So, you're ready to take on the big bad world of selling your art to consumers who are desperate to hire you and bring fortune to your door! Congratulations! Now, on to the first order of business...how do you begin?
Figuring out how much to charge, how to haggle for the best possible price, and get what you are worth is a struggle for independent artists. We are not usually the money types. Often, we are not the most organized of people, and let's face it, pimping yourself out is uncomfortable even if the exchange is storytelling for money instead of sex.
I cannot claim to be the expert on this, but what I can do is share some of the things Dave and I have done over the years. At this point, it is only Dave, I don't engage in the haggling part anymore, but he uses a similar strategy to the one I employed back in the day when I was doing the selling part as well as making the art.
1) Come up with a fee schedule that makes you happy. i.e. One forty-five minute show will cost 300.00. Two 45 minute shows at the same school back to back will cost 475.00. Three shows at the same school in the same day will cost 750.00. If the shows have a break between them of an hour or more, there is an extra 50.00 charge. If two schools go in together, there will be a 50.00 discount for both schools. (You get the idea, make a fee schedule)
2) Come up with a bottom line. This is not something you plan to share with clients, but you have to know what the bottom is, or you'll end up taking shows you don't want that pay what you feel is not right, in situations that make you furious. What is the least amount you will accept....determine what it is and DO NOT GO BELOW IT!
3) When speaking to a potential customer, some want to know your fee schedule. Give it to them if they want something standard. If they ask for something that is not standard, i.e. 'Could you design a show around this Argentinian Mask that is on our website?' then do not offer to do this for the standard fee. Anytime they start asking for something special, decide what kind of work that is and what you would be happy charging. START with the standard fee and then go up from there.
4) If the customer talks a blue streak about what they want - before you start sending contracts or agreeing to a date, talk turkey about the price.
5) Make sure you have different pricing systems for different venues. What you charge the local church might be different than what you charge a small library which might be different from what you might charge the University of Southern California.
6) If an organization wants to hire you and they are asking for more than you would normally do, before you agree to any of it, ask them what sort of budget they have. They may tell you, or they might counter by asking what you charge. Be flexible if you want to do the work, but also want to make sure you are compensated.
7) Be flexible. Never give your potential client your bottom line. Build in a healthy cushion so that if they cannot match your best price, they might be able to find some common ground with you somewhere. Just as you do not wish to go below your bottom price, they are hoping not to have to pay their top price. Negotiations are important. Swallow your embarrassment and pride and just go for it.
8) The question I always get is what is the best price to charge. The answer, as always, is up to you. Charge what you think is best. There is most likely a top or bottom for you in this business. If you start getting people complaining about how high your prices are, find out what they are wanting to pay. IF they attempt to tell you that one hundred dollars is more than plenty, then they are clearly not looking for a professional storyteller. There are far too many people in our business who do not charge a reasonable fee schedule. They make it hard for some folks to work because the buyers believe they should be paying less because that is what they are used to. People get what they pay for. Stick to your guns and press for both the recognition and compensation.
9) Now that you have a strong bottom line, come up with a pie in the sky top line...got it? If you have anything under five zeroes, you are not dreaming big enough. Okay, now, come up with a reasonable top line. It should be within at least two hundred dollars of your bottom line, but three to five doesn't hurt. Always start at the reasonable top of your fee schedule when you can, and go down only if you have to. Take no prisoners and give ground only when absolutely necessary.
Storytellers, like every other artist, have financial responsibilities. We need to pay mortgages, car notes, dental bills, you name it. We have to be compensated for what we do. Negotiating the fee is not the most fun thing in the world, but it is a necessary one. Sit down, figure out what you want to charge. Figure out what you feel is your strongest bottom line and start negotiations with your top price. Instead of the fear of approaching the money, consider the fact that you are worth every penny and more. In fact, consider that you are worth your pie in the sky number, after that, if they are paying less than that, they are getting an uber bargain.
Money is a touchy subject in our society unless you've got gobs of it. Few of us have gobs of it. Let's do what we can to make sure that we have enough to continue doing what we love.
Good Luck
Happy Telling.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The Men of Kent Street - Working Title for my latest writing project
The current spate of voting rights legislation sent my mother into a meltdown. Every time she speaks to me about it, she gets agitated and starts telling me things she's never brought up before. I have no idea if she had forgotten the things she was telling me until the latest news about voter suppression started happening, or if she just chose not to tell me things she found disturbing. Either way, lots of stories have started percolating out of her.
