found out that she was a pretty accomplished writer on her own right. Her Tumblr shows why - it's full of clever insights on pop culture, gender, culture and society, creativity, personal life, and anything that intersects through them.
There's so much stuff in her blog to share that it'd make this already-long post even longer - so I'd suggest looking at her personal favourites. And join in the discussion.
OK, I'm biased - Mithi's my older sister. She's finishing up her BA in Illustration, and over the past few years she's built up an eclectic portfolio of all sorts of art. It's interesting seeing her evolve; she didn't use to be confident with drawing people, and now she draws these really cute illustrations of kids and animals and people playing music & dancing.
She's also started to go pro and be internet famous (the lucky woman). I'm looking forward to seeing what she does after uni (probably go back for the seven-hundredth time). Also: SKUNK.
If you're into fashion or food blogging, and you haven't heard of Luxirare, where have you been?!? She may have way too much time on her hands, but man she makes the best of it.
I personally quite like what she does with food - everything from the ingredients to the packaging is original and inventive. Crayon granola bars (that you can actually colour with), mojito tablets, blue pyramid cake...what else will she come up with? If she ever comes up with a shop she'll make an instant million.
The Lady of the Manners's really entertaining. Her credo is that being Goth doesn't have to mean being surly and rude, and her blog is full of in-depth advice about fashion, dealing with people, and even random questions like "Is Lady Gaga Goth?" (Answer: no.) She's even got a book out - a great present for the baby bats in your life.
Megan M. is something of a multitasking powerhorse. She sings, she manages projects, she writes - and, with Ideaschema (and That Idea Blueprint Girl before that), she comes up with stacks of ideas for whatever project or dilemma you have. Right now she's selling her Idea Catalyst kit - tons of pages and audio of practical ways to come up with and implement her ideas. She's even got free ideas for random things on her blog too, if you'd like a preview.
Amelia Arsenic has a wild, crazy sense of style - macabre punk goth glam futuristic rock & roll. She's committed to her style and provides lots of tips and guides on how she achieves it - from fashion stylings to mood boards to makeup tutorials. She was on hiatus for much of 2009, but she's back and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing what other creativity she has up her sleeve.
OH MY GOODNESS! This list took a while to make. My computer's groaning from the work, otherwise I would keep going. Check out these blogs, and if you have any other favourites, tell me about them!
Always use the word ‘Africa’ or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title. Subtitles may include the words ‘Zanzibar’, ‘Masai’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Zambezi’, ‘Congo’, ‘Nile’, ‘Big’, ‘Sky’, ‘Shadow’, ‘Drum’, ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone’. Also useful are words such as ‘Guerrillas’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal’. Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans.
Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.
In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn’t care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.
Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African’s cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it—because you care.
Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation.
Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can’t live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love—take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.
Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country.
Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction).
Bad Western characters may include children of Tory cabinet ministers, Afrikaners, employees of the World Bank. When talking about exploitation by foreigners mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa’s situation. But do not be too specific.
Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life—but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.
Describe, in detail, naked breasts (young, old, conservative, recently raped, big, small) or mutilated genitals, or enhanced genitals. Or any kind of genitals. And dead bodies. Or, better, naked dead bodies. And especially rotting naked dead bodies. Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the ‘real Africa’, and you want that on your dust jacket. Do not feel queasy about this: you are trying to help them to get aid from the West. The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people.
Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people’s property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).
After celebrity activists and aid workers, conservationists are Africa’s most important people. Do not offend them. You need them to invite you to their 30,000-acre game ranch or ‘conservation area’, and this is the only way you will get to interview the celebrity activist. Often a book cover with a heroic-looking conservationist on it works magic for sales. Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa’s rich heritage. When interviewing him or her, do not ask how much funding they have; do not ask how much money they make off their game. Never ask how much they pay their employees.
Readers will be put off if you don’t mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky. Wide empty spaces and game are critical—Africa is the Land of Wide Empty Spaces. When writing about the plight of flora and fauna, make sure you mention that Africa is overpopulated. When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps).
You’ll also need a nightclub called Tropicana, where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out.
Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care.
A lot of young people (from teens to mid 30s) worldwide are regular globetrotters, travelling internationally for purposes as diverse as self-enrichment holidays, study abroad, worldchanging conferences, and the pursuit of performance art. With greater and cheaper options for international travel (budget airlines, youth hostels, couchsurfing, etc), young people from most countries are able to explore the world without needing a huge investment.
However, for young people in developing regions – such as Asia, Africa, or Eastern Europe – their travel pursuits are often blocked by stringent and overly-strict visa regulations. Countries and regions such as the US, Australia, or the European Union require high levels of income, concrete plans for travel and return, and plenty of paperwork to prove legitimacy – more than many young people could reasonably prove or afford. Even countries such as Singapore are making it difficult for people from ‘high-risk’ areas to legitimately arrive in the country for relatively casual purposes.
These young people bring with them foreign income, new cultures and experiences, and plenty of shared resources. Their travel creates bridges of understanding and respect between countries and cultures, replacing the idea of The Other with the idea of a World Neighbour. Youth travel is a growing, strong means of developing international economy, culture, and diplomacy. Yet unfair and difficult visa regulations treat these young people as ‘illegal immigrants’, ‘aliens’, and basically unwanted gatecrashers. The truly desperate use dangerous and illegal means to go international; the rest get stuck where they are, limited by their lack of privilege and by societal assumptions.
There are groups of young people actively protesting visa regulations and proposing special visa considerations for young people (especially those travelling for conferences or youth events). One such initiative is GETVISAble , aimed at Eastern European youth frustrated by their inability to access most youth projects in Western Europe due to visa issues. But more needs to be done.
As a young person and traveller myself, holding a Bangladeshi passport and requiring a visa to just about anywhere, I would like to see the following happen for young travellers:
Visa-free travel for young people, especially to popular regions like North American and Europe
Acceptance of alternative, unconventional, and non-accredited educational/employment opportunities for visa purposes (such as the Scandinavian social enterprise school KaosPilots, which is held in high regard by the design & entrepreneurship world but can be a pain for visas because they’re not formally part of the Danish education system)
Short-term residency permits (about 3-5 years) with the same privileges as permanent residents – access to public welfare and health, scholarships & grants, representation in politics
Grants and funding to support young people travelling for various purposes
A shift in tourism and immigration/migration from requiring absolutely stable and conventional lifestyles before migrating to encouraging young people to experiment and invest their time & energy in other countries
Visas to be obsolete!
Instead of treating young people as potential terrorists and criminals – which is what the current visa system does through its mounds of bureaucracy – treat them as esteemed guests: the New Diplomats, agents of change and development.
I was on SBS Insight recently to be on a forum about intelligence. I had responded to a call for comments and they thought it was interesting that I qualified for Mensa but didn’t find any use in it.
I had just returned from Island Vibe at Stradbroke Island so I had circus on the brain. Myself and my friend Joel (who’s a physicist and a performer) were mainly asked about what we think intelligence is, if we faced any challenges – simple stuff. They had 6-year-old Albie who’s really bright but also really restless, and I ADORED her – she was so much like me as a kid and I just wanted to smuggle her squeeeee.
I was also on the webchat with a few of the other guests – psychologists, researchers, a Rhodes Scholar-cum-Olympian. I felt distinctly underqualified! There was a lot of discussion about school and learning so my alternative education background came in handy!
The entire show will be online on the SBS website so feel free to check me out some time. Some things that got cut out from the airing or that I didn’t get to say:
A lot of IQ tests – and a lot of the definitions of success and intelligence – are constricted by privilege and culture. Another guest talked about opportunity – maybe high IQ people tend to live longer and be richer because they come from backgrounds that allowed them better healthcare and education to begin with! Tests don’t often control for that, and yet we tend to judge people on a factor that has too many variables for it to be useful.
I qualified for Mensa in 2007 after taking the test on a lark (one of those Things I Must Do In My Lifetime things). I joined for a year but didn’t get much value out of the organisation – the meetings didn’t interest me (mostly puzzles) and the magazine was too full of “We’re so smart! Let’s talk about how smart we are and how people don’t appreciate us!”. I was hoping for more efforts to do something productive, like volunteer work or creative work…but nothing. Towards the end of my membership year there were some efforts to have a Young Mensans meetup in Brisbane, which would have been cool, but not enough to entice me to keep joining.
I actually made a plug for my circus group Vulcana Women’s Circus but that got edited out :P It was in response to intelligence and communicating – I talked about how my ideas for performance work were more intellectual and that I found it very challenging to step out of my brain and express myself physically. It takes a different sort of intelligence to be able to convey abstract concepts into visuals, actions, music, costume, moves.
