Greenlight Yourself

Monday Morsel: Awesome Advice from Songbird Amel Larrieux

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 15:00:00 +0000

Soul music icon, Amel Larrieux recently stopped by Abiola's Passion Party to dish on what she's been up to since her days with the Grammy-nominated duo, Groove Theory and how she keeps herself inspired when life as an artist gets tough. A singer-songwriter, keyboardist and producer, Amel juggles many different jobs and responsibilities and Greenlight Yourself was able to ask Amel how she maintains the balance between being an artist and being a business woman. Click play to learn her secrets.

I particularly love when she talks about being on the road to owning herself as an artist. Most of us are no strangers to the demands that are placed on our art and our person while building a career and it's quite comforting to know that that pressure happens at all levels of success. Moral of the story: you are not alone!

Has Amel inspired you? Please leave a comment and share this post with your community.

Success Secret: Form a Mastermind Group

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:59:00 +0000

Let's face it, empire building is exhausting! Especially if you try to do it all by yourself. Everyone needs help sometimes and a mastermind group can be a great tool for peer support, career development and inspiration.

The mastermind group concept, introduced by Napoleon Hill and inspired by Andrew Carnegie, is a group of people focused on helping one another succeed. The idea being that two heads are better than one and accountability goes a long way to keeping people on track.

If you have career goals you need to get a firmer handle on, you might want to try creating a mastermind group. It doesn't have to be fancy or involve a lot of people. In fact, I recommend gathering only a few trusted friends or colleagues. Smaller groups are more nimble and focusing on fewer people can help prevent a sense of overwhelm.

Here are a few tips for creating a group of your own:

Determine the purpose of your group. Do you want to focus on general career development or do you need help bringing a specific project to fruition? It's helpful if each participant is interested in working in the same area. That way, strategies and tips for one person may be easily applied to others in the group.

Choose your participants wisely. When selecting people, consider things like temperament, communication skills, a spirit of reciprocity and accountability. Also make sure each person is committed to and capable of doing the work. Being supportive can sometimes be tough stuff and bringing the wrong people to the table could prove disastrous.

Set the ground rules. Again, this doesn't have to be super fancy. No one suggests that you follow Robert's Rules of Order but everyone should be on the same page about what is expected of them so they'll know whether or not they can seriously commit to participating. Consider how often you'll meet and for how long? Will the group be together for a month, for three months, a year? It's up to you to decide.

Have fun with it. The group should encourage and inspire each member. If it feels like a chore, you're probably not doing it right! Pursuing your dreams is not always easy but getting closer to living your dreams should feel really good!

Have you ever formed or been part of a mastermind group? Did it help you or was it a total disaster? Please share your story in the comments below. Here's a resource that provides more information about mastermind groups and how to do it right. Good luck!

8 Questions to Ask Before Getting a Creative Partner

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Partners, collaborators and co-conspirators. We've all had them at one time or another even if it was only in grade school. You remember? Your running buddies! The people with whom you hatched elaborate schemes for fun or mischief or both. Drawn together by a common goal, you combined resources and brain power to make life more interesting and satisfying. It was good stuff even if the plans didn't always turn out perfectly. Succeed or fail, it was time well spent.

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Fast forward a few years. Your schoolhouse schemes have graduated and become artistic visions and business plans. Gone are the days of doing things just for the fun of it. You now have a direction and a mission, a career to build. Still, sometimes you long for the days of having a comrade in arms and you consider getting a creative partner. Great! It could be as it was before. Shared resources, shared brain power, big dreams realized!

Hold on, not so fast.

Creative partnerships are huge undertakings and as an artist, you must carefully consider all the possible triumphs and pitfalls before deciding to join forces with another. More so than in other professions, as an artist, your work product is deeply personal as it is both a reflection of you and a part of you. So if you're thinking about combining your creative mojo with that of another, let's consider a few things first.