I've always known some of the stories that shaped her life. She told me about the time she and her grandmother were on a bus and the 'white's only' section got full, and the bus driver moved the black section to the back of the bus and she and my great grandmother were forced to get up and move. She was little, but she's always felt embarrassed by that event. So much so that she has never, in her 67 years on this planet, ever gotten onto another city bus.
I've also known stories about the discrimination she had to deal with living in segregated Texas in the 50's and 60's. What i didn't know about was the voter suppression tactics practiced throughout the community.
When North Carolina, the state where I reside, began scaling back access to blocks of voters that would most likely vote for Democrats, my mother was furious. She called me to demand an answer to how any of this was in the least bit Constitutional. She talked about watching her grandparents scrape together the money for poll taxes. She told me about something they called 'white riots' where white men would ride through the black neighborhoods breaking windows, burning crosses, going into people's house and stealing their food, putting holes in their walls, killing their chickens and doing other bouts of damage to intimidate blacks so they wouldn't register to vote. People were beaten and all manner of violence was an ever present threat during these times. These 'white riots' had another purpose. Blacks had to choose between paying the poll tax, or use the money to fix your home and replace food and clothing that had been stolen or destroyed. It also kept the black population in a perpetual state of privation, their properties in a state of dilapidation, and promoted a sense of despair.
The more I heard about the events of her childhood surrounding voting, and the more I spoke to my uncle, the more amazing I found the parallels between some of the things going on today and some of the things that happened in the 50's to discourage black voting.
I decided I needed to try to tell this story.
I've spent the last three months neck deep in the characters, personality, and perceptions of the world of Beaumont, Texas in 1954. When I'm not writing on the project, I'm thinking about it or contemplating how best to capture the feel of the place. I've google mapped the entire area of the book and spent an hour virtually walking through the four blocks in which this story takes place. I've gone by the site where my great grandparents used to live and stood in front of the lot that is now empty, remembering my own visits there when I was a child and the house was still standing.
Last night I finally finished my first draft. Now, the editing. I will be asking a few of my friends to give me a first reading over the next couple of weeks. My hope is to get the book to some agents by October of this year.
My writing energy has been poured into this project more than anything else this summer, and I expect it will continue to be so for the next few weeks.
Getting lost in a writing project is a lovely thing to do. I'm glad to be here, but I will be happy when I can leave this world which has as many loving moments in it as horrifyingly dark ones, and go get lost in some other place. Preferably one that has lots of actual dragons instead of the much more terrifying human ones.
Be Well and Happy Writing
I've always known some of the stories that shaped her life. She told me about the time she and her grandmother were on a bus and the 'white's only' section got full, and the bus driver moved the black section to the back of the bus and she and my great grandmother were forced to get up and move. She was little, but she's always felt embarrassed by that event. So much so that she has never, in her 67 years on this planet, ever gotten onto another city bus.
I've also known stories about the discrimination she had to deal with living in segregated Texas in the 50's and 60's. What i didn't know about was the voter suppression tactics practiced throughout the community.
When North Carolina, the state where I reside, began scaling back access to blocks of voters that would most likely vote for Democrats, my mother was furious. She called me to demand an answer to how any of this was in the least bit Constitutional. She talked about watching her grandparents scrape together the money for poll taxes. She told me about something they called 'white riots' where white men would ride through the black neighborhoods breaking windows, burning crosses, going into people's house and stealing their food, putting holes in their walls, killing their chickens and doing other bouts of damage to intimidate blacks so they wouldn't register to vote. People were beaten and all manner of violence was an ever present threat during these times. These 'white riots' had another purpose. Blacks had to choose between paying the poll tax, or use the money to fix your home and replace food and clothing that had been stolen or destroyed. It also kept the black population in a perpetual state of privation, their properties in a state of dilapidation, and promoted a sense of despair.
The more I heard about the events of her childhood surrounding voting, and the more I spoke to my uncle, the more amazing I found the parallels between some of the things going on today and some of the things that happened in the 50's to discourage black voting.
I decided I needed to try to tell this story.
I've spent the last three months neck deep in the characters, personality, and perceptions of the world of Beaumont, Texas in 1954. When I'm not writing on the project, I'm thinking about it or contemplating how best to capture the feel of the place. I've google mapped the entire area of the book and spent an hour virtually walking through the four blocks in which this story takes place. I've gone by the site where my great grandparents used to live and stood in front of the lot that is now empty, remembering my own visits there when I was a child and the house was still standing.
Last night I finally finished my first draft. Now, the editing. I will be asking a few of my friends to give me a first reading over the next couple of weeks. My hope is to get the book to some agents by October of this year.
