Exploring Austin for this project was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. The bustle of traffic, constantly changing  sights and smells, and plethora of places to look at were, at times, overwhelming. I started off with no direction, knowing only that I needed to take some pictures. What happened, though, was that I began to see a trend develop. While taking a break at a food truck, I scrolled through my gallery and saw that many of the pictures I took were of signs, graffiti, and other markings. This was interesting because I hadn’t noticed any sort of pattern in my picture-taking up until that point.

The presence of so many murals, stickers, graffiti, stencils, and other such markings in Austin is intriguing to me. I even missed the green walking symbol once because I was too busy examining the posters and stickers on a light pole next to me. In suburban Katy, where I grew up, there was never much of it. If someone did see graffiti it wasn’t seen as artistic, it was simply a nuisance that someone had the unfortunate task of power washing away. The acceptance and even encouragement of such self-expression in Austin is a welcome change, and I think I was subconsciously drawn to it.

The photos I chose for this project held more of an emotional attachment than the rest. Each one stood out for one reason or another. Looking back on them I can see that my concept wasn’t as strong as it could have been, but I’m still proud knowing how much work I put into it. With time and more work I can surely tighten my view and centralize the theme, but for now I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished.

“Good business is the best art.” -Andy Warhol

1. What are the main points of each article?
The first article focuses on the importance of creativity and fresh thinking in the world of entrepreneurship, and encourages entrepreneurs to draw inspiration from the traits of artists.  The second article closely compares traits of both artists and entrepreneurs, and illustrates the strengths and faults of each profession.

2. What can artists learn from their “entrepreneurial cousins”?
Artists frequently focus more on the creative and artistic development side of things, and then end up without the proper organization and systems to back them. Entrepreneurs learn early on in their careers how to network and build a support platform, which is something more artists should try.

3. Do you agree that artists are entrepreneurs? Why?
Yes, I think they are to a degree. Instead of trying to run a conventional business, artists are trying to sell their work. Making connections, creating products, and being driven by a passion to show the world something new are aspects that both entrepreneurs and artists share.

4. Which of the 12 characteristics of artists do you agree with?
I agree that artists are passionate about their work, great storytellers, rely on intuition, and that they are both humanists and craftspeople.

5. What others would you add to the list?
I would add that artists are also extremely resilient. Every artist has had a rough patch in his/her career, but they combat that by diving back into their work and creating something new in order to move past that rut.

6. Additional notes
– Whether an entrepreneur or an artist, bringing ideas to life is a critical component of development
– New ideas of worth only come when ample space and time for ideas to develop is allowed
– Artists are:
1. “neophiles”
2. humanists
3. craftspeople
4. like children
5. rely on intuition
6. comfortable with ambiguity
7. holistic, interdisciplinary thinkers
8. thrive under constraints
9. great storytellers
10. conduits, not “masters of the universe”
11. passionate about their work
12. contrarians

1. Do you have grit, or is