1. Do you really need a creative partner?
Before we talk about what to look for when forming a partnership, let's talk about why you might want one in the first place. Collaborations are cool to be sure, but sometimes we tie ourselves to others unnecessarily. Some people do it for the companionship because they imagine it will be easier than going it alone, while other people couple up out of fear. Fear that they don't know enough, aren't talented enough or just plain can't do it all by themselves. And still others do it because they're not thinking about it in the proper framework. Perhaps a partner isn't what you need at all. Maybe you just need a staff.

Staff is a bit of a foreign concept for most creatives because we come from the Do It Yourself School and/or the Church of the Struggling Artist and it doesn't occur to us to run our creative vision like a business, with employees. Do you need a partner in order conceive, conceptualize and execute your masterpiece or can you hire someone to handle the non-creative workload? Can an assistant do the stuff you find distasteful or boring and merely help you achieve your vision? Ask yourself if your potential partner is bringing something to the table that you truly don't possess and in so doing, will elevate your vision to something it will not otherwise be. If the answer is no, you may need to simply give up your Dumbo feather and take flight on your own.

2. Do you both share a common vision?
Once you've done your soul searching and determined that you really do want to have a partner/creative collaborator, the next step is stating, clarifying and re-clarifying your common vision. Two heads are often better than one but only when they're headed in the same direction. In real estate, the three most important things are location, location and location. In partnerships, the three most important things are communication, communication and communication.

Each collaborator needs to be completely honest and up front about what he expects the journey and the end result to be. If you two want different things and/or disagree about how to get where you want to go, your path will certainly be rocky. Take the necessary time to craft your mission/vision statement, make a plan, and refer to it often. Tack it up on your mirror if you need to. When things get tough (and they most likely will) you'll be glad you took the time to draft this framework. Don't be afraid to make adjustments to the plan as you go forward but be sure each of you is on board with the changes. If your ideas and intentions begin to change, talk about it. Don't assume your partner knows where your head is or can read between your ever-so-subtle lines.

The best collaborations balance the strengths and weaknesses of each partner. Be sure you know what they are for both you and your potential partner.

3. Are your work styles and skill sets complementary?
One of the main reasons for collaborating with another artist is because they bring something to a project that you do not. The trick lies in finding the right combination of styles, skills and aesthetics to produce a fruitful union. If you're both great at the same things and terrible at the same things, maybe this particular coupling is not such a great idea. How do you each handle tough situations? Does one of you tend to tackle things head on while the other avoids difficulty and confrontation at all costs? Are you flexible or rigid, visionary or pragmatic? The best partnerships are those that balance the strengths and weaknesses of each person. Be sure you know where those strengths and weakness lie for you and for your partner.

4. Has she had successful work relationships in the past?
Vetting is a fact of life and finding out your potential partner's work history is part of doing your due diligence. Employers do background checks before making hiring decisions and you too should learn what your potential partner has done in the past. I'm not suggesting you wade through trash cans or interview high school classmates, but gently asking a few key questions of people in a position to know can prove very valuable in your decision making process.

5. What other commitments does he have?
Is he already committed to working on three other projects? Is he planning a move across town or across country? Is he getting married, having a baby, caring for an ailing parent, sibling or pet? Everyone has a life but some of us have fuller lives than others. Talk about what's coming up for each of you in the foreseeable future and how these plans will affect your working relationship.

6. Is she an independent thinker?
If you ask most people this question, the vast majority will say something like 'I always think for myself' or 'no one controls me.' The truth is, we are all influenced by the people in our lives and some of us are more heavily influenced than others. Does your potential partner have an overbearing parent, spouse or friend who holds more sway over her decision making than she cares to admit or even realizes? Will she come to you to solve problems together or will she seek counsel and direction from outside of your partnership? If this behavior is common, you may find yourself in an unintentional and unofficial partnership with the people in her life. While you're thinking you have a pas de deux, you will actually have a menage a trois.

7. What kind of collaboration is best for you?
I can't tell you how many war stories I've heard from actors, writers, etc. who claim to have found their creative soul mate and rushed head long into establishing a production company or theater company with all the legal, financial and tax ramifications in tow before they've sussed out whether or not they can really work together over the long haul.