My writing energy has been poured into this project more than anything else this summer, and I expect it will continue to be so for the next few weeks.
Getting lost in a writing project is a lovely thing to do. I'm glad to be here, but I will be happy when I can leave this world which has as many loving moments in it as horrifyingly dark ones, and go get lost in some other place. Preferably one that has lots of actual dragons instead of the much more terrifying human ones.
Be Well and Happy Writing
Thursday, August 22, 2013
the stories we tell
Recently I was at the Kennedy Center participating in an arts integration workshop. I had a wonderful time there, but the most interesting events happened over lunch. We sat at huge circular tables and got into the art, culture and importance of what we were all doing. This led to several heated discussions about race, religion and education. I don't mind heated discussions, in fact, I enjoy them as long as everyone is being respectful.
At one point, I was talking to a wonderful photographer about primary documents. I was explaining that since he uses the Preamble of the United States Constitution as the jumping off point for one of his arts activities he could check off the 'primary sources' box when looking at common core national standards for high school students. I said, "I mean, honestly, you don't get much more primary document than the Constitution."
He said, "What about the Bible?"
I said, "Don't ever tell a storyteller that the Bible is a primary document." (Well, actually, you can tell a storyteller that, but if you do, that's a good way to spend the next hour hearing versions of stories that predate the Bible.)
At which point he said, "Yes, but none of those other sources are true."
I said, "That depends entirely on who you ask. How we move through the world, the way we treat people and what we do is dependent entirely on the stories we believe."
"So," he says, "you're saying the Bible isn't true?"
I responded, "I don't think what people believe has any bearing on what is true. I didn't say we base our lives on true stories, just on the ones we choose to believe. We fight and die for the stories we believe whether or not they are true."
This conversation sparked a whole set of side discussions about perceptions of race. We talked about the house slaves vs the field slaves and the 'paper bag test' in the African American community. We learned about the troubles Muslims face not only in America but in their own countries from an immigrant, talked about how the Daughters of the Confederacy spent a generation redefining the Civil War so that it was no longer about slavery, but about the amorphous claim of 'state's rights'! We discussed the stories in Nazi German that led to Kristallnacht, and the stories that led to the ridiculous cries of 'Obamaphone' and 'Death Panels' and 'welfare recipients using their money to go on lavish vacations' and the rest of the claptrap that bogs us down as a society and prevents us from going forward. We talked about the 'resettlement' of Native Americans and the damage done to our young people over generations by close minded, terrified, bigoted, powerful people. We discussed how art can transform these conversations into something positive. We discussed how giving people new hope and new stories to challenge the decrepit ones of the past was something we needed to do.
Then, a couple of days ago I turned on my computer to the horrifying news that there was a gunman shooting up an elementary school in Georgia. My heart constricted. I found myself hoping against hope that this was not going to be another round of horror where parents were burying tens of children, and families were going to be growing up without mothers and fathers. Well, it turned out, that prayers, hopes and dreams all over the country were answered. What saved them? Stories.
Antoinette Tuff was in the office when that young man came in ready to kill and then be killed. She talked him down with stories. She told him the stories of her own life and anything she could think to tell him. She let the stories of their lives bind them together, and he got to see the world a little differently because she was sitting there. Because of their shared story, he didn't use the 500 rounds of ammunition he'd brought with him. Because of their shared story, nobody had to die that morning in school. Because of their shared story, no police officer was put in danger. Because of their shared story, she survived.
I am not a naive person who believes that if we just tell stories, everything will be better, but what has always astonished me are the people who believe that their understanding of the world is the only possible 'true' one; their needs are the only ones that count or matter, and their perception is universal. Being able to reach another person, speak to them, understand them, and hear them is a powerful tool. It is more powerful that weapons, because all weapons can do is destroy or cause fear, while stories can build and show us the way to belong. They are more powerful than violence because all violence can do is break, while stories can build. They are more powerful than hatred, because stories can build bridges across misunderstanding. of course, the opposite is true as well. You can use stories to cause hatred, build walls and keep people apart. If you do that, then the thing you must always fear is that your stories will encounter other stories. When the other stories make themselves known, they will begin to erode the basis for the fear, and many times the thing you built will come crashing down around you. This is why repressive regimes so fear the internet. Information and differing perspectives are dangerous to anyone who has been manipulating a story for their own benefit.
I have always believed that human beings are the sum total of the stories that they believe, but perhaps I have been too limiting. We are also the product of the stories we share.
