Announcing Learning Pathways
We’ve been thinking a lot about self-guided learning this year. So many projects, ways of working, and ways of interacting have been disrupted, and we’ve been reflecting about how all our programs can adapt to fit this moment—from Artist Producer Training to ArtistProducerResource.com. Maybe your learning is less centred around current producing projects right now, and more driven by specific topics you’re seeking to know more about. Maybe you’re at home, underemployed and overwhelmed, and wondering about skills you have in the arts that might be transferable to another field, or another role within the sector. We want to help you fill in those gaps, pursue lines of inquiry, and spark your curiosity!
This is the first of a series of self-guided Learning Pathways we’ve put together, just for you.
These pathways are comprised of ArtistProducerResource.com pages, YouTube videos, templates, infographics, and other fun things to deepen your knowledge and understanding of a particular theme.
Personal Organization + Business Management
We are kicking off 2021 with our first Learning Pathway: Personal Organization and Business Management, created by me, Keshia Palm—Online Content Producer for ArtistProducerResource.com.
This pathway takes you through Personal Finance and Planning, Information Management, Websites, and a Contracts Overview on ArtistProducerResource.com, with some YouTube videos and downloadable templates for you to make your own. The total read/watch time is approximately 2.5 hours.
I recommend starting with the Rags to Reasonable video series Finding Your Financial Footing in the Middle of the Pandemic from our Personal Finances playlist on YouTube. The video starts with a breathing exercise, and acknowledges that money/our relationship to money is emotional.
Next, head to the Personal Finance & Planning page on ArtistProducerResource.com. You’ll find info to help better understand and stabilize your monthly budget on a variable income. The page includes a downloadable Budget Planning template that you can start plugging into right away—a particularly good “January” activity.
Reading time: 20 min
It would make me very happy if 2021 was the year artist producers everywhere made themselves a perfect, personalized, invoice template.
Head to our Contracts Overview page to buff up your Contracts skills so that you are ready to negotiate the terms of your next project, and download our basic invoice template to transform into your own masterpiece.
Reading time: 17 min
I’ve included Websites, because creating a professional website is a great opportunity to think about your artistic practice, and how to express yourself and your brand to the world—another juicy project for these slow, dark winter months. (You can also check out the ArtistProducerResource page on Artist Statements for some inspiration and guidance on how to talk about your work.)
Reading time: 28 min
Information Management is one of my favourite pages on ArtistProducerResource.com. It covers so many different areas of information management; from setting communication boundaries at work to explaining Gmail labels.
My favourite information management tool is definitely labeling and archiving emails—there’s a great YouTube video from Google Workplace that walks you through how to set it up.
Reading time: 20 minutes
I highly recommend you set aside some time to actually apply some of the information management strategies right away—give yourself an afternoon to rename and file all the stuff in your Downloads folder, or label and archive your Inbox! Trust me, it’s worth it.
If you’re eager for some further learning, check out From Rags to Reasonable. They have a wealth of resources, workshops and services available to help you manage your money, including a whole DIY Tools page.
You could also play the Funding Your Dreams with Leah-Simone Bowen video by Nia Centre for the Arts in the background while you clean up your inbox or plug in your finances to the planning template for some inspiration and insight. It’s an hour and a half of good advice—great background noise for those zen cleaning moments.
About ArtistProducerResource.com
ArtistProducerResource.com is a free, searchable online encyclopedia of information, resources, tools, and templates for producing independent performance work in Canada, currently with a focus on Toronto. Launched in November 2017, it has since been visited by over 10,000 users, transforming the way artists producers access information and share knowledge across Canada. ArtistProduceResource.com is free to access and always will be. You can become a supporter by subscribing to our Patreon—we’ll send you a monthly newsletter with highlights, features, and all the newest content on the site. Got a suggestion for ArtistProducerResource.com? Send it to us here.