Forming an official, legal partnership is like entering a marriage and it deserves careful consideration. Perhaps there's a way to 'date' to see how it goes before you make an official commitment before God and all of your peers. Consider working together on a project-by-project basis first and see what happens. Use this time to discover if your collaborator's family commitments or excessive vacationing will get in the way of working. If the first project goes well, try one more to be certain the first one wasn't a fluke. If the second one also goes well, you can then consider making a declaration of undying love by forming an LLC, LLP or other more permanent business structure.

You spent your time in art school, not law school. Leave the law to the lawyers.

8. What is your exit strategy?
What happens when and if you reach the end of the road? Nothing lasts forever and the time may come when it makes sense to cut ties and move on. That's cool because even some of the greatest collaborations come to an end for one reason or another. One or both of you could lose interest in the work you've been doing together. One of you may be presented with a conflicting opportunity that you just can't refuse. Or you could both get sick of looking at each other's faces all the time. Whatever the reason, having an exit strategy is like having a prenup for your partnership.

No one likes to talk about a possible break up during the romance phase but not planning for a dissolution is bad business. Presumably, you will jointly own the rights to your work product. How will you handle the equitable distribution of future income should one of you remain and continue exploiting the work you both created? Will one of you have to buy the other one out? Will your name remain attached to an ongoing project that you co-created even though you will no longer actively participate? If your split is not an amicable one, how will you handle public questions about your former partner and vice versa?

There are myriad ways to handle these issues and many legal documents to have in place to deal with all the eventualities. This is why I strongly advise every artist to get an attorney on board as early in the formation of your partnership as possible. Even under the best circumstances, things can be misunderstood or misconstrued. If at the end of your partnership, you find yourselves throwing art supplies or props at one another, having your artistic, legal and financial interests protected beforehand will make it much easier to part ways.

Hiring an attorney to draft and execute your paperwork may seem like an unnecessary expense for cash-strapped creatives but there's a reason for paying a professional to handle these tasks. As smart and as capable as you are, you may not be aware of all the ways you can be taken advantage of and how to prevent those advantages from being taken. You spent your time in art school, not law school. Leave the law to the lawyers.

Decision made: we're partnering!
OK. You've done your due diligence. You've clarified your vision, communicated your plans, figured out your work style differences and your vacation schedules and you've decided to go for it! Awesome! Creative partnerships can be extremely rewarding and fulfilling propositions. It can be wonderful to have a partner who shares your vision, revels in your success and helps ease the pain of failure. Just remember, partnerships are living, breathing entities that require constant management and maintenance. They often contract and expand in direct proportion to the goings-on in each partners life or career.

You'll have to work really hard to maintain a successful one, but when you do, a great partnership can be one of the sweetest things in life. Good luck!

Ashton Kutcher's inspiring Teen Choice Awards speech

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Tue, 13 Aug 2013 05:20:00 +0000

In accepting his Ultimate Choice award during the Teen Choice Awards on Sunday, Ashton Kutcher not only revealed his real first name, Chris, but had some wonderful words of wisdom for his legions of adoring, teenaged fans and for the rest of us. Ashton is a white-hot example of a do it yourself Greenlighter and his speech was an incredible display of those principles. Watch it!

Photo Credit: Getty Images

- Watch More Funny VideosAshton Kutcher Forces You To Like Him

20 MORE Tips to Juice Your Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 20:31:00 +0000

We're continuing our mission to help you create a crave-worthy career with 20 more tips to juice your creativity! Immerse yourself in the juicy goodness and share them with your favorite creative friends. And don't forget to check out the first 25 Tips.