Be Well and Happy Telling
At one point, I was talking to a wonderful photographer about primary documents. I was explaining that since he uses the Preamble of the United States Constitution as the jumping off point for one of his arts activities he could check off the 'primary sources' box when looking at common core national standards for high school students. I said, "I mean, honestly, you don't get much more primary document than the Constitution."
He said, "What about the Bible?"
I said, "Don't ever tell a storyteller that the Bible is a primary document." (Well, actually, you can tell a storyteller that, but if you do, that's a good way to spend the next hour hearing versions of stories that predate the Bible.)
At which point he said, "Yes, but none of those other sources are true."
I said, "That depends entirely on who you ask. How we move through the world, the way we treat people and what we do is dependent entirely on the stories we believe."
"So," he says, "you're saying the Bible isn't true?"
I responded, "I don't think what people believe has any bearing on what is true. I didn't say we base our lives on true stories, just on the ones we choose to believe. We fight and die for the stories we believe whether or not they are true."
This conversation sparked a whole set of side discussions about perceptions of race. We talked about the house slaves vs the field slaves and the 'paper bag test' in the African American community. We learned about the troubles Muslims face not only in America but in their own countries from an immigrant, talked about how the Daughters of the Confederacy spent a generation redefining the Civil War so that it was no longer about slavery, but about the amorphous claim of 'state's rights'! We discussed the stories in Nazi German that led to Kristallnacht, and the stories that led to the ridiculous cries of 'Obamaphone' and 'Death Panels' and 'welfare recipients using their money to go on lavish vacations' and the rest of the claptrap that bogs us down as a society and prevents us from going forward. We talked about the 'resettlement' of Native Americans and the damage done to our young people over generations by close minded, terrified, bigoted, powerful people. We discussed how art can transform these conversations into something positive. We discussed how giving people new hope and new stories to challenge the decrepit ones of the past was something we needed to do.
Then, a couple of days ago I turned on my computer to the horrifying news that there was a gunman shooting up an elementary school in Georgia. My heart constricted. I found myself hoping against hope that this was not going to be another round of horror where parents were burying tens of children, and families were going to be growing up without mothers and fathers. Well, it turned out, that prayers, hopes and dreams all over the country were answered. What saved them? Stories.
Antoinette Tuff was in the office when that young man came in ready to kill and then be killed. She talked him down with stories. She told him the stories of her own life and anything she could think to tell him. She let the stories of their lives bind them together, and he got to see the world a little differently because she was sitting there. Because of their shared story, he didn't use the 500 rounds of ammunition he'd brought with him. Because of their shared story, nobody had to die that morning in school. Because of their shared story, no police officer was put in danger. Because of their shared story, she survived.
I am not a naive person who believes that if we just tell stories, everything will be better, but what has always astonished me are the people who believe that their understanding of the world is the only possible 'true' one; their needs are the only ones that count or matter, and their perception is universal. Being able to reach another person, speak to them, understand them, and hear them is a powerful tool. It is more powerful that weapons, because all weapons can do is destroy or cause fear, while stories can build and show us the way to belong. They are more powerful than violence because all violence can do is break, while stories can build. They are more powerful than hatred, because stories can build bridges across misunderstanding. of course, the opposite is true as well. You can use stories to cause hatred, build walls and keep people apart. If you do that, then the thing you must always fear is that your stories will encounter other stories. When the other stories make themselves known, they will begin to erode the basis for the fear, and many times the thing you built will come crashing down around you. This is why repressive regimes so fear the internet. Information and differing perspectives are dangerous to anyone who has been manipulating a story for their own benefit.
I have always believed that human beings are the sum total of the stories that they believe, but perhaps I have been too limiting. We are also the product of the stories we share.
Be Well and Happy Telling
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
I'm Still Recovering From The Summer
Hello Everybody! Back from my hiatus...sort of! I have a few posts planned for the space in the next few weeks.
First - I spent an exhausting week at the Kennedy Center learning about Arts Integration. I will get into the bones of it.
Second - I showcased at the United Arts event in Raleigh. I'll give the blow by blow of that experience.
Third - I'm writing a book about an event that occurred in segregated Beaumont, Tx in the 1950's. I'll get into what that's been like...and in truth, that's the reason i haven't been blogging. I need to get this book done in the next couple of weeks so I can get it out to publishers fairly soon.
Fourth - I'm going to Hong Kong...getting ready for that
Fifth - We are into the crazy season of booking and making choices about things that are not going to happen for months
I joined Pinterest...I'm not one hundred percent sure what this is for, but there you have it.
I've had some wild adventures, and some wild thoughts...well, that's not terribly surprising.
I've been bogged down by the politics of my state and I am trying to keep it out of these pages, since it doesn't belong here.