They showed Morris dancing in the show and I smiled when they said that dancing was scientifically one of the best ways for older people to retain brain cognition. I was a little annoyed at someone who said that there was no hope for people to improve their skills beyond a certain age, that intelligence is stable – my circus director started at 40 and she rocks! If you put the effort in it and you’re open to learning then most things can happen for you. There are opportunities out there. And man, performance totally does magic for your intelligence – it challenges you in a big way.
Some people in the forum were talking about taking supplements for intelligence so that they can get better jobs and pass university and such. I’m supposedly high-IQ (According to Mensa) and I’m finding it hard to find a job. The creative industries is a hard place to break into sustainably, but also there are more factors to job success than just your intelligence – heck I’d wager to say it’s one of the least considered factors. It’s not like I advertise my Mensa membership on my resume. That said: hey people coming here from SBS Insight – want to sponsor or hire me ? :D
Feel free to continue the chat here if you’d like!
I’ve just started a project on Kickstarter to raise funds for a couple of basic items – public liability insurance and business name registration. I might be the first non-American (thanks Leah for your help!) – this is very exciting!!
Please help out however you can. Every dollar helps. Thank you so much!
There is a substantial group of people whose contributions are being overlooked by many people – most notably The Powers That Be – in the Australian arts and creative industries. These people bring with them tons of experience, perspective, creativity, skill, and often money – but are often blocked from participating fully in local arts and culture by factors beyond their control.
This group? Recent migrants and international students.
I was one of many people who came to Australia from overseas because I felt that I would have better opportunities here. My hometown was in the middle of nowhere, where public transport was almost non-existent and the only social activity possible was shopping. Youth were often vilified by Government reps and the State-owned media for having any sense of culture, and so many people were either too afraid of creating challenging honest work in case of jail, or too apathetic to care. The arts are not valued in Malaysia; the only creative school subjects offered in the National curriculum are Literature, Music, and Art, taught very basically in most schools and left to “underachievers”; when I opted for Malay Literature instead of Science I was told many times that I was “wasting my grades” and I was making a big mistake.
In many ways it has been a lot easier for me to express my creativity in Australia. I’m not under threat of deportation or arrest, even if I wanted to mock any politician. I spoke up at a No Internet Filter rally and didn’t face any political trouble! Even more risque work like burlesque has an air of respectability to it – there are passionate people spearheading the subculture, working hard to provide opportunities to all that are interested. There’s not as much stigma in the arts, andt here are a lot more obvious opportunities.
That said, the local arts scene is quite an echo chamber – the same bunch of people over and over again. And it’s very Western/Euro-centric. It’s surprising how often I stick out like a sore thumb amongst my peers just because I’m brown and Asian, especially since Brisbane is very multicultural and where I live I’m often in a bus with 80% foreigners or migrants. After a few years of being in Brisbane and interacting with both the arts scene and with other international students, I have found a few factors in play for the arts’ relative lack of diversity:
Education
It’s hard enough being able to pursue a Creative Arts (or, Heaven forbid, Fine Arts) degree overseas – the stigma is still there and there are often expectations of “will this get you a job?”. Also, outside of the UK and Australia, “creative industries” isn’t a known term – often leading to confused questions about doing multimedia, graphic design, or mass communications.
QUT, the university I was in, brands itself as a “university for the real world” – however, I found most of the content in the Creative Industries degree heavily Australia-centric. Many subjects sprung off assumptions about art and society that were not shared by many of the students, which led to gaps in understanding and appreciation.
One of our required subjects was Staging Australia, or Australian Theatre History – a lecture-only class with a room filled with 3rd-year Drama students and a bunch of confused first-year CI Management students, including at least 3 foreigners. None of us three had come from a drama background, or ever had the opportunity to learn the basics of drama theory – no such thing existed where we came from. The lectures were very dense and it was hard for us to catch up with both theatre theory and Australian history in very little time. Another subject, CI Events and Festivals, ran from the assumption that festivals were mainly a way for the community to assert themselves and to rebel against the higher-ups of society. My experience of festivals were that they were big marketing and commercial exercises for corporates, since that made up the bulk of festivals in Malaysia (anything rebellious got you in trouble), so it took me a long time before I could understand and appreciate her point of view.
Most egregious were the treatment of Asian art in the curriculum – the only countries worthy of highlight were Japan, China, and India, and every lecture on Asian art centered around the Japanese concept of “ma”. My Taiwanese friend took Asian Art and Architecture as a subject; her group was the only country that selected something other than Japan for their group assignment. I sometimes feel that I got an unfairly bum grade for my report on youth culture in Malaysia because I didn’t mention “emos”. The subject that stood out for me in this regard was Performance Innovation: from day 1 “innovation in performance” was basically defined as “White director steals Asian culture, jumbles it up, gets all the glory; Asian cultural performers still can’t get respect”. How could I take the subject seriously when everything being cried out as “innovative” were things people around me grew up with for centuries – my tutor/lecturer couldn’t even get the meanings of colours in Indian dance right!
Many of us who are international students are often made the unofficial “ambassador” of all things foreign. “So, as an international student, what do you think?”. My opinion doesn’t always rely on me being foreign; I’m not even representative of my own culture! Pretty often if there’s a group project we’re all expected to do something related to multiculturalism. Hardly ever would our ideas and perspectives be appreciated who we are, not how foreign we are. The paradox though is that if you do decide to tackle issues of race or culture, you’re branding as being “too involved with race” (as I was a few days ago) and often being oto politically-correct and self-stifling!
I watched the new version of Fame last night and loved it; I spent most of my life trying to make up for the fact that no such performing arts school existed in Malaysia. It was, and still is to some extent, one of my biggest dreams – to be in such an immerse environment that was both educational and creative. It reminded me of schools like NICA and NIDA, as well as Fine Arts degrees, where you spend years honing your craft. I would love to audition for such schools, and indeed many years ago my dad found brochures from NIDA-like places in an attempt to get me to do a degree. I would have loved to do it, but realistically I knew there was no chance in hell I’d ever get a looksee by any of those institutes. I never had the chance to do drama in my childhood and school years, so I don’t have any training or experience; I would be up against people who have been living and breathing this their whole life. I wouldn’t even know how to audition! My clear inexperience will show, and I don’t know if I have the raw talent to make up for it (as well as my obvious ethnic-ness – a point for another day). There didn’t seem to be a middle ground or avenue for people like me who were dying to learn how to be on stage, how to act, how to perform – but never had the head start.
Some Solutions
Expand university curricula to include perspectives from other countries – not just what an Dead White Guy from Australia thinks about Asian art (for example) but what the people there feel about it, with some explanation of their cultural context.
Stop making assumptions about foreign students – we’re not here as spokespeople. Treat us like any other member of the class in terms of valuing our arguments, and understand that we are often coming from a different perspective.
Reconsider when and how your subjects are delivered – Staging Australia would have worked better as a non-required subject offered later in the year; by that point you would have picked up more on local culture and history and can give more educated responses. Also, it didn’t have a lot to do with CI Management. The actual CI Management subject itself (as taught by Zane Trow) made a good overview of the business of the arts, which was transferable anywhere around the world – currently though you can only take the subject after doing 96 hours of credit. If anything, that subject should be one of the prerequisite first-year subjects.
Accept that your perspective isn’t always representative – Not every youth culture hinges on emos, not every country uses festivals as a means of political expression. Sometimes it feels like if you’re not writing what the lecturer is used to hearing, you get shot down. Welcome perspectives from other backgrounds and make an effort to understand where they’re coming from.
Offer bridging programs for people who want to get into the arts but never had the opportunity to do so – pitting enthusiastic but under-resourced people against those with the privilege of attending drama school 5 days a week for 11 years in will eventually lead to this privilege being reinforced throughout all levels of the art world. There’s often an assumption that if you haven’t been training for ages you’re not really passionate about it; for many of us it’s not for lack of trying! Some, like myself, didn’t even consider the option a possibility until they left their original hometown (a degree for CIRCUSART? Blew my mind!). A bridging program gives such enthusiastic people the opportunity to step into their dream world without punishing them for where they were born.
Offer more scholarships and funding for international students – International students get hardly any grants or funding as it is. They’re not eligible for Centrelink, Government or Council grants, or HECS/HELP. Many of us come from places that don’t offer funding to students of the arts because of the stigma. Art school is expensive. By providing funding options, it’s easier for creative international students to explore their fascination further without worrying about being a burden.
There are more factors into migrants in the local arts scene; I’ll write more in this series soon. In the meantime, please feel free to share your thoughts and pass this on to others.
I originally wrote this for Chris Guillebeau’s Art of Non-Conformity contest about a month ago. I didn’t win, but Chris liked it, and since it’s about burlesque I’ll post it here for you! It’s also on The Merch Girl.