Take your work seriously. You're making a contribution to the world that would not exist without you. Honor that reality.
Ask for support when you need it. Working in a vacuum is not necessary to preserve your authentic expression.
Give credit where credit is due. All artists are influenced by work that came before them. If you were inspired by someone or something, happily say so!
Embrace technology. You may be surprised how helpful it can be in your process.
Look for inspiration in unlikely places. Is there someone in another industry that you admire? Can you translate what they do into your area of expertise?
Eliminate energy drainers from your life. Be they people, places or things.
Identify your biggest distractions and take steps to minimize their presence during your peak creative times.
Be clear about who you are as an artist. What do you want to be known and remembered for?
Find online and offline communities to join. Social interaction can break many a creative block.
Be kind to yourself and commit to eliminating negative self talk.
Remember that perfection does not exist. Really, it doesn't.
Experiment with different art forms. If you're a painter, try choreographing a one-minute dance routine. You might be surprised by what shakes loose!
Remember that most 'overnight successes' have been working for 20 years or more.
Eliminate stress by making sure you have what you need. Keep your personal tank full with healthy food, time to exercise and a job/side hustle for extra cash. Running on empty is counterproductive.
Find time to volunteer for a cause that's closely aligned with your work. You'll be giving back, expanding your network and increasing your impact.
Set an audacious goal! Go ahead, scare yourself a little!
Change your scenery. Travel or take a short trip. Can't get away right now? Go simpler and change your route home. Breaking a well-worn routine is great for sparking new ideas.
Form an Artists Council with three or four friends who can give you honest feedback and a fresh perspective.
Give yourself a break. Consider taking a month or more away from your art. You'll return as a whole new you!
Plan a show for your unfinished work. Pick a date, find a location and start promoting it. Public deadlines are awesome fire starters!

Stay tuned for more Creative Entrepreneur Tips and join the conversation by tweeting your favorite tip using the hash tag #GreenlightYourselfTips. And don't forget to follow Greenlight Yourself on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

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7 Apps to Help You GSD (Get Sh*t Done)

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 03:30:00 +0000

Whether you're just beginning to manage your career or you're running a mini-empire, you're probably grappling with having all the tools you need to make things run smoothly. With so many things to do and so little time, technology can really step in, help manage your resources and smooth the path so you can focus more time on doing the work you love to do.

Here's a list of my absolute must-have apps for getting sh*t done.

Evernote

Evernote is hands down my favorite app of all time. I use it for everything: note keeping, list making, clipping web pages to read later, you name it. With so much information coming at us all the time, it's impossible to remember even a fraction of it and Evernote fits the bill. It's available on all platforms and it's one of the few apps in my arsenal that is continuously improved. I love the UI! You can have several notebooks and organize and retrieve notes by project, label or date. My favorite features include the Chrome browser extension for easy web clipping and a new-ish reminder system that keeps must-do action items at the forefront.

Google Drive

I love the Google ecosystem! They've done a fantastic job of centralizing information and making it all easily accessible and totally connected. Google Drive is available on all platforms and devices and is particularly helpful for those in the performing arts because you can create documents and keep your resume and photos readily available for sharing at a moment's notice. Need to tweak something for a potential client? No problem. It's a fast moving world and you don't want to have to wait until you get back to your computer before you can send your particulars to interested parties. It's like having a traveling media kit that's shared with just a couple of clicks.

Dropbox

Your stuff, anywhere. A cloud storage app that lives up to its slogan. Share folders with anyone you choose and work on documents simultaneously. I use it as a backup for my backup drive and for instant storage of all my images. The free version comes with a decent amount of storage and you can earn more gigabytes by referring friends.

Rapportive for Gmail

An email plug-in that makes short work of connecting with contacts across social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You can follow and send friend/connect requests without ever leaving your Gmail message. The best part is seeing a contact's photo, latest tweets, recent messages to you and any notes you've left about them. It's like having a mini dossier right inside your email. Great for building rapport and for growing your network.

PayPal and PayPal Here

PayPal is ubiquitous and the app is a no-brainer for anyone with a PayPal account. PayPal Here takes it to another level. With a portable credit card reader that plugs into your phone or tablet, you can get paid from anyone instantly. For small business owners, getting paid has never been so easy.

Chase Bank

Two words: mobile deposits. Three more words: imagine the convenience.

IFTTT

If This Then That. The most fun app on my list, IFTTT is a service that allows you to make connections between all your digital properties. It works on a 'recipe' concept that follows a simple command, if I do this, then you do that. For example, if you publish a blog post, IFTTT will send that post to LinkedIn or Twitter. Or if you take a photo in Instagram, IFTTT will store that photo in Dropbox. If you check-in on Foursquare, IFTTT will make an entry on your Google calendar. All automagically! You can create your own recipes using any number of 68 channels (Vimeo, YouTube, Blogger, Readability) or use recipes shared by others. I use it a lot for syndicating my blog posts and since I'm a rabid Foursquare user, I love having my check-ins automatically added to my calendar. It really helps me remember where I've been.