Did some Vegan cooking.
Let's see, I'm sure there's more, but I will catch up on my thoughts and whatever over the course of the next couple weeks as my kids get back into high school and begin the routines of homework and bargaining to stay up later than they should.
So, all of those things are happening right now at the same time. That's just the life.
I hope the rest of your summers went well and everyone is charged for the mad rush that seems to be fall.
I'll be back here soon dishing my limited wisdom and my dubious observations.
Be Well.
Happy Telling
First - I spent an exhausting week at the Kennedy Center learning about Arts Integration. I will get into the bones of it.
Second - I showcased at the United Arts event in Raleigh. I'll give the blow by blow of that experience.
Third - I'm writing a book about an event that occurred in segregated Beaumont, Tx in the 1950's. I'll get into what that's been like...and in truth, that's the reason i haven't been blogging. I need to get this book done in the next couple of weeks so I can get it out to publishers fairly soon.
Fourth - I'm going to Hong Kong...getting ready for that
Fifth - We are into the crazy season of booking and making choices about things that are not going to happen for months
I joined Pinterest...I'm not one hundred percent sure what this is for, but there you have it.
I've had some wild adventures, and some wild thoughts...well, that's not terribly surprising.
I've been bogged down by the politics of my state and I am trying to keep it out of these pages, since it doesn't belong here.
Did some Vegan cooking.
Let's see, I'm sure there's more, but I will catch up on my thoughts and whatever over the course of the next couple weeks as my kids get back into high school and begin the routines of homework and bargaining to stay up later than they should.
So, all of those things are happening right now at the same time. That's just the life.
I hope the rest of your summers went well and everyone is charged for the mad rush that seems to be fall.
I'll be back here soon dishing my limited wisdom and my dubious observations.
Be Well.
Happy Telling
Friday, July 26, 2013
Teaching Artists: The Power of Crafting Learning Objectives
I just spent a four days teaching at The Wade Edwards Foundation and Learning Lab. It is a center for high school kids who want to work on academic and life skills. They have a computer lab, conference room and a large classroom.
I've done some storytelling for them during the school year when the place is used for a drop in center, but this week, I was teaching there. I had seven kids signed up for my workshop entitled "Stand and Deliver"
Four days, I made the trek out to Raleigh to spend three hours each afternoon with six students from age fourteen to seventeen. (one of the kids decided this wasn't for her after the first day)
I'm always nervous right before I encounter a group of students. I am more nervous teaching than anything else. I worry about everything. What if I don't have enough material? What if they are bored? What if I can't explain what I want them to do? What if I can't reach them? What if I don't like them? What if..... I'm certain the problem I have is that I have no control over the students. I can't make all of them articulate, focused, eager to learn or anything else.
It always makes me sit down and think about the fact that I really dislike teaching. I do. That doesn't mean I don't do it. I do. That doesn't mean I'm horrible at it. I'm not. That doesn't mean it is fun. It isn't. The thing about it, though, is that I kind of love going through it.
I love the transformation. I love watching people who were sure they couldn't do something discover that they can. I love watching people nail something and exalt. I love watching people feel confidence where they were certain they would never be confident. I love the process of watching people unfold. I like being part of that. I like lots of things about teaching, but I don't necessarily like to teach.
This last week, my six students made amazing strides, well, they couldn't help it. One was there because her mother made her come. One was there because she was curious about the subject content. One was there because he was starting to give more presentations and he wanted some tips. Three were there because they were terrified about standing up in front of an audience. If that is the starting point, well, the only way to go is up.
We did a combination of learning their personal foibles when speaking, getting acquainted with the other members of the class, practicing to not do the things that are likely to trip them up while presenting, and playing games. The first five minutes of class the first day I found out what they fear most, and then I made them go to the front of the room and introduce themselves. They were terrified and they all looked like deer in the headlights. The last exercise of the week is they had to go to the front of the class, introduce themselves and say something. The first day they thought they are going to die for that five seconds. The last day, they made two minute extemporaneous speeches without prompting and they did it very well. I was impressed and tickled. They had a great time. The seventeen year old told me afterwards that he recommended they have me back every year. It was lovely.
I had a swell time. I loved the process. I loved working with the kids. I would do it again, but that is neither here nor there, because, you know, I hate teaching.
However, if you cannot get away from teaching, I have a single tip that helps me through
Create Teaching Goals/Objectives for Each Day.
Teaching objectives are wonderful. They are a way of stating what you want the students to accomplish over the course of the day. The goals must be active goals and not passive. Stay away from phrases like 'will learn', 'will watch', 'will understand', because you can't actually be sure any of those things happened. Each objective should be measurable. Below is a list of possible goals.