“Burlesque” originally came from the Italian word burla, to “send up” or mock – in this case, making fun of the high-brow entertainment of the time. Nowadays it’s become code for vintage glamour, corsets and red feathers, and sparkly pasties. You don’t have to be a star tassel-twirler to incorporate burlesque into your unconventional life. Here’s a few ideas on sending up with sass and shimmy:
Embrace horrible prettiness – style yourself how you want to, not just how you’re expected to.
The term “horrible prettiness” was used by Robert Clyde Allen in 1991 to describe the paradox of a burlesque dancer: ladylike and feminine in dress, but loud and raunchy and bawdy in behaviour. Burlesque performers didn’t worry about gender norms; they wore what they liked and acted how they liked. Drop the fashion magazines and the etiquette guides, and let your imagination take the lead! Shave your head, wear a pink frilly dress, and run a marathon in the woods. Deck out in combat boots and a Navy uniform – then invite everyone over for a nice cup of tea and a sit-down. I don’t really have a set style to speak of – I tend to mix up ethnic Asian, Goth, corporate, and saloon girl. Even if you are hardened and gritty and rough around the edges, you can still indulge in a little boylesque:
Do things on a whim.
Does that hat look interesting but not typically “your style”? Curious about an adventure class but you’ve never hiked in your life? Doesn’t matter! No one is keeping a tally on how consistently you live life. If you are curious about something that seems out-of-character, follow that curiosity and sees where it leads you. There’s no harm in trying on a dress you’d otherwise never wear, or signing on for a class that seems out of your depth. You’ll never know until you try! It could very well change your life – or at the very least give you some conversation material. I started going to burlesque classes partly to prepare for my first stage role (in The Vagina Monologues – I played the dominatrix) and also because I had just finished university in a foreign country and wanted to do something I wouldn’t be able to do back home. Six months later, I’ve hung around, and I end up being interviewed on radio for my debut public routine:
Every performer will face some mishap on stage at some point – a missing pastie, a broken prop, the music file skipping. What do you do? Smile, laugh, do a little shimmy, and move on! Sometimes the show becomes a lot better for it – the incident amuses the audience, who are generally rooting for the performer anyway. Similarly, not all accidents or oops-moments are terrible. If something goes wrong, have a little chuckle (or stomp about dramatically if you need to) then pick yourself up and keep going. The people who care for you will want to see you succeed, and will support you no matter what. Indeed, like a star burlesque performer, you can turn that accident around – a “wardrobe malfunction” turned Rose Chan from just another dancer to Malaysia’s ultimate burlesque/striptease queen.
Look at things from a different angle.
A cigar isn’t just a cigar, and that hair clip doesn’t just have to sit on your head. Look at the way you work, the things you use, the beliefs you have – and examine them from another angle. What would happen if you read your book outside instead of the study? How would chicken seasoned with chocolate taste? What if you didn’t have to get a car and a spouse by 30? At least for a moment, subvert something! Think of your object or subject from the perspective of someone else – your neighbour, your best friend, your enemy, someone the total opposite of you. Be synesthetic – smell its colours, see its sounds. Everything has its own hidden glamour, a secret story. You may stumble onto hidden genius – like Nasty Canasta’s highly inspired choice of music for a usually-traditional fan dance:
Find the funny in everything.
So you spilled wine on the carpet, your boss yelled at you, and you’ve run out of hot water. Before you delve into despair, find something humorous about your situation – even if it’s something absurd and surreal, like “At least I’ll be prepared for showers in the Antarctic”. At least it’ll cheer you up; at best, it’ll help you find alternative solutions and reduce stress. At least on the inside, laugh it up – even if you have to bite your lip to stop yourself from giggling inappropriately. Sometimes I get stuck in my own drama and feel like the sky is about to fall; however, a joke from a friend or a wry comment sometimes help to diffuse the tension and get me smiling. Musician Dave Carroll turned his own terrible incident of his guitar being wrecked by United Airlines into a song that became a worldwide meme:
If you must despair, do it with flair.
A lot of burlesque is about overblowing the minor and understating the major. Drama in your life – whether as a crazy-making acquaintance or a series of annoying events – isn’t much fun. However, dealing with your woes in a dramatic way can help lighten the mood and release tension. Allow yourself to be ridiculously melodramatic and operatic about your stress. “Oh my! I am surrounded by escapees of the mental institution! My money all goes towards parking fees! WOEBETIDE ME!” Sometimes I mope around in my room and wail to my boyfriend about how LIFESUCKS I HATE IT ALL – he’s pretty used to it. Scream your anger out. Rest your hand on your forehead as though you’ve been hit by the vapours. List aloud every misery you’ve ever experienced and spend a few minutes hamming it up to friends or even just the bathroom mirror. The key here is to not take it too seriously – amp up the drama, but don’t stress yourself out over it. You’ll find that by the end of it you feel like laughing – you’ve worked through the ridiculousness, and can now see the situation in a whole new light.
Make up your own mind – and speak it.
You don’t have to like whatever’s in vogue, even if your immediate environment is charmed by it. While there’s a lot of contemporary burlesque that goes through the same tropes, there’s also a lot of innovative unusual work that ultimately stands out in people’s minds. Discover music, art, fashion, performances, politics, places, books of your own, and let your own heart and spirit decide how it feels about it. Have varied tastes in things, no matter how iconoclastic or unusual – like eating vanilla ice cream with salted peanuts or wearing capris in the cold. Then share them! Speak your truth about current affairs, art and beauty, or anything else that matters to you. You will likely encounter some strife, which does suck, but in the long run you’d be making space for people like you, who’d be grateful for your voice. After all, if it weren’t for pioneers like Lydia Thompson and Gypsy Rose Lee, who combined striptease with witty repartee, modern burlesque probably wouldn’t exist!
Dance, sing, make something, speak – give anything creative a go!
You don’t have to be any good at it. Just pick up that guitar or turn on that radio and do whatever moves you. “Dance like no one is watching”, as they say – once you get past the awkwardness of starting (something everyone goes through, pro or not), you’ll get into your own groove. Keri Smith released her book Wreck This Journal for this very purpose: to get you used to just starting something creative. If the end result isn’t to your liking, that’s OK – you’ve given it a go, which is more than important. In the past few years I’ve tried plate-spinning, juggling, trapeze, acrobatics, stilts, silks, singing, tapdance, and who knows what else, mostly for the heck of it. Some, like silks, were total disasters – but I also discovered a hidden aptitude for balancing and spinning plates on sticks! Here are some basic tricks to get you started, if you’re intrigued:
Choose something else to entertain you.
No need to chain yourself up to the TV and watch another episode of the Biggest Loser. Get yourself a copy of the local street press, or go online and look up the alternative listings. Facebook’s usually a good resource for ideas too. Go check out a burlesque show, a foreign film, a fetish party, a pub band in an obscure part of town, an experimental physical theatre piece – something that’s not usually your cup of tea. They’re usually cheap or free and are pretty welcoming to newcomers. Bring a friend if you’re a bit shy – you’ll likely make new friends there anyway. My friend and I checked out a fetish dance party for the first time a few months ago, and to my utter surprise I actually found it quite fun. I don’t normally go out at night, but we stayed there until 3 chatting with all sorts of people – some of whom I’ve met again at different places. Once you start, you end up finding out more about others – and your social life isn’t the same again. How about you? Will you choose a VooDoo Restaurant over McDonalds?
Whether you’d up for rockin’ your billies, or softly hip-swaying your way through life, there’s many ways to add a touch of burlesque to the daily (bump &) grind. It’s all about taking things lightly – so laugh loud, tickle your sensibilities, and make your friends gasp with surprise at your audacity to be unconventionally you.
If the art of burlesque itself interests you, check out the Ministry of Burlesque and Daily Burlesque for tons of resources, ideas, inspiration, and conversations with other enthusiasts and performers. It’s especially open to newcomers, so if you want to truly make burlesque part of your unconventional life, come on board!
In our family tribe, everyone believes that harmony is achieved by not rocking the boat. Family confrontations, even with the best intentions, mean dissent. It is better to suffer in silence than to speak one’s mind and challenge the existing familial condition. If you must speak, you should do so in symbols – and you must address the wind or a person unrelated to the topic at hand in the hope that the air may carry it away from our house and send it towards the appropriate addressee.
- Jennider Jornales Dugeña, “Our Family Tribe”, Imagining Ourselves
A snob is anybody who takes a small part of you and uses that to come to a complete vision of who you are.
I don’t think we are particularly materialistic. I think we live in a society which has simply pegged certain emotional rewards to the acquisition of material goods. It’s not the material goods we want. It’s the rewards we want.