Now it's your turn! Are any of your favorite apps on this list? Am I missing out on something super useful. Do share!

Emmy nominees Kerry Washington and Don Cheadle on life in Hollywood

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 22:26:00 +0000

No strangers to success, Kerry Washington and Don Cheadle are two of the hottest actors working in Hollywood today. Each plays the lead character in a blazing hot television show, Cheadle takes us to dark, sordid and hilarious places as Marty Kaan on Showtime's House of Lies and Washington plays Olivia Pope, the political fixer/presidential mistress on ABC's Scandal. And for their troubles, they've both received Primetime Emmy nominations this year in a contest that is sure to be closely watched and hotly debated.

They talented pair sat down with Variety editor Jon Weisman for a frank discussion on what it's like to live and work in Hollywood. Here's a brief excerpt from their conversation and I encourage you to watch the video in its entirety. I found it encouraging and enlightening and I hope you will too!

Variety: Looking back on your own careers, what was the ebb and flow like and what was it like trying to get started?

Don: It's so funny: Kerry and I did a movie a long time ago called The United States of Leland, and I was looking at the cast list of that movie. Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams, Jenna Malone, Kevin Spacey, Chris Klein, Michael Pena...

Kerry: Wow, yeah!

Don: You know, all people that are still working, which is pretty fascinating. But I came out of school -- I graduated in 1986 -- in a time when those great TV shows, LA Law and Hill Street Blues and all the comedies that were on TV, and (for) all of those roles and guest spots you could get as a no-name actor that had no track record, no resume. If you were good, you could get that shot. Those shots are all being filled now with people who have name recognition. And that's tough. People come up to me now and ask me, "What can I do to start?" and I have no idea. When I started acting, I walked into a room with a casting director; I met the producer, the director. Now they go in a room and there's a camera in a corner or they're taping themselves at home (and) emailing them in, and that's just antithetical to the way I -- I don't even know how to start now. I count myself very fortunate. I don't think I'm "there," quote unquote. I always feel like it's a grind.

Kerry: I actually think that attitude is what keeps the actors that are consistently working actors, that's what keeps you in the game. ... If you look at someone like Diahann Carroll, if you ask someone who Diahann Carroll is, it depends on how old they are. People of my generation or younger are like, "Isn't that Whitley's mother from A Different World?" Or people from my mother's generation will give you Julia. In between, there's Agnes of God and Dynasty. ... People like Rita Moreno and Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand keep reinventing themselves. They directed, they produced film and television and theater. We are constantly willing to work in all different mediums because you just want to work ... it's about continuing to grow as an artist and as a craftsperson.

To read more of the transcript visit Variety.com and don't forget to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Greenlight Guru: Storyteller Dawn J. Fraser of Barbershop Stories

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Greenlight Guru is an interview series that highlights artists across disciplines who have created projects and businesses around their art. This month I welcome humorist, writer and storyteller Dawn J. Fraser of Barbershop Stories!

"Instead of thinking of your project as 'ready, aim, fire'

think of it as 'ready, fire, aim!'" ~ Dawn J. Fraser

GY: What is your current passion project and how did it come about?

DJF: I have two passion projects, one which is more “fun” and one which is more “business”, but both support my interest in building a platform as a writer and performer. The first is Barbershop Stories, a storytelling show that I host and produce that features poets, musicians and performers sharing true tales in New York City salons. Then I chop off their hair!

My second project is a series of speeches, workshops and educational programs. My academic background is in public policy and leadership, and as a storytelling instructor, I started seeing the ways in which a well told story could be inspiring and engaging. I’ve since made it my goal to not only entertain when I speak, but to also leave audiences with practical life skills and a memorable message.

What was your reason for starting Barbershop Stories and your speaking series?

