Professional development with the Focusing Series

Studio view, Jessica Burko's studio, in Boston's SoWa neighborhood

For professional artists and crafters a perfect day is entirely spent producing one's handmade creations. However, as any creative professional knows, there's more to making a living from one's art than making the art itself. An artist today also must be business savvy, must be a marketing wiz, and must network with the best of the cocktail crowd.

It can become weary having to wear so many hats, but with local educational opportunities such as the Jamaica Plain based Focusing Series you can learn how to navigate the maze of self-promotion, showing your work, increasing sales, and many other skills necessary to reach your self-supporting goals.

The Focusing Series offers workshops throughout the year with two upcoming this month:

Time Management for Creative People, Instructor: Anna Koon. Ideal for just about anyone, this workshop will provide practical guidelines for how to structure your time while maintaining balance. Participants will walk away with a plan for how to organize the daily tasks required in leading a successful, progressive life. Please bring a journal or notebook for class exercises. 
Monday, April 16 6:30-8:30pm or Wednesday, April 18 1-3pm.

Writing For Artists, Instructor: Boston Handmade Director, Jessica Burko. This workshop reviews how to put together key pieces of written material that artists need for websites, grant submissions, and gallery packets such as an artist statement, an artist resume, a press release, plus appropriate titles for and descriptions of artwork. Participants will learn how to create strong writing to go along with their visually strong artwork. Monday, April 23 6:30-8:30pm.

Download the PDF for more information and to register: http://www.a2n2.net/2012WorkshopSchedule.pdf

The Focusing Series is sponsored by:
The Jamaica Plain Arts Council, Boston Handmade and Alternate Currents