I think it would be very unusual for anyone here, or anyone watching, to be envious of the Queen of England. Even though she is much richer than any of you are. And she’s got a very large house. The reason why we don’t envy her is because she’s too weird. She’s simply too strange. We can’t relate to her. She speaks in a funny way. She comes from an odd place. So we can’t relate to her. And when you can’t relate to somebody, you don’t envy them. The closer two people are, in age, in background, in the process of identification, the more there is a danger of envy.
It’s made to feel, by magazines and other media outlets, that if you’ve got energy, a few bright ideas about technology, a garage, you too could start a major thing.
A meritocratic society is one in which if you’ve got talent and energy and skill, you will get to the top. Nothing should hold you back. It’s a beautiful idea. The problem is if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top, get to the top, you’ll also, by implication, and in a far more nasty way, believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there. In other words, your position in life comes to seem not accidental, but merited and deserved. And that makes failure seem much more crushing.
The idea that we will make a society where literally everybody is graded, the good at the top, and the bad at the bottom, and it’s exactly done as it should be, is impossible. There are simply too many random factors. Accidents, accidents of birth, accidents of things dropping on people’s heads, illnesses, etc. We will never get to grade them. Never get to grade people as they should.
In other words, hold your horses when you’re coming to judge people. You don’t necessarily know what someone’s true value is. That is an unknown part of them. And we shouldn’t behave as though it is known. There is another source of solace and comfort for all this. When we think about failing in life, when we think about failure, one of the reasons why we fear failing is not just a loss of income, a loss of status. What we fear is the judgement and ridicule of others. And it exists.
You know, the number one organ of ridicule nowadays, is the newspaper. And if you open the newspaper any day of the week, it’s full of people who’ve messed up their lives. They’ve slept with the wrong person. They’ve taken the wrong substance. They’ve passed the wrong legislation. Whatever it is. And then are fit for ridicule. In other words, they have failed. And they are described as “losers.” Now is there any alternative to this? I think the Western tradition shows us one glorious alternative. And that is tragedy.
And I suppose I’m arguing that we should learn a little bit about what’s happening in tragic art. It would be insane to call Hamlet a loser. He is not a loser, though he has lost. And I think that is the message of tragedy to us, and why it’s so very very important, I think.
I think it’s merely the randomness of the winning and losing process that I wanted to stress. Because the emphasis nowadays is so much on the justice of everything. And politicians always talk about justice. Now I am a firm believer in justice. I just think that it is impossible. So we should do everything we can, we should do everything we can to pursue it. But at the end of the day we should always remember that whoever is facing us, whatever has happened in their lives, there will be a strong element of the haphazard. And it’s that that that I’m trying to leave room for. Because otherwise it can get quite claustrophobic.
Sometimes I wonder why it’s such a big deal to be the “best”, to do the “best”, instead of just going as far aw you feel like it. I’ve definitely seen the envy part play out with blog wanks, often from people in the same demographic as the “Wanker”. I like what he said about Hamlet – he may have lost, but he’s not a loser. It is not all his fault.
How would the world be if we were a little gentler to each other and didn’t expect superhuman prowess or nothing? Where you don’t have to work overtime to show your “loyalty”, where it didn’t take extra tuition classes to make it in school? Where failure and success weren’t attached with value judgments, but are just passing moments in life – like a breeze through the sea or a splash of rain?
I’ve been reading up a lot about race relations, cultural representation, and appropriation – which would be evident if you’ve seen the past few entries on here and on The Merch Girl . (Speaking of which: I seemed to have gained the niche of Politically Noisy Burlesqer Harping On About Appropriation, Damn You Weirdo.)
I’ve read a lot (and am still reading – it’s still a drop in the ocean), and thought about it in relation to my experiences, and I’ve come to a realisation:
People tend to talk about the Other as though it was a Person or Thing, with its own characteristics and needs and foibles. Quite what those characteristics are, no one knows, except that it’s Different and Other and Difficult to Deal With.
But really, the Other isn’t a thing. It’s a space.
People get sent to the Other Space if they stand out enough from the status quo to make the rest uncomfortable. If there’s something that makes them stand out. Even in the freakiest, most uncomfortable groups, there is always a Space for the Other.
Think of it as a circle with an outer ring orbiting it, crossing over in parts but never really fully included. Like Saturn’s ring squished in in parts, merging with Saturn. The people in that ring are still considered part of the group to some degree, but they’re never really included. They’re not at the core.
There are some people that do tend to float on the other edges of the circle, closer to the ring than to the core. But they’re still more a part of that circle, of that planet, than the ring folk will ever be. They’re sympathetic to the Other, but they are not The Other.
Even within cores there are sections for the Other. Even within the Other rings there are cores and rings. It’s possibly infinite, and very fractal-like.
I’ve always been in the Other Ring for every group I’ve been a part of. Even when I was part of the “mainstream”, I was still the outlier. It didn’t matter if the group was made up of Malaysian students, or NaNoWriMo writers, or young pagan hipsters, or burlesquers, or internet freaks, or whatever. My identity as a person has always ended up as the Other – I’m not sure whether it is by coincidence or by design. It also explains why I’m so passionate about anti-discrimination, why I’m always trying to link rings and circles together, why I notice when people push others into the Other – because it’s the life I lived. It’s what I know.
So perhaps of looking at the Other in terms of personality, let’s look at the Other in terms of the space they occupy.
Where is the ring of the Other in relation to the core? How far away is the ring? Which parts are squeezed in and which are stretched out?
Is there easy access between the ring and the core? Are there people floating in between?
Do people transition between the ring, the core, and inbetween?
Who chooses who goes in the ring – the person itself, or the group? Are people given a choice in the matter? Is the choice conscious?
What structures are in place that reinforce the shape and location of the ring and the circle? Are those structures solid or malleable? Are there hidden passages?
How visible are the people in the ring to the people in the circle? Or vice versa? How visible are they to the people outside their planet?
Is it possible for someone to not be in any rings, circles, or planets whatsoever – to just float in space?
How do we push others into the ring and what do we do with them? How are we pushed into the ring? Do we push ourselves in?
Is it more desirable to be in the ring, in the core, somewhere in between?
I don’t have any sort of graphics software on this computer, but if someone can get what I’m trying to visualize, feel free to make some sort of picture or slideshow, and share it with us. And if anyone else has come up with similar theories about the Other being a space that people/things/etc get placed into (I don’t think it’s just limited to people; anything could conceivably be placed in the Other ring in relation to its group) do share.
Also, this is the tail end of the International Blog Against Racism Week – I didn’t set out to write something just for it, since I’ve said as much as I could say already on my two blogs, but after writing this I thought it could be a good meta-topic, in a way. Go check out their del.icio.us profile and read some :)
See, when I launch into a tirade against inequality in the criminal justice system or discriminatory land-use policies, my audience doesn’t really feel uncomfortable or scared. I can be loud without being threatening. When I get into my rants, my audience probably just thinks I’m passionate. As long as I’m not yelling, and my message is clear, people will listen. No one will write me off, make any negative assumptions about my background, or fear physical harm just because my tone was forceful or condemnatory.
Yet a person of color is not afforded the same privilege. Indeed, a black man with similar credentials and intellect would undoubtedly be viewed differently if he spoke in a domineering tone. Even if they are among friends, there is a fear—a fear I do not share—of being labeled “angry” and fulfilling centuries-old stereotypes of black masculinity. I will never suspect that people are afraid of me as a person; the thought won’t even cross my mind. As whites, we’re far less likely to be labeled “erratic,” “crazy,” or “out of control” than folks of color who relay the very same messages in the very same powerful tone. I never worry about fulfilling stereotypes of being loud, angry, or “ghetto”—stereotypes that might cause my audience to misinterpret or ignore my message. And that’s white privilege.
The New Liberal Arts is a book in the style of a university course catalog – except that instead of the usual subjects like biology and sociology, the courses on offer are things like Micropolitics and Attention Economics. It started out as a blog post on Snarkmarket and grew into this project.
There’s 80 pages, with 21 new subjects being pitched in the book. I contributed a piece about folklore and ritual. The paper copy costs $8.99, and after 200 of those are sold they’ll release the PDF version for free.
It goes on sale officially tomorrowNOW so head on to Snarkmarket and get yourself a copy!
So a while ago Havi mentioned how she found her dream house (amongst other things) by writing a personal ad. I took the idea and ran with it – and it worked! I did find the people I was after, and they keep showing up. woo! I followed it up by putting out my intentions for housing and income – those ones are still muddling along, so here’s a kickstart.
Then Havi brought them up again and everyone pitched in. It was awesome! I met a couple of interesting people through there and kinda fulfilled one person’s wish (to join their online community). Then Andrew made a site for it which is even more brilliant.
