235 stories from Mission Paradox
Every few months I like to do a workshop with the staff and board of a nonprofit arts group. I see the same thing over and over again. People lose sight of the art. It's so easy for the day.…
The arts are a reflection of the real world, which means it has a lot of love, a lot of surprise and a lot of joy. That also means that it is a world that has sexism, racism, unbalanced powe…
When it comes to the future of the arts, especially the industry I work in - the live performing arts, I am very optimistic. I see the wide range of work being produced, from sold out theatr…
Life we go easier if you accept the following: 1. You will always be conflicted about the interaction of art and commerce. 2. You will never find a perfect balance between giving your audien…
In 2009, entreprenuer Derek Sivers shared his "Hell Yeah" philosophy to making life decisions. Here's a quote: "If I'm not saying 'HELL YEAH!' about something, then say no." I think it's a g…
I'm not suprised that a lot of people dislike the idea of marketing/selling/advertising/etc. Sometimes, I dislike too. Marketing can be the ultimately dark art. I cringe when I see a commerc…
It's a trendy thing to talk about failure. In the arts world we are always discussing the need to take risks, try new things, etc. Of course you can't discuss those things without considerin…
I like this one so I'm reposting it. New blog post on Monday
Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, offers his thoughts on selling the live experience "We in the (live) sports business don't sell the game, we sell unique, emotional experiences. We…
This is my 8th working in the arts as some sort of a "professional". I've learned a lot in that time. One of the most important lesson is the need to pick your battles. The arts are an imper…
Here's my last thought for the year. The world of the arts is just like the world itself. That means it can be beautiful, ugly, fair and unfair at the same time. The people in the arts are j…
A few days ago I found out that my day job is going to receive an honor that recognizes their efforts to bring diversity to the stage and the audience. This isn't the first time that such ef…
Few things annoy me more then the myth that if you just "try hard" success in the arts (or any field) is inevitable. Effort is really overrated. You can try hard and flop just because you're…
Here's the deal: Every once in a while I work directly with a handful of individual artists and arts organizations. For example, this year I worked with a visual artist, a theatre that focus…
Comedian Louis CK on how he got the authority and freedom to due his well respected sitcom: "I got it by demanding it and refusing to do the show any other way at all and by having the lever…
When's the last time you actually looked at your website? Are all the links working? Is the relevant information current? And (more importantly) are you using your web presence, some of the …
Value. Above. Replacement. Player. It's a sports statistic, but I think it's a useful way of thinking about your value to the people you are associated with. I don't just mean your job. I me…
I don't have many rules, but here's one: Never outgrow your audience. Stick to that and everything else is cream cheese. Here's a bit of explanation: The audience for your play/handmade craf…
For about 50 years seeking permission to do art, get people to see it and getting paid for that art were connected concepts. Sure, it was hard to get the attention of that book publisher, bu…
I get asked: "What's the ideal size for an arts organization?" My answer, one person. Any organization that involves more then one person is really a b*tch to operate. Folks laugh, but I'm b…
One of the arguments I frequently hear about why the "fine arts" are dead/dying is because of the poor taste of the American people. Things would be so much better if we were not all caught …
Sometimes I get asked why I don't try to make Mission Paradox bigger. People wonder why I don't hire employees and try to expand. The short answer is that I don't want to be responsible for …
At my day job we are in the middle of one of those "critical acclaim" moments. The professional critics have signed off on the current production and it has had an immediate impact on sales.…
"How do you built a small fortune in the arts?" "You start with a large fortune." The arts are a horrible business. For profit. Non-profit. It doesn't matter. Any business where costs can sk…
During my travels I tend to run into two types of folks: 1. Gig hunters - These are primarily artists, freelancers and other creative types who are looking for short term opportunities to di…