I was at a storytelling show one night, and after the show I met a professor in the audience. He mentioned that he taught a communications course at a business school, and how he wished that he could show his class how to apply some of the techniques of storytelling to his group of rigid, unengaged presenters. I told him I would develop a workshop for his class, free of charge, in exchange for them video taping the event.

I put together a workshop that got students working on their feet. The professor was so pleased that he agreed to bring me back for another session and to find some funds so I could get paid. I went back a few months later, did a great job with the workshop, and that led to two more booked workshops. That's when I really started to take notice that there could be a way to use my expertise as a performer and a storyteller to make some side money or possibly even a career.

What has been the best thing about your experience?

It may sound crazy, but I love the unexpected twists, turns and lessons that come when bringing a creative idea to life. Although I started Barbershop Stories as a fun way to showcase some of the city's best performers, it allowed me to explore a creative skill where I didn’t have as much experience: as an MC and host. I’ve since grown to love the art of hosting and might even look into ways to promote myself in this way after I’ve successfully completed my current passion projects. For storytelling and speaking, the best part has been realizing that I can do something that I love and truly make a living!

What has been your greatest lesson?

I think it's important when starting off to find someone who can be a mentor or coach, especially if you know your strengths are in one area, like creative writing, and your goal is to do something where you have less experience, like starting a business. I’ve learned a lot about how to build my brand by taking classes and working with coaches that have helped me grow as both a creative and a business owner. The classes I took on learning how to tell a good story were just as important as the seminars about the speaking business. I think a lot of us who are creative and entrepreneurs think we need to do everything ourselves, but I’ve learned so much from working with experts, tweaking things that haven’t worked, and improving upon my material and platform.

If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently?

I would have started sooner! I'd been fired, laid off, and downsized out of three different jobs before I started looking into the ways I could make writing, speaking and storytelling a full time profession. I spent months (maybe years!) applying to jobs that weren’t always in line with my goals and ambitions, but I would take them because they felt safe, easy and responsible. These were mostly 9-5 jobs, which left nights and weekends to work on my passion projects. Once I no longer had a day job, my desire and drive to develop a speaking and storytelling platform was shifted into focus. It was when I truly started paying attention to my passion projects that they started to bloom.

"I think a lot of us who are creative and entrepreneurs

think we need to do everything ourselves,

but I’ve learned so much from working with experts."

What are some of the specific career benefits you’ve experienced as a result of doing your own thing?

Shortly after starting Barbershop Stories, I was selected as a featured performer on The Unchained Tour along with legendary novelist Neil Gaiman. I traveled throughout North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, performing at venues both large and small, as part of a message to support local non-chain bookstores. I think that hosting and speaking at events has also helped to establish my voice as a thought leader and someone who has made a unique contribution in various fields.

Why do you think it’s important to have passion projects?

It might sound cliché, but I don’t think there is anything cooler than seeing a dream turned into a reality. Passion projects can really help us understand ourselves if we give them time to grow.

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant about going out on his or her own?

Instead of thinking of your project as “ready, aim, fire” think of it as “ready, fire, aim!” There will be so many things that will be changed and improved upon, but it will never get started until you make the first step.

What’s next for you?

Next up will be some kind of multimedia product. I’m playing with the idea of streaming Barbershop Stories online or turning it into a web-based show. I’m also in the process of writing a book that will go along with my speaking gigs so stay tuned for that!

For more about Dawn check out her website and follow her on Twitter (@dawnjfraser). Visit Barbershop Stories to get information about the next show.

25 Tips to Juice Your Creativity & Catapult Your Career

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:26:00 +0000

Let's be honest, building a successful career is a lot of work and building a crave-worthy creative career is really tough. Sometimes you get overwhelmed or feel downright uninspired. But don't be discouraged! I've composed a list of twenty-five tips you can use to get your creativity flowing and keep you on the crave-worthy career path. Go ahead, soak 'em up and share them with your fellow creatives!

