I have written a wide range of curriculum plans for over twelve years, so in this assignment, I as quite capable of exercising some freedom of movement in my ideas. When I began to get blocked was during the business plan section. Even when I was a free-agent (storytelling and dance) I had no complete idea what my mission was and how to articulate what my objectives were in that venue. I performed and taught for free many times before I realized that I was performing a legitimate service that I could (and should) be paid for without hesitation. My twenty four year old daughter, a graduate of a major music university, is better at negotiating for freelance work than I am to this day.
My block is always in valuing what I do as expertise.
Since I am not performing currently I often apologize for not being an authentic artist.
This assignment helped me recover a sense of worth through realizing how much I have grown since my first days in freelancing in dance and theater artistry. I am much more confident because the body of work is becoming my own, and not just copied and pasted from others work.
Big picture business plans, more aligned with non-profit goals, such as Celeste Millers work, were those that resonated for me. Whenever I saw mission statements that sounded like they were trying too hard to get funding were a real turn off. Looking a successful artists such as Marina Abromovic’s or Pina Bausch seemed like they flowed from an artistic creative source. Having witnessed Abromovic’s The Artist is Present, has never left me. Its emotional impact was life changing and I live to create in authentic ways in the future, regardless of my age.