Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Faith and Friendship

Today I went to the funeral of a dear friend. It was the first time I had been asked to sing at a funeral by the person who was dying. I was proud to have such a wonderful friend and would have done anything for her.

There are moments in all our lives, no matter what we do, that there is comfort in knowing someone out there believes in what we do. It can be a source of great strength and moreover when that someone is not a relative and has nothing to gain by our success. In moments where I may doubt myself I am thankful to have those pillars around me.

My friend was a true friend of the arts. She was very supportive and surrounded herself with beauty. One son is a wonderful photographer and I found out today an eloquent writer/speaker; another son a collector of technologies preserving history. One daughter-in-law a beautiful harpist, the other is a creative fabric artist. Whenever I would visit her in the town where she lived I was welcomed in the warmest fashion. She would inquire about how my music career was going with the keenest interest. The sparkle in her eyes and the radiance of her smile would top me up and keep my faith alive. After all, a life in art is about faith. Faith drove me here and faith keeps me here; I am grateful to my profession as it obliges me to examine what I believe in on a regular basis.

So I raise a glass to my friend. I will keep her with me; love her always with the knowledge that my life is forever changed from knowing her.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Artists are entrepreneurs

Personally I think all artists need to understand that their survival depends on their being able to develop the entrepreneur part of themselves. If unable to do so then you must make an alliance. Either way the notion of surrounding yourself with good people can not be understated. Being self employed never meant doing everything all the time by yourself. It simply means taking responsibility for what happens to you.

Being self employed also means having the ability to see what you do as a service or product. This detachment affords a different perspective and may give you a new outlook on what you do. Certainly I find it useful when meeting a prospect to show up with my portfolio to discuss the range of what I do. When things work out it is because there is a fit between what they are looking for and what you offer. It is a good idea to find out what your prospects have in mind before you meet with them.

If you want to get more work and you don’t know how, get help, hire a sales coach. I have an excellent one: Claude de Rouyn who has been instrumental in tuning up the way I work and the tools I use so that I am more effective. Around us we may have many people who are willing to contribute to our success: people who can write or edit information we distribute, graphic artists, photographers, a friend who works in marketing. Although an option for some, we don’t always have to surrender everything over to an agent. A good friend or sibling can be a perfect manager if they really believe in what you are doing and are willing to work effectively.

If you dread doing what you have to do to get work in your art, just imagine every step takes you closer to what you love to do. The freedom and flexibility I have contributes to my creativity and that makes me happy. Isn’t happiness what it is all about?

Friday, March 13, 2009

How did I get here anyway?

Today as I went about my business, and I do mean business, I pondered on the whole picture of making a living doing what you love. I remember my husband (before he was my husband) would say to me when I was toying with the idea of doing music full time, "If you can think of anything else you would rather do, do that instead." He was not saying it to discourage me but rather to fend off the potential, "why did I waste my time" feeling that can come from the disappointment of not having a career like Celine Dion or Michael Bubblé. Lucky me I could not think of anything I wanted to do more. More so I was willing to let go of a lot to let this piece of me flourish.

Today a good 13 years later there is still nothing I would rather do. Let’s be clear it isn't like I can't do anything. I worked in sales and in marketing; I am a chocolatier; I make beautiful soaps coveted by my dear friends and no one refuses a meal at my house because I learned to cook because I love to eat and feed people.

Do I envy Celine Dion and Michael Bubblé? Of course any independent singer or artist would appreciate the conditions in which they are able to work at their craft. For those of us who struggle it can seem pretty attractive but I also appreciate the freedom of being self-employed that comes with the responsibility of providing for myself. I don't have to be in front of 20,000 people to feel successful. Success can be as simple as seeing two people holding hands with a glimmer in their eyes as they walk out of your show. It is about sharing that gift we have with others. After all gifts are for giving I always say.

Ciao,

Bianca

Thursday, March 12, 2009

In the beginning

Here I am writing my first Blog. I use technology as a tool but was tempted to use technology as a means of expression.

First some back story to explain the title of my blog. I am the torched one as I am a singer, a torch singer some might say. I have been singing for a long time and have been a full time musician since 2002. It is no exageration to say that it can be a challenge. Here in Canada, culture was an important element in defining who we are. Originally I am from Winnipeg where there are more artists per capita than any other city in Canada. There is always live music somewhere and theatre and the ballet manages to survive just fine. It makes for an interesting place to grow up.

Often we hear about the status of artists in this and other countries. It is a challenge for many to survive and most need to keep a day job or be married to someone who has a day job to get by. I hope this blog becomes somewhat of a forum for my fellow musicians, painters, actors, sculptors, etc. to express their state of affairs and how they manage to live their art and their lives.

Ciao,

Bianca