Get clarity on your career goals. Write a mission statement that excites you.
Stick a post-it with your artistic and career goals on your mirror or computer. Glance at it daily.
Keep your enthusiasm for your work by reminding yourself each day why you love what you do.
Be accountable. Find a buddy and meet weekly via phone, Skype or in person.
Expand your network. Success is not created in a vacuum.
Strengthen your network. Stay in touch and share resources/news with new contacts. Don’t just collect business cards.
Give yourself credit. Pursuing your dreams is amazing!
Take a look at your daily activities. Are they helping or hindering you?
Avoid autopilot. Be aware of each decision you make and why.
Success comes in many forms. Decide what success means for you and avoid comparing yourself to others.
Use the barter system but make sure the trade is equitable.
Find a mentor.
Mentor someone. You could surprise yourself with how much you’ve already accomplished.
Stay abreast of what’s happening in your industry. Know who recently booked shows at your favorite theater or gallery.
Surround yourself with people who are striving to achieve similar goals.
Take yourself on an artist’s date. See a band, a play or an exhibit. Experiencing the work of others is a great way to fuel your own creativity.
Have a meeting or an audition? Do your research and know before you go. Know who the decision makers are and what they are known for.
Ask for feedback and take it under advisement, good or bad.
Celebrate your victories.
Say yes often but know when to say no. Your life will be richer for it.
Honor your time; it’s your most valuable resource.
Say no to the good so you’ll have plenty of room for the great.
Make a list of the artists you want to be more like. Can you model them?
Saturate your market. Think of ways that you can leverage the work you’ve already done.
Strive for excellence, not perfection.

Stay tuned for more Creative Entrepreneur Tips and join the conversation by tweeting your favorite tip using #GreenlightYourselfTips. And don't forget to follow Greenlight Yourself on Facebook, Twitter and Google+!

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Greenlight Yourself Quote of the Day: Dare to Win

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:42:00 +0000

Daily Dose: Aim for the company of immortals!

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:53:00 +0000

Don't bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.

~ David Ogilvy

Greenlight Guru: Ingrid Graham of Collaboration Movement

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:07:00 +0000

Greenlight Guru is an interview series that highlights artists across disciplines who have created projects and businesses around their art. I'm delighted to have the lovely and talented Ingrid Graham of Collaboration Movement launch this series!

Ingrid Graham. Photographed by Martha Benedict for the Los Angeles Women in Theatre Festival.

"The minute you embark on your passion project, your perspective changes. You are inspired and you thrive." Ingrid Graham

GY: Ingrid, please tell us about your passion project.

IG: My current passion project is my dance company Collaboration Movement which involves choreography, performing, teaching and films. I started the company because I wanted a vehicle for my choreography and I wanted to dance again. Dance is a huge part of my essence. I love performing work that I have choreographed and it's exciting for me to see my choreography interpreted by dancers as well.

What has been the best part of your venture?

The best part has been watching my dream flourish. There have been so many outlets for my work. I have seen opportunities present themselves through the formation of my company that I am so grateful for. For example, my dance films have screened and received honors all over the US and internationally. I have also had the privilege of working with outstanding artists in all genres of the arts.

What has been your greatest lesson?

My greatest lesson has been to follow my heart. I encountered a lot of opposition in the creation of my dance company. Friends, colleagues and acquaintances tried to dissuade me from pursuing this endeavor. I am thrilled that I never listened to them. In the end, we all know what we want to do with our lives. Don't let fear paralyze you. Ask for help if you need it. If you are following a dream and working hard to achieve it, I believe you will make it. It takes persistence, vision and optimism.

If you had it to do all over again, what would you do differently, if anything?

Since I started the company I have been focusing more on solo work. I'm now working on a solo show and I have to say I absolutely love it! In my first year, the focus of my work was ensemble pieces. I think this experience helped me realize that I needed to be dancing more.

Why do you think passion projects are important?

I think passion projects are a necessity. So many people I meet are just trying to "survive." The minute you embark on a passion project your perspective changes. You are inspired and you thrive. I think everyone should experience this feeling at some point in their life.

Tell us about some of the career benefits you've experienced as a result of doing your own thing.

I have collaborated with poets, musicians and directors on film projects and my choreography has been selected for a variety of international festivals. Most recently, I've been approached about hosting a dance series for upcoming artists across the US.

How do you handle the weight of being the boss?