It seems to be a regular thing with Havi, because she’s now adding her mini personal ads to the bottom of every post (hmm, maybe a new trend?) and she posted about them again . In the spirit of things, I’ll repost the ads I made in Havi’s comments:
1. MERCHGIRLSEEKSFINANCIALSUSTAINABILITY
Creative eccentric passionate dabbler seeks means of being able to pursue her heart’s desire while also being able to pay bills, pay rent, and feed belly. Said dabbler would rather be able to sleep on a comfortable bed with her matey and not worry about money, instead of being a homeless foreigner.
YOUARE: any combination of the following:
An ethical sustainable at-least part-time job paying at least AUD$30,000/year, which allows me to make a comfortable income while developing my skills and being connected to interesting motivated people, without being sucked into politics and hypocrisy. Level doesn’t matter, as long as it’s something I can do a good job in and has a great working atmosphere.
Funding and/or support for The Merch Girl so I can make it into an awesome business without worrying about lack of funds
Funding and/or support for me as an emerging creative artist and/or interesting person
Projects that are interesting and good and compensate well
Another fascinating good ethical interesting way of self-sustainability that I haven’t imagined yet
YOUARENOT:
the result of someone’s untimely death (so no family inheritances please!)
A product of crime and/or unethicalness
Attached with strings that reveal undesirable conditions
Attached with hate, discrimination, nastiness, ickiness, hypocrisy, soul-suckage, drama, and anything else that makes me cry
WHAT I WILL DO:
Treat you with respect, honour, and care
Work my best into any venture I involve myself with
Use my sustained self to support other eccentric creative young artists who don’t quite fit in anywhere
Work on spreading love with my work and creative interactions instead of getting caught up in drama
Love you forever
Feel free to get in touch if you have any ideas!
I should also add “you are not more money from my parents which only comes with filial piety issues” because I’m trying to be financially independent from them. Doing that and being able to live is proving difficult tho.
2. SEEKING A FUNCTIONINGCOMPUTER
I would like to ask for a functioning computer. I have a laptop, but first the hard drive died, then the main partition is borked so I can’t even reinstall Windows or boot up from something else. The most I can do is load Ubuntu on CD and then look at stuff. I haven’t touched it for a while as I’m planning to get back to Brisbane, backup everything (that’s where my external harddrive is), and then reinstall stuff.
This could come in the following ways:
A new external harddrive gifted to me before I return to Brisbane so I can backup everything earlier (or something else that accomplishes this)
My computer will suddenly function again and stay functioning for a few more years at least (I got it late 2007)
I get a new computer that is much MUCH better at staying alive
I commit to taking care of my computer, doing regular backups (my external is now not leaving my sight!!), and learning more about how to maintain my computer. You’d think I get this, since I’ve been using computers since I was 2 and I’m turning 24, but argh.
3. FANTASTICFESTIVALS & AMAZINGARTSACTION
There are a few arts and festivals opportunities that look interesting. The people I train with in circus have a street performance project and a physical theatre project thing, there are some bigger arts festivals popping up this year, and two main TV stations in Australia are auditioning for presenters.
My request: To obtain favourable and pleasant results from applying to these opportunities, preferably in a way that allows me to sustain my journey through them (e.g. paid employment, expenses covered, sponsorship, etc).
This would mainly come from my applications being accepted, but I am also open to alternative arrangements being made that would have been better than the thing I applied for in the first place.
I commit to placing my applications, putting my best effort in, and being open to new opportunities. Also if you know of any other options that myself and/or The Merch Girl can do, let me know!
My friend (and the designer of this website) Natalie Perkins is very vocal about body acceptance and positive self-image and Health At Every Size. She wrote a post about loving yourself through 8+1 really hard steps and it’s REQUIREDREADING. Because I say so.
She’s also just done a vlog about it, which is equal parts entertaining and informative:
According to Robin Dunbar and his study on monkeys, our brains can only maintain strong social relationships with about 150 people (or “monkeysphere” or Dunbar’s Number). Everybody else is an abstract concept; it’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that we can’t really handle more people than that.
Dunbar’s Number explains how many campaigns – from social justice to advertising – succeed or fail: they rely on tapping into the personality of your 150. We’d be more likely to do something about an issue like the war in Iraq if we knew someone who was there or was from Iraq, than if we hardly knew any Iraqis. We think “oh, this issue is close to someone I deeply care for; if it’s important to them it’s important to me too. I want them to be happy.”.
It becomes more than “What’s In It For Me?”; the question is now “What’s In It For Me and My 150?”
Pace Smith, half of The Usual Error, proposes a way to use Dunbar’s Number to make deep changes in the world: diversify your 150.
This is why I enjoy going into different circles and connecting people to each other. All the varied people in my 150 (or 1000+ if you believe my Facebook account) would be able to connect with each other, with me as a common link, and create great things of beauty. It’s awesome when I see it happen!
The nature of Dunbar’s Number means that as life progresses, those in our 150 come and go. Someone important to us in the past may just be at the periphery now. Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace make it easier to keep track of everyone we’ve met, but even so we can only make the most fruitful connections with about 150 people at a time.
That doesn’t mean the other hundreds of people have to go away or ignore us. It could mean checking in every so often to see what they’re up to, and see how you can help. It can mean making introductions and letting them take it from there. It may mean finding out what your other 850 stand for, being educated, and seeing how you can support them too. It means learning from the people you’ve met, 150 or not, and using that to make change with the people you’re meeting and will meet.
Apt timing! My money wish is to be financially free through paying off my parent’s loans and no longer relying on them for money; instead, to earn enough to support my life and passions though meaningful creative works, projects, and strokes of good luck! Basically to be able to support the things I love without worrying about going broke.
Every so often I like to look at creative interpretations of CVs, resumes, and other documents that introduce you to the world. My current CV is ok but rather boring; it doesn’t really communicate my personality, my interests, nor the fact that I like to try unusual things and bring things together.
I want something I can send not just as job applications, but also as introductions to people and groups I find interesting. People I’d like to get to know better, work together with, create something of soulful merit. Do fun stuff. I don’t want my resume to put me to sleep! My kit would need to look more like this:
I’d like my CV to be offbeat, reflective of me, and unorthodox. Sure, it may not get past the typical HR headhunters – but I’m not going for “typical”. I’m going for people who appreciate individuality, creativity, and openness to ideas.
How do I create a CV+portfolio+thingo that is creative, reflects me, and gets the attention of the receipient?
How do I do this without being wanky?
How do I structure my content in this creative CV kit?
How do I get the thing designed?
Am I only stalling because I’m overwhelmed by vast nothingness, so I’m either trying to be outrageous or trying to procrastinate? (Well, possibly, but that’s an issue for another email)
(I’m not facing vast nothingness at the moment, which is great, but I still may be stalling.)
Now that I’m starting The Merch Girl and am delving a bit deeper into performance work, especially theater and burlesque, having some sort of a kit to represent myself would be really helpful. Inside this kit would be:
My CV/resume
Performances lists
Headshots
Artist statements
Business cards
Personal letter
what else? What else should my kit hold that represents me and gives other a good picture of myself?
Issue 1 of the Underground Art School had an article with questions that build your artist statement. Questions like:
How & why is your work meaningful to you?
What is it that you like about what you make?
Do you do things differently from the way you were taught?
This statement is going to be a lot more important if I’m going to apply for grants or for work at festivals and such (The Merch Girl may have a gig at This Is Not Art as Stage Manager!). It’s pretty exciting to even consider such a statement, but I’m only just developing my work, and I don’t want to come up with something really academically dense like “Tiara extrapolates given assumptions about her heritage culture and synthesises it with modern dogma about society, commenting on the juxtaposition between the expected and the desired” when really what I want to say is “Tiara does things that are fun. This is one such thing.”.
I’ve contacted Autumn Heep – who worked with us at the Vagina Monologues – to help redo my resume for me. She has a thing going where she could retool and reformat your resume for you from $50 upwards. Hopefully I’ll be able to afford the $100 for a complete changeover! If I want a full-blown kit though, I may have to invest in more than just a resume change. But small things first.
Do you have your own specially designed CV, resume, media kit? What’s something tangible that you have available for others? What do you include in yours?
