Matt Charboneau
COSE Arts Network
Arts-Entrepreneur Resources:
Creative Views from the COSE Arts Network
Creative Workforce Fellowships
A few weeks back I was part of a strategic planning session with area arts leaders and funders. We were all asked to look forward and imagine the Cleveland area in 2020, and how we might envision a best case scenario arts and culture community. More than a few people mentioned that they would like to see the NE Ohio area come to be known for attracting artists and creative professionals as a viable place to thrive as an artist. Many agreed that it would be ideal to be known nationally as a model city for infrastructure supporting the creative workforce.
Luckily for our area, some of the seeds of that type of support infrastructure are already in place and positively impacting both working artists and the community. The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) is engaging in its 2011 Creative Workforce Fellowship program, made possible by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. The program capitalizes 20 working artists by providing $20,000 cash awards, business support and training and free memberships in the COSE Arts Network. The 2011 cycle will focus on artists working in craft, design, media or visual arts. In addition to supporting the careers of these 20 individuals, the CWF program has a residual effect on the arts sector as well. Past CWF winners have gone on to partner with arts nonprofits, collaborate with other working artists, deliver arts-based educational programming to the community, and support the work of other area artists either as a patron or champion. If you are an artist based in Cuyahoga, or know one, please take some time to look into the CWF application process and get involved if eligible.
Small Business Summer Reading List
Have you ever wondered what books or resources a professional business coach would recommend? Seize This Day Coaching’s Diane Helbig provided the COSE Arts Network with this reading list for aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners. Each month Diane moderates our Arts Network roundtables and many times the books listed below have come up in our discussions about wroking professioally in the creative sector.
Lemonade Stand Selling by Diane Helbig
Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz
Inbound Marketing by Halligan and Shah
Emyth Revisited by Michael Gerber
How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (as well as Tipping Point and Blink)
The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
The Original Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Awakening the Entrepreneur Within by Michael Gerber
Can I Have 5 Minutes of Your Time? By Hal Becker
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch (yes it has business lessons in it!)