Students will articulate the three different parts of a story.
Students will participate in a short story creation exercise.
Students will choose colors for their maps.
Students will create islands in small group.
Students will speak for one minute on their chosen subject.
Students will color one apple.
You get the idea. Each exercise the students do should be articulated by your goals. If you can't articulate why a student is doing something, or understand how it relates to your overall workshop goals, then perhaps you rethink your exercise or how you run the exercise.
I tend to create two levels of education goals for each workshop or residency. One set is the overall goals of the workshops.
Each participant will be able to tell one story.
Each participant will be able to model proper breathing techniques.
Each participant will be able to create non-pedestrian sound.
After I decide what I want the participants to be able to do at the end of my workshop or residency, I figure out what I need to do to get them to that end goal. I build my exercises into the teaching time with an eye to helping participants achieve what I want them to achieve. Some exercises have other applications, and that is fine.
My attitude about teaching is that you cannot teach anyone anything. You can facilitate learning, but that's it.
Below is an example of two days of a five day residency about space.
Overall goal: Students will explore the solar system in creative drama space.
Day 1: Earth is in Jeopardy
objectives:
Students will participate in discussion
Students will work in small group settings
Students will research planets in the solar system
Introduction; I will come in and tell the students that I am from NASA and that we have come to a crisis. We are in a death spiral and the adults can't come up with any new ideas. We've come to them because we need people to think of things we have not. We have the ability to build their technology, but we need to have new brains thinking of things.
Questions?
Activity 1 - Why is the earth in jeopardy? Discussion
We will discuss the various things that cause problems on the planet. We might discuss everything from global warming to war. We talk about poisons in the environment, and unsustainable farming. We discuss the population of the earth and the fact that there are lots of hungry humans. Students are encouraged to use whatever they are talking about in social studies as well as anything they've read or even heard.
Activity 2 - Study groups
Students will research various bodies in our solar system
Students are put into groups of four or five. They discuss the various planets in our solar system and talk about their atmospheres, whether humans could live there, and what sorts of interventions we would need in order to survive there. Students are encouraged to see if there are any resources in the room to help them make their decisions.
After they finish their research and their discussion, each group must decide if they are going to try to leave the earth or if they are going to try to stay on the planet. Each group, regardless of their choice needs to start making plans to survive the environment.
Day 2: Plans
Activity 1; Recap of the day before. Students get to work planning their next moves
Students will create plans for interstellar transportation
Students will create technology to terraform whatever planet they wish to occupy
Students will begin to make lists of supplies
Students staying will plan how to deal with the upcoming natural disasters i.e. flooded coastlines, extreme hurricanes, volcanic activity, earthquakes etc.
As you can see, each day there are goals. The activities are designed to make them do what we want, which is research space, which they will have to do if they wish to travel through it and establish a colony somewhere else. The students who decide to stay will discover, on day three that they cannot save everyone and they have to leave the planet anyway. They will be two days behind everyone else and will have to scramble to make plans. Either way, by day four, they are in the process of figuring out how to get off of the planet. They all give us their reports about the plant they are choosing and how they are going to transform the planet and how they are going to get there.
Quick side note: I had a blast teaching this residency...the kids and teachers did as well. Still, don't get any funny ideas, I don't like to teach.
So, my tip for successful teaching even if you don't like it? Clear cut goals. Obtainable objectives. Fun that encourages learning.
So, Good Luck and Happy Teaching!
Monday, July 1, 2013
Writing: The Terrifying Act of Converting Your Thoughts to Print
I do this on a regular basis. I sit down and attempt to make the swirling miasma that runs through my head sit still long enough for me to quantify it. Sometimes, this is a non-starter. I just stare at my thoughts, and they stare back, and there is no meeting in the middle. Sometimes, they are yelling at me, but my body is too antsy for me to stop and listen. Sometimes, my thoughts and I come together, and I write furiously, only to discover some hours later that it isn't worth keeping. Then, there are the moments when it all comes together, and I write something I think is worthwhile. Then, I submit it and sit back and wait for the rejection letters!
That is, in essence, what it means to be a writer. Even established writers get rejection letters every now and then.
In the last couple of months, I've watched a couple of people who don't usually write, sit down and do some writing. I was surprised. Not because they were writing, writing seems rather second nature to me, but at how nervous they were while doing it. I guess I'm so used to dumping my brain out into print I rarely realize how personal, revealing, intimate and naked you get when you write something. Your words always say more about you than whatever subject about which you happen to be writing.