This past weekend I’ve been working at the Burlesque Ball as the resident Merch Girl:
There was every style of burlesque there – from graceful pink & purple electronica (Vivi Valentine) to Josephine Baker’s banana skirts (Kelly Ann Doll), French alcohol-laced cabaret (Lauren LaRouge) to a naughty Scarlett o’Harra (my Scoundrelles teacher Lena Marlene), and of course the Headline (Amber Ray from New York) and the Joker (the MC, Cameron ‘HotAugust’ Knight). All photos below by Darcy Papparazzi and Christine Bowley:
As an aside, can I say that I really LOVE this picture of Lena and Alyssa that Darcy took on the first night:
It absolutely shows just how much of a punk my burlesque teacher really is. Her corset that night (a friend’s) was one of the few which wasn’t black or red – it was all pastelly but had a SPIDER. And a black tutu. She spent both days running around rambling like a hyper madwoman, advocating for edgy grotesque rock burlesque, singing cheesy songs, and taking the blame for corrupting me. I <3 her.
As Merch Girl, I mainly sold Amber Ray’s flower fascinators – which are PRETTY!!! – and some programs. A few people thought the flowers were mine (I wish) and one person tried to buy my tickler! Amber was our headliner and she’s a fab lovely person – she gave me a few fascinators of my own as a thank-you :D You can get them at her Etsy store too.
[I’ve been asked to take down my personal review of the Ball for the time being. It wasn’t very in-depth; just a comparison of the two days since they were quite different. Essentially: up and down, very different atmosphere between the two, the show was awesome once I got to see it, performers = lovely, nice audience members are lovely but PLEASE be nice to your Merch Girl, thanks. a.k.a. if you’re disgruntled, yelling at her multiple times will not change her superpowers. It’ll just want to make her poke you with her tickler. But all the really lovely audience members and performers and people who came up to chat & supported me totally made up for the couple of goons.]
At one point in the Sunday show they had a fan-dancing competition. I got charged with nerve and energy and jumped up at the very last minute (after trying to find someone to manage the Merch booth for a few minutes). I don’t have a photo of me fan-dancing at the moment but if I find one I’ll post it here.
Anyway, just before my turn, I was announced by Cameron to the crowd as:
THEMERCHGIRL!!!!!
and the name stuck. Even Lena calls me that now. I think I just found my burlesque name.
I looked up “Merch Girl” on Google just to see if anyone else is using it as a stage name, and I was surprised to see that merch girls are something of a subcultural icon amongst indie/scene people. Sara & Tegan fans absolutely lovetheir Merch Girls, they have their own catchphrases and getting a Merch Goal is a goal on Guitar Hero . The only people I found who make Merch-Girling a trademark (and possibly an arts project) are Bam Bam and Vi who promote themselves as Merch Girls that do things “better and sexier”, and also run their own shows and make their own merch. They haven’t updated their website since 2004 though so I don’t know if they’re still around.
I could base an act/persona around The Merch Girl. She’s bubbly, friendly, gives you compliments, and takes care of your merchandise. She gives directions to those that are lost and holds your cloaks for you while you watch the show. She occasionally tries the merch on, puts on some music, and dances around (and over the counter). She wears multiple layers of red and black, including a tiara or a flower in her hair. She holds a tickler to poke people who annoy her, and she’s not afraid to speak up to rabble-rousers and jerks. She’s not pushy but is not shy either. She’s flamboyant and over-the-top, yet also approachable and down-to-earth.
She’s also practical and helpful with the actual merch-selling side of things. She sets up before the show, takes care of the merch, and packs up after. She is willing to be one of the last people to leave the venue and one of the first to arrive. She protects your merch from bubbles, booze, and bastards. She takes inventory and gives you reports on your earnings. She makes signs and arranges items to show them off in their best light. She stops thieves and freeloaders. She loves the merch, she loves the audience, she loves the show, she loves you.
The Merch Girl would work at performance events – burlesque, theatre, concerts, parties, openings, launches, festivals, and so on. The people at her shows are funky, alternative, label-busting, fun, friendly, kind, chatty, open, creative. She would go on tour and do double duty as a roadie, assistant, or stage manager. She wouldn’t be just a random staff member; she’d be a part of the show, adding to the atmosphere. She’s all about the experience – your experience.
To do this, I’ll need:
Some costumes – I’ve got a few pieces, though I gather that my costuming would depend on the event
Contacts for events that need a Merch Girl
Work on my Merch Girl persona – especially audience interaction and dealing with downtimes
I’d do it voluntarily at first, perhaps for smaller events and gigs. Sliding-scale according to how much they can afford me (up to $20/hour, which is a typical going rate for entry-level part-time jobs). Then for bigger events (e.g. corporates or mainstream big-name acts) I would charge a lot more – say $40 or $50/hour, more if it’s multiple days and longer hours. Expenses covered if I need to travel and/or live away from home, as well as to obtain any specialist costuming (though I’ll supply my main props).
I may have enough of a following that people would come to events just because I was there. I could have my own merch. I’d train other people in performance and customer service, making a merry band of Merchants and Merchettes – or Merch Guys and Merch Girls? It would be fun!
I’ve just read Seth Godin’sTribes, about building and leading groups passionate about a cause, idea, product, and so on. Being a Seth Godin book, it does mainly relate to marketing and commerce, but the concept also works for all sorts of situations that involve teamwork, collaboration, and support.
I have been semi-unofficially leading a tribe of young people (and supporters) who want to veer away from the Malaysian status quo in education and career development, through EducateDeviate . Just recently I was asked to promote and contribute to the totally awesome What’s After SPM? project, which collects stories of what young Malaysians can do after secondary (high) school. WOW. I wanted to do something similar but I’m so glad that there are other young people out there that are taking the reigns and leading their own tribes. I’ll get a story soon, and I’ve proposed a fund to support a young person with their own interesting post-school plan – just waiting to hear from the committee about it. This was the sort of thing I was hoping to see after forming EducateDeviate and I’m so glad it’s taking place.
Now that I’m moving along to a different focus – creative performance, with a hint of sexuality and taboo-busting – I’ve been mulling over building a tribe of my own to support my endeavour. As Chris Guillebeau describes, I’m trying to recruit my small army of remarkable people.
There are a couple of selfish reasons. One, there is a certain wish to be an Internet cool kid (though I’ve recently been reading Hipster Runoff and saw just how ridiculous the whole thing is) and get to do fun stuff without worrying about how I’d able to afford it. Which brings me to my second selfish reason – I’d like to get some support to fund my creative journey . I’ve had some people say that they’d be interested in paying for some exclusive content related to my circus journey.
There’s also a not-so-selfish but not-so-altruistic-either reason. I like to see my friends from different circumstances and contexts interact with each other and create great partnerships – whether in work, love, friendships, or anything else. Sometimes this happens without me being involved (for example, two people I know from very different circumstances got married to each other last year); sometimes it happens when these people meet in the same situation and forma partnership there or soon after. A good example: I live with Nicole Jensen and know her from college; I used to work with Sarah Moran in the QUT Student Guild and bump into each other on projects often. They met at my birthday party, then again at Edgeware’s business creation workshop, and got along awesomely. w00t!). I’d like more of that to happen – get together a group of people whom I admire and trust in their personalities, creative work, success, etc, and get them to inspire each other and create something interesting. Be friends.
The thing is, though, that the truly effective and powerful tribes and small armies are led ultimately by a common cause. Seth Godin’s version involves a product or service (just look at Apple) but a more common version involves an activist cause for change – civil rights, gay marriage, no smoking, etc etc. Something that people believe in, something that matters to the world.
In comparison, a tribe of People Who Think Tiara’s Awesome doesn’t have the same pull. It benefits no one except me (aside from the networking opportunity). Ultimately their support will go towards me being more creative – and then what? It’s not like I’m running a business or advocating for human rights or curing cancer. Heck, I don’t even have enough design chops to give advice like Nubby Twiglet. I’m just hoping to lead a life of creativity, passion, and fun – and inspire others to live their own lives with fire and zest.
I seek my legacy project. Something that lives on beyond my happy memories and warm feelings. Something that leaves an impact, creates a wave of happy memories and warm feelings and positive change. Something that saves a young girl from despair or a just-grown-up guy from boredom. Little things turn into big things.
Can my life be a legacy project? How would I do so? How would I live a life that is inspirational, creative, life-affirming not just to me but to others that support me?
I would like to build a Bat Colony:
A group of interesting, fascinating, somewhat off-beat people whom I respect and who support me. Independent on their own things, but also social, happy to interact with each other to share ideas, find resources, feast on sweet fruit. Carry each other’s babies when the other needs help. Be eager to journey into the darkness using alternative senses.
I’ve already thought of a few people I’d like to invite to this bat colony. Nikki.Mark.Spidey.Kakak.Megan.Sarah.Lena.HannahHavi.Pace and Kyeli.LeonieBritt.Darren.Richard. (ok, the last two’s a bit of a longshot.) Some other people, famous, not famous, friends, acquaintances, muses, whoever – people I’d love to have in my bat colony, whether as core members or as visitors on the edge.
