I've been reflecting on the power of throwing our own parties.

In a sense this goes along with the philosophy that we are responsible for our own happiness AND with my belief that if you can’t get in the front door, build your own house! How did I get to thinking about this?

Theatre animals, performers, creators of live performance I’m talking to YOU.

Do you feel frustrated because while you’ve got the artistic skills, ideas and desire to share your work with audiences and earn money for your art, you find yourself totally flummoxed as to how to make it happen?

Today I’m going to talk about the benefits of Self-Producing your work and offer you a few practical ideas to help you get started.

I’m a huge proponent of making your own opportunities and not waiting for gatekeepers to grant you permission to create. In industry terms, this DIY propensity has a name, Self-Producing.

This is the perfect time to ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT and shoot for the moon.

Why? Lockdown has obliterated much of the work artists had lined up. This is especially true for artists who specialise in live performance. Artists want to be engaged in making art. And many have more bandwidth and availability at the moment.

I did a short performance of a brand new piece last November. Camden People’s Theatre commissioned me to make a short piece on the theme of 25th Birthdays, to celebrate their 25th Birthday.

I used the occasion to make a start on an idea I’ve had floating around for a while. I had a title, Age is a Feeling, and a broad idea to explore ageing, time and how to live without fearing death.

First of all, I need you to know that I believe the GRANT MONEY IS YOUR MONEY.

You deserve to be supported and fairly compensated for the work you do.

This week however, I want to address what I call, The Application Booby Trap, and when NOT to apply for funding but instead, INVEST IN YOURSELF.

A year ago, with the advent of my newsletter, I reluctantly and skeptically began taking myself more seriously as an entrepreneur.

In early 2020, I formed a Mastermind with two friends who run small business. Carlyn runs Tiny Ritual the Talia runs Primer.

Given our social distancing and the forecasted economic future, I want to stay on my soap box, singing the virtues of creating a solo show.

In my last post on this topic, I wrote about how solo shows give us agency, allow us total creative control and freedom and are a cheap conduit to international touring.

This week, I want to touch on three more ways going solo can benefit you as an artist and business person.

This week I’m doing my first ever Workshop via ZOOM.

My long-time collaborator, Mitchell Cushman, and I are working on my solo show about my hometown, Kitchener-Waterloo.⁠
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It’s is a storytelling show created through loads of research and interviews. In the show about 8-10 stories (from 1 min - 20 min) are told to the audience, but there are 5 options for each story ’slot’.

This week I'm digging into the idea that YOUR ART IS A BUSINESS.

… Gross, I know. It gave me the creeps for a long time. I didn't want my creative expression corrupted by capitalism!

However, after years of panic and anxiety about money, I now wish I'd accepted this idea, rather than run from it, early in my career.

If you’re an artist who creates your own projects and takes on the lion’s share of the tasks when it comes to raising the funds, writing the funding applications, promoting and sharing your projects with audiences…

… you’re like me. And admin is bane of your existence.

You know the sinking feeling that comes with putting it off. You’re familiar with the rage at losing days to its boring details. Oof.

To help you complete your necessary admin efficiently, so you can get on with your art, here are 8 tools I use regularly.