Dream, create & make money in the arts – Go Local!

If a festival or nationwide competition frightens you (see Post 2) why not look for a local event for you to showcase your work?

I have acted Shakespeare on his birthday in a library, sang with my band in four languages for a local charity, did a show called ‘ALL ABOUT MY MEN, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER’ for London Pride where we did a cabaret show and showed Almadovar’s ‘ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER’ film.

Local events

Is there….

a local community summer gathering that you have been to and think they need some music, crafts or your DJ skills?

A winter Christmas event that you could tag onto your show, a reading, or sell your paintings?

When you are in your local community do you notice that maybe they sell art at the local regatta or football club?

Is there a street fair coming up that maybe could have some live music or your new summer iced cakes?

Make some sculpture of apples or frogs and sell at the autumn cider festival or National Trust/Garden café shop?

Do your research now for next year

Get the local paper regularly and read to see what local events from food fairs to concerts after cricket on the green is happening.

If its’ too late for this year event you fancy, note of it and start thinking for next year.

Create a local event

Is there a new restaurant, sports centre or garden centre that you could pop a short play on for their opening or one of their early weeks, so to get a new audience in for them and you, and both make some money.

Can you convince a local cafe that they should host a late evening opening with of your art or music?

Use your creativity to dream up a fun local event, less pressure, more likely to get local press coverage and interest. Plus you can drag your friends and neighbours.

Ask your local theatre if you could put on some work when it is dark eg on a Monday night. Or on a Sat morning. Or sing themed songs before a theatre show in the bar.

Write your ideas down in one central place

Get your creative thinking cap on and dream. Take notes, ideally in a specific journal all together.

Or use an online journal tool Evernote has transformed my life,  Evernote.

If creating your own event sounds like too much work then look for Post 5 in this series blog.

About this series – Being a Successful Creative – The Business of Creativity

This is a series of daily blogs for you on how to dream up, build, market and sell a creative event, gig, festival, book launch, cabaret night, exhibition of rude plastic cupcakes or whatever creatively inspires you. It is time to create and put on that play about your family, a series of drawings about hedgehogs, the album you have talked about making or the short film you always wanted to write and make.