I’d love to welcome others who are interested in joining me. In supporting a vision unfurled slowly through each night of dreaming, dancing, playing, exploring. In sharing their selves with each other. In providing some sort of material, financial, emotional, mental, creative support for me and for each other. To hunt for and delight in strange fruit.
What would you like in this Bat Colony? What would compel you to join this Colony? What would make it worth your while, especially when it comes to payments and in-kind support? What would chase you away from the Colony? What would you need from us, from me? What ca:n you give?
I’ve been trying to come up with a few ways to earn enough income to thrive for the next 18 months or so in Brisbane. I would like to earn enough to:
Pay for expenses – rent, food, health, transport, phone, etc
Take workshops and classes that interest me and help me grow
Build a performance outfit kit – clothes, accessories, makeup
Buy media for creative inspiration (albums, magazines, etc)
Travel to different events and places (for creative work, other work, holiday, etc)
Treat friends and loved ones to presents
Attend interesting and fun events
Not have to worry about where the next dime’s coming from
Pamper myself once in a while
Here are some ideas I’m mulling over (plus some from the Twitter #ideaparty hosted by Barbara Sher):
1. Get a (part-time or full-time) job Pros: Stability, get to spend my time purposefully, generally good income Cons: Job market difficult to break into, may clash with timetables for training, I have this big gap between March and July to get my temporary visa and attend sister’s wedding – I don’t know if I’ll get enough leave, may not hire me due to visa issues
2. Run the 1000 True Fans business I was mulling about Pros: Can do it anywhere, targeting creatives so will be able to build networks, relatively lighter and flexible work Cons: Only vague ideas on how to start & run a business legally and productively, might get tired of it after a while, takes a while to find new customers
3. Get bailed out by parents Pros: Usual method, they’re often there, they have more money than I do Cons: I don’t want to depend on my parents, they’re not so keen on what I’m doing, parents retiring and I don’t want to be a leech
4. Create a pay-only subsite of TiaraShafiq.com Pros: Build my own Seth Godin-esque tribe, get some income, don’t have to do tons of work, build on current experience Cons: What would people want in a subsite? Value for money, egocentricness
5. Consult young people on what to do after their high school years Pros: Years of experience in doing just that for free, fun and good job, some young people ask me this already Cons: The people who most need this service aren’t able to pay or afford what I need!
6. Work freelance as a writer, performer, director, events, etc Pros: Flexibility, access to various projects and networks, good fun Cons: Hard to find legit decent job
7. Live off trainee pay for circus training Pros: Already something I’m doing, not very complicated Cons: Definitely not enough to pay the rent!
8. Entertain at kids’ parties (as a fairie?) Pros: Cute fun, I have a Blue Card, like pretending Cons: Where do I start? Not much skill to share (magic, clowning, etc).
9. Sell all my stuff Pros: Money comes in, junk comes out Cons: When are we going to hold a garage sale? How to price things properly.
I probably have more ideas in my head, but it’s 10:52pm and my brain’s getting tired. What about you?
I meant to write such an ad, but never got round to it. (I also lost out on being a copywriter! damn laziness.) But Havi wants us to give it a go , so here’s my go!
Are you awesome? I want you.
Creative, cosmopolitan, energetic, silly, random, earnest young woman with a love for shimmy sparklies and a desire to make people happy, looking for all forms of awesome.
You are highly creative, open to experimentation, and have a silly, witty, clever sense of humour. You do not take things too seriously nor too lightly. You are affectionate, loving, and always great with cuddles. You look at opportunities and go “Why not?” instead of “Why?”. You’re accepting, diverse, magical, and can make me feel excited, inspired, and engaged. Ooh!
I am a complete ham who loves prancing about and trying new things. I get distracted by the shiny but can also spend ages on something meaty. I work for the greater good but am working on not sacrificing myself so much. I’m a hugmonster and cuddleslut. I like to explore new worlds, live with the locals, and spend hours on filling dinners chatting about ideas for a new world. I have a book obsession and can often be found in my second home on the Internet.
We will balance on top of each other and practice handstands till I can hold a pose for longer than a second. We will dress up in black and red and sequins and struff our stuff at burlesque balls. We will commune with artists and break the bread of inspiration. We will launch other people’s feathered dreams. We will collectively build an island of Awesome, surrounded by seas of nourishments and relaxing beaches where we consecrate our magic tools for the Goddess.
Anyone or anything – people, experiences, jobs, media, spirit – welcome to apply. Totally looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Maybe I should make a page called the Hall of Awesome, where I can link and profile my Awesome Crew and showcase examples of Awesome. How about Tiara’s NING Network of Awesome? Would you join?
I actually have a few ideas related to making visas less sucky, but let’s deal with them one at a time.
So I’m a young person, and I wish to go overseas for a while. Let’s say I want to go to San Francisco to check out life there. I’ve heard quite a few good things about it, it seems like my kind of place, and I’ve only been in the airport so it’ll be a new experience. (This is true, BTW; I’d like to hang out in San Francisco one day if given the chance. I nearly got to, for university exchange, but that fell apart on me unexpectedly.) I don’t have any set plans; I’d like to make them us as I go.
As I am a young person from a developing country, I don’t exactly have gobs of money. I am supported mainly by my parents, am currently seeking jobs/business ideas, and am mainly in transition. I do have a degree, which is broad and interdisciplinary by nature; I also have lots of experience in diverse but related areas. Oh, and I hold a passport from an area known for illegal immigration.
Traditionally all those factors would count against me. No money, no strict itinerary, nothing tying me down to where I am at the moment. I can’t even get a letter saying I’m from XYZ University and I’ll still be a student there when I return, because I’ve already graduated. I don’t fit a specific skill. And my passport country’s reputation precedes me.
Let’s reframe my experience with the US Embassy here:
I go to the US Embassy and I’m greeted cordially by the staff, made up of a mix of people from around the world, locally and otherwise, with experience of American culture. I head towards the Youth area, where there are the latest youth media (mainstream and indie), computers with free Web access, lounges and sofas, water coolers, American candies and fruit. (mmm candy corn) There are posters around the place with descriptions of cool things young people can do in the US, as well as stacks of flyers and brochures for festivals, classes, schools, whatever. On one side is a noticeboard with clippings from Americans and locals (Apartment for Rent! Petsitter Needed! Be my travel buddy!).
A peer consulate person, roughly around my age, dressed smart casual comes up to me and introduces herself. Her name is Annie, she’s American, has travelled the world as a backpacker, and uses her consul job to meet even more people overseas. She chats to me about what I like, who I am, what I’d like to do in the US.
Annie writes down all her details, and brings me to the flyer section, pulling out a few things about San Francisco. She tells me about an alternative media symposium happening in the next few months, about the organisation that runs the yearly Gay Parade and how they need volunteers. A social change startup has set up base in San Francisco and needs employees – Annie could arrange an interview. We build a file of possible leads, and leave with more information and follow-up tasks.
The interview with the startup goes well; the Gay Parade organisers sends me an email after an introduction from Annie. Annie emails me some information on places for rent – would I like to live in a university dorm and take classes? We keep in touch, discussing options for raising money and building my life in San Francisco.
I get the job at the startup – a role I get to define myself. The US Government supports the costs of them sponsoring my entry. I receive a US$2000 start-up grant, given by all Youth Support Visa grantees. to establish myself in San Francisco. Partners such as Virgin America and T-Mobile provide me with discounts and special offers for my arrival.
I am given a quick Youth Support Visa. It states that I am there to support and experience American culture. I may not have a lot to offer financially, but I have spirit and energy and I am willing to build bridges between cultures. My Bangladesh passport is not a barrier. The process is collaborative, easy, and engaging. I feel welcome before I even arrive at San Francisco.
After a long airline ride (predated by more communication with Annie and contact with offices in San Francisco) I go through the special Youth Support Visa line and receive a warm welcome from immigration. No glares, no sneers; all smiles. I am welcomed by a young man, Ricky, with flaming red hair and enthusiasm to match. He brings me in his van to my room – in a simple apartment just off the city centre – and explains the facilities his office provides. There are support networks, advice, job listings, social activities, legal assistance, permanent migration assistance…all sorts of things. If I’m in trouble, if I’m homesick, if I want to chat, Ricky and his team (including Annie from home) are available.
I hang out with local San Fran residents and with other Youth Support Visas. One’s here on a research jaunt into pollution in different American states; one’s here on holiday after high school; a couple are here to stake out the place for possible permanent migration. We get involved in the local community and get to chat with the Mayor. We keep in touch with our home countries, and help build a link between the two.