I get really deep in some of my projects. So deep, in fact, that when I resurface, I doubt anyone cares as much about what I'm doing as I do. it makes for disheartening work, sometimes.
The key to dealing with the discomfort of writing, is to write. The key to dealing with the discomfort of sharing your writing, is to share it. Sometimes it is horrible, and you will be embarrassed. Sometimes it is brilliant and you will be joyful. Sometimes it is 'meh' and you will be frustrated. The key, is to keep at it.
Writing is one thing at which you can get better if you keep practicing it. This is something I have to remind myself when I get frustrated. It is something I have to keep reminding myself when I get lazy about the work. it is something I have to keep reminding myself when I am on fire and can't stop writing.
There are many people who tell me they think they want to write a book. There are people who are certain that the book they want to write is better than anything out on the market. I say, go for it. Write. We need more people who have brains wired for this sort of activity. We need more people trying to remake the world one literary word at a time.
Words have power. Sometime they have too much power. Some words get no notice and have very little power.
Recently, I was talking to a good friend of mine about this series of satire books I'm writing. She laughed as I explained what they were. She said to me, "They will be well written, and most probably fascinating, but because of that, they aren't likely to be popular. Why don't you just crank out some schmaltzy, light pop fiction with a hunky teenage monster boy and a waifish girl, or something like that?" We had a good laugh and then I went back down the rabbit hole of this bizarre idea I've got floating around in my head.
Oh well, we are what our brains make us, and sometimes our brains do not tread into popular culture. Mine certainly doesn't. I have always been an 'outlier' when it comes to what most people enjoy. When my brain belches forth ideas, they come from that reality. I love what I do, and most of the time I enjoy what I am writing. Understanding it may not be popular doesn't stop me from bringing it forth.
If you love it, then just go for it. Who knows, there may be at least one other person out there as goofball, and off the wall as you are. Even if they are the only person who buys your book, well, then you found one person to touch. That's better than if you never wrote anything at all.
Then again, you could always win the Pulitzer. Anything is possible.
Happy Writing
That is, in essence, what it means to be a writer. Even established writers get rejection letters every now and then.
In the last couple of months, I've watched a couple of people who don't usually write, sit down and do some writing. I was surprised. Not because they were writing, writing seems rather second nature to me, but at how nervous they were while doing it. I guess I'm so used to dumping my brain out into print I rarely realize how personal, revealing, intimate and naked you get when you write something. Your words always say more about you than whatever subject about which you happen to be writing.
I get really deep in some of my projects. So deep, in fact, that when I resurface, I doubt anyone cares as much about what I'm doing as I do. it makes for disheartening work, sometimes.
The key to dealing with the discomfort of writing, is to write. The key to dealing with the discomfort of sharing your writing, is to share it. Sometimes it is horrible, and you will be embarrassed. Sometimes it is brilliant and you will be joyful. Sometimes it is 'meh' and you will be frustrated. The key, is to keep at it.
Writing is one thing at which you can get better if you keep practicing it. This is something I have to remind myself when I get frustrated. It is something I have to keep reminding myself when I get lazy about the work. it is something I have to keep reminding myself when I am on fire and can't stop writing.
There are many people who tell me they think they want to write a book. There are people who are certain that the book they want to write is better than anything out on the market. I say, go for it. Write. We need more people who have brains wired for this sort of activity. We need more people trying to remake the world one literary word at a time.
Words have power. Sometime they have too much power. Some words get no notice and have very little power.
Recently, I was talking to a good friend of mine about this series of satire books I'm writing. She laughed as I explained what they were. She said to me, "They will be well written, and most probably fascinating, but because of that, they aren't likely to be popular. Why don't you just crank out some schmaltzy, light pop fiction with a hunky teenage monster boy and a waifish girl, or something like that?" We had a good laugh and then I went back down the rabbit hole of this bizarre idea I've got floating around in my head.
Oh well, we are what our brains make us, and sometimes our brains do not tread into popular culture. Mine certainly doesn't. I have always been an 'outlier' when it comes to what most people enjoy. When my brain belches forth ideas, they come from that reality. I love what I do, and most of the time I enjoy what I am writing. Understanding it may not be popular doesn't stop me from bringing it forth.
If you love it, then just go for it. Who knows, there may be at least one other person out there as goofball, and off the wall as you are. Even if they are the only person who buys your book, well, then you found one person to touch. That's better than if you never wrote anything at all.
Then again, you could always win the Pulitzer. Anything is possible.