I love being the boss! I think there are certain personalities that gravitate to this role. I surround myself with honest, motivated, reliable and dedicated people. That is the key to success.

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant about going out on his or her own?

Don't hesitate! Begin your dream venture today. Write down your goal in one sentence and decide the necessary steps to make it a reality. A dream requires action to manifest. One hour a day should be devoted to your dream. Most importantly, give yourself mini goals with deadlines. The subconscious mind will procrastinate for years. A deadline holds you accountable and ensures that you will achieve your trajectory.

Next up for Ingrid are performances at Let's Dance International Festival in Leicester, England this May. Visit Collaboration Movement for more information and check out the video below for highlights of Ingrid's career.

Is Your Lack of Focus Preventing Your Success?

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 19:08:00 +0000

One of the biggest challenges artists (and producers) face is choosing between the scores of great ideas we have on a daily basis. If you're anything like me, you can't resist diving into a shiny new idea. After all, it's bright and sparkly and filled with limitless possibilities. But if you're not careful, you can quickly end up with piles of barely begun projects which can lead to stagnation and frustration.

That's where the Big D of Discipline comes into play. Truth time. Discipline has never been one of my strong suits. I often need a taskmaster to keep me on track and in the absence of said master, I'll wile away my hours dabbling with whatever idea tickles my fancy while perusing fashion blogs and watching General Hospital reruns. As a function of discipline, focus is one of the most important tools in your toolbox.

When the lure of a shiny new project is beckoning you, consult your mission statement and ask yourself the following questions:

Is this project in line with my vision?
Will this project get me closer to my goals for the week/month/year?
Will I be more fulfilled by taking on this project right now?
Do I have the resources necessary to make it a success? If not, is there someone who can provide or connect me with those resources?
Is there real value in pursuing this project over my current commitments?

If you answered 'yes' more than you answered 'no,' go for it. Figure out how you can make it happen without seriously depleting yourself, creating stress or hindering your current projects. If you answered 'no' more often, perhaps it's not the best time for you to take on a new project. And remember, sometimes a 'no' is really a 'not right now.'

I highly recommend keeping a running log of projects that you'd love to tackle just as soon as you get the time and/or connections you need. By keeping a list of 'In the Very Near Future' projects, you'll always have a clear idea of what's coming up next for you. A list helps you stay focused without feeling like you're stifling your creativity. It's a win-win!

What tricks do you use to help stay focused? Don't be shy, pony up in the comments below!

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (patranila) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:30:00 +0000

Hello!! My name is Patranila Jefferson and I'm super excited to launch Greenlight Yourself: The Lifestyle Manual for Creative Entrepreneurs!!

I know what you're thinking. All entrepreneurs are creative, they have to be. And you're absolutely right! Being an entrepreneur requires tremendous creativity, flexibility, resourcefulness and many, many other things! What I mean by 'creative entrepreneurs' in this context is those artsy folks. You know, your actors, your singers, dancers, painters, sculptors...the folks that create and craft things out of thin air and then perform or display them for your enjoyment! And for the record, I count myself among that group for sure. More about my stuff here but for now, back to the mission at hand!

I started Greenlight Yourself because when I was a young actor just starting out, I made an alarming amount of god-awful mistakes with regard to my career decisions. Looking back, I wished I'd had someone who could have given me a tiny bit of real-world advice. Sure there were books on how to make it as an actor but the thing about books is, by the time one is in the 'book writing phase of life' one is usually quite removed from the actual day-to-day hustle. There weren't any resources by people who were in the trenches, sweating it out everyday. That's what I hope Greenlight Yourself will be. An honest, inspiring guide for navigating the often treacherous waters of life in the arts. It is designed to help you create the career you crave.

Each week I'll share resources and tips on career visioning, planning and marketing as well as the latest in entrepreneur style and tech savvy goodness that makes a busy life easier and a little more fun. I'll also profile artists/entrepreneurs whose stories I hope will inspire and encourage you! We'll talk all about the dos and don'ts for career building and focus specifically on how you can take your career into your own hands and Greenlight Yourself!

So, welcome aboard and let's get to it!