None of us are particularly exceptional; we all have different interests and reasons for being in the US. But we are considered valuable, an asset into building global connections through travel and community participation. We don’t have to worry about being deported or detained. Our presence is welcomed, no matter who we are or where we come from.
A few years later I receive an opportunity to live with a family that owns a Buddhist temple in Murou. The Japan consulate in San Francisco greets me with open arms, and a young man named Hiro helps me sort out my jaunt in Murou, organising language lessons and guiding me through Japanese culture. I get another Youth Support Visa, another grant (Y150000), another great journey.
There are non-governmental organisations that do similar things – British Council deals with all things UK (especially for young people) and IDP Education works with higher education in Australia. However, none of them directly work with Government and their Migration/Immigration visas. None of them have a direct effect on visa approval (not that I know of anyway). They don’t actually issue visas.
Supporting young people (who are often keen travellers and explorers) will go a long way into encouraging integration, diversity, and smooth international relations. Welcoming them as part of the community would integrate people more than isolating them and decrying them from not joining in. We give what we can, and they help us use our skills and gifts for everyone’s benefit.
DUDE. I’ve been wondering why there isn’t a “pet rental” service for a while – for people like me who love pets but can’t keep one for various reasons. This is like a dream come true.
This is the most awesome thing I’ve seen this week. By far.
One major purpose for this blog is to post various ideas for ventures, services, and so on that I come up with from time to time. I love coming up with ideas; they’re usually of the “I wish someone would do this” or the “Wouldn’t it be cool if” mentalities, but if anyone wants to do something with these ideas, go ahead!
This idea was originally for an Entrepreneurship and Innovation uni project (which I later dropped in favour of something else). The project was to develop a business plan for a hypothetical business. The project, and its name, was inspired by Kevin Kelly’s essay on 1000 True Fans where he proposes that artists and creative folk work on building the core group of fans that will support them no matter what, and to concentrate their efforts on those fans.
Most creative people I know love their creative work, but they find all the other aspects of it rather draining. Invoices, bills, gallery bookings, marketing, PR, website updates, etc etc. They’d rather spend their time and effort on their actual art. However, without doing the work to maintain their fanbase and business, they won’t be able to survive.
Most mainstream artists have teams of people that do the extra work for them – publicists, agents, PAs, labels, etc. But what about people outside the mainstream? Indie artists? They may not be able to afford such assistance, and even if they did, they may be turned off by the commercial veneer such things tend to have.
1000 True Fans aims to provide various services to smaller-scale creatives, helping them with the logistical issues – the “dirty work” – while they concentrate on their art. Among the services provided include:
Updating websites and managing their social networking profiles
Communicating with fans, dealing with fanmail
Preparing and sending out invoices and receipts
Dealing with bills and other finances
Work on marketing/promotions/PR – researching ideal media outlets (emphasis on indie/street/small-scale), sending out media releases, organising interviews/activities
Researching good deals for art costs (materials for costumes, makeup artists, guitar tuning, whatever the artist needs essentially)
Taking care of artist’s personal needs – booking health appointments, giving them holidays, referring them to therapists/counsellors
Researching what’s happening in their scene, passing on relevant information, building a database of knowledge based on their work
Collecting media references, getting testimonials/reviews
Connecting them with other artists/creatives, promoters, festival hosts, etc
Building a database of volunteer opportunities
Doing small errands, concierge-like work
Managing riders
so part PA, part manager, part publicist.
The people involved with 1000 True Fans appreciate and honour the philosophies of the creatives – DIY, indie, earnestness, free culture, whatever it may be. The services provided are personable, personalised, honest, and direct. The team members are regarded as part of the creative’s “crew”, and work on building good relationships between the creatives and their fans.
I got stuck on ways to monetise this, since the 1000 True Fans idea was aimed at creatives that don’t necessarily make a whole lot of money. I discussed my idea with Megan Elizabeth Morris , who is brainstorming on something similar (a “people network”) and some of her ideas include:
Targeting artists who currently have day jobs
Working with banks to get combo loans
Tiered services – by level
Motivating artists to eventually take change of their own business
If you’re a small-scale creative, would you go for this? What would motivate you? How much are you willing to pay?
I did a spreadsheet survey about this; if you’re interested in reading the responses, let me know.
Jim Munroe has been pretty busy working within the DIY scenes in Portland - he's published books, comics, even his own movies. He also provides all sorts of resources for those wanting to publish the indie way, with guides on indie publishing and indie movie-making, as well as essays on zine culture and events, non-profit counterculture shops, and a ton of other issues. My favourite thing from him is Time Management for Anarchists, an awesome guide to getting your act together that doesn't sound like every other personal development blog's 10 Ten List.
I found Bridgett while looking for other Tumblrs tagged "dance" and we now have a creative friendship full of reblogging interesting shows and workshops to each other. I've learnt a lot about bellydance, performance work, and being a professional both literally and in character in the arts. She is so full of passion - she obviously loves what she does and loves sharing it with the world.
Natalie designed my non-performer-self website for me - and then a few months later she became a fabulous fancy lady getting fame (and fortune?) for her gorgeous illustrations, great sense of design, and crazy satirical sense of humour. She's recently been a very vocal & influential advocate for Fat Acceptance and Health At Every Size as well as the movement against Australian Internet censorship. She's even something of a Twitter celebrity - the Brisbane #btub crowd affectionately consider her and her husband the Posh and Becks of Brisbane.
I was shocked to discover today that Autostraddle was less than a year old. What?! They are tons more professional and entertaining than many "pro" blogs that have been running for years - and the design's top notch too! It's a pop culture webzine geared towards lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, but there's something in it for everything - from insightful commentary on the hidden dangers of the lawlessness of gay marriages, to good-natured perving at Hollywood actresses that play gay characters (or should).
The Bakery, run by Jaime of Design Milk and Erin of Design for Mankind, provides consulting to creative businesses - from getting a business plan up and going to promoting yourselves. It was from consulting with them that I got this blog set up and running while I developed my site.
Danielle LaPorte writes some great inspirational posts on rocking your creative self, especially if you're entrepreneurially minded. I like that she can empathise with those of us who don't fit the norm, and - like The Bakery and Jim Munroe - can talk about creative businesses without being all "suit"-y about it!
kSea has pretty much single-handedly managed this magazine (from when it was known as Big Top) to share his passion for circus, steampunk, and carnival culture. I'm a new reader, but I can appreciate the effort and passion he goes into documenting his subculture. The CultureFlux rebranding is very recent and I'd love to see what he has up his sleeves for 2010.
Chris Guillebeau travels the world while living off the knowledge he shares with his readers - creating a sustainable online business, using frequent flyer miles effectively, dealing with money as an artist. What I love more about his work is his open, welcoming eyes to international cultures, and his pragmatic wisdom. He is very intelligent, friendly, and has given opportunities for other people to live their dreams and express themselves. Out of all the "location independence"/"lifestyle design" blogs proliferating the Internet, I think his is most earnest and sincere, and is definitely my favourite.
As you can tell, I enjoy blogs about business and project management that don't sound like typical blogs about business or project management. KPIs, asset management, quality processing...not my bag. Tara Joyce's blog deals with entrepreneurship from within - creating a business that you are personally passionate about and running it by your own principles. She's also lovely and friendly, and will give a listening ear to anyone in need of some encouragement.
OK, I'm biased - Mithi's my older sister. She's finishing up her BA in Illustration, and over the past few years she's built up an eclectic portfolio of all sorts of art. It's interesting seeing her evolve; she didn't use to be confident with drawing people, and now she draws these really cute illustrations of kids and animals and people playing music & dancing.
If you're into fashion or food blogging, and you haven't heard of Luxirare, where have you been?!? She may have way too much time on her hands, but man she makes the best of it.
The Lady of the Manners's really entertaining. Her credo is that being Goth doesn't have to mean being surly and rude, and her blog is full of in-depth advice about fashion, dealing with people, and even random questions like "Is Lady Gaga Goth?" (Answer: no.) She's even got a book out - a great present for the baby bats in your life.
Megan M. is something of a multitasking powerhorse. She sings, she manages projects, she writes - and, with Ideaschema (and That Idea Blueprint Girl before that), she comes up with stacks of ideas for whatever project or dilemma you have. Right now she's selling her Idea Catalyst kit - tons of pages and audio of practical ways to come up with and implement her ideas. She's even got free ideas for random things on her blog too, if you'd like a preview.
Amelia Arsenic has a wild, crazy sense of style - macabre punk goth glam futuristic rock & roll. She's committed to her style and provides lots of tips and guides on how she achieves it - from fashion stylings to mood boards to makeup tutorials. She was on hiatus for much of 2009, but she's back and I'm greatly looking forward to seeing what other creativity she has up her sleeve.