Happy Writing
Round up July 1, 2013
Well, it has been almost a month since the last time I got around to posting in this space, and, as usual, my brain just wouldn't allow it.
I have a number of fascinations that keep me from my blogging duties. They include science, politics and family. When all of those things hit me at once, blogging is impossible
I will not go through all of the various political things going on in NC or Texas or in the Supreme Court. This is not a space for that, though I am beginning to think I need a space for that. So, since I haven't been in touch lately, I thought I'd do a quick round up of the stuff that comes through my email box.
First up, I want to give a huge shout out to Mark Goldman. He is a fantastic source for all sorts of info about storytelling in his neck of the woods, tips, ideas about working with kids and fun. Not only that, he offers coaching. If you want a great resource, click his name above and sign up for his newsletter. He gets one out on a regular basis.
The Montgomery County School System in Maryland is now taking orders for the catalogue they send to schools. They also are in the process of auditioning artists if anyone cares to check it out.
The North Carolina Arts Council is forever keeping us informed of various events both live and virtual to get us ready for the school year. Here are the most recent. http://stemtosteam.org/, http://www.realvisions.net/theartsbook.html,
I have a number of fascinations that keep me from my blogging duties. They include science, politics and family. When all of those things hit me at once, blogging is impossible
I will not go through all of the various political things going on in NC or Texas or in the Supreme Court. This is not a space for that, though I am beginning to think I need a space for that. So, since I haven't been in touch lately, I thought I'd do a quick round up of the stuff that comes through my email box.
First up, I want to give a huge shout out to Mark Goldman. He is a fantastic source for all sorts of info about storytelling in his neck of the woods, tips, ideas about working with kids and fun. Not only that, he offers coaching. If you want a great resource, click his name above and sign up for his newsletter. He gets one out on a regular basis.
The Montgomery County School System in Maryland is now taking orders for the catalogue they send to schools. They also are in the process of auditioning artists if anyone cares to check it out.
The North Carolina Arts Council is forever keeping us informed of various events both live and virtual to get us ready for the school year. Here are the most recent. http://stemtosteam.org/, http://www.realvisions.net/theartsbook.html,
TEACHING ARTIST HANDBOOK: Tools, Techniques and Ideas to Help any Artist Teach.
Written by and for teaching artists and arts educators this book can be used as a complete guide to developing one's own teaching practice, and also as a reference or professional development text that covers wide range of questions and issues of teaching artist work.
The book is available now through University of Chicago Press. Special offer: 40% discount ($11.97 per copy) to staff and artists affiliated with state arts agencies, and to agencies that wish to purchase copies of the book for their teaching artists through August 30, 2013.You can purchase the book directly here: http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/T/bo15630740.html. To obtain the 40% discount enter this discount code at checkout: [TEACHING13] This code is good through Aug. 30, 2013. To place a bulk order with a purchase order, or if you require an invoice please contact Lauren Salas at the University of Chicago Press,lsalas@press.uchicago.edu.
USING CHOREOGRAPHY TO REMEMBER BUSINESS CONCEPTS
Check out how Marlon Torres adapted seven categories of analytical questions in order to “have them in my bones, sort of speak.”https://www.dropbox.com/l/BaT2LKtVreGkfSD8Mpa4o32
CHUCK CLOSE ON LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS
Check out this short interview with Chuck Close, painter, on NPR, talking about how he survived school by learning through the arts:http://www.npr.org/2013/04/16/177507491/chuck-close-reflects-on-learning-school-lessons-through-art
INTERSECTION OF ART AND EDUCATION
This NPR interview speaks to the need to measure creativity and its importance in learning:http://www.npr.org/2013/04/17/177040995/more-than-50-years-of-putting-kids-creativity-to-the-test
Sheila Kay Adams got it going on! Congratulations!!!!
The National Endowment for the Arts named Sheila a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship, recognizing her artistic excellence and contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage. I am so proud of my long time friend! And I am delighted that honoring Sheila Kay also shines the light on Appalachian culture and storytelling.
Connie Regan-Blake sends out a lovely newsletter to fill everyone in on what's going down in her world. it is lovely and something worth reading and perusing. If you would like to receive, Story Windows, go to her facebook page and leave her a message. She sent info about Hawk And Ivy, and posted a wonderful video
Elizabeth Ellis sent out her newsletter, which tells you how to reach her and what she's up to, but most importantly, her new book From Plot To Narrative came out and it is just waiting for you to snag a copy.
The NSN conference in Richmond, Va is fast approaching and I will need someone else's eyes and ears since I won't be able to go this year.
So, there's the round up. Now, I will go on trying to post other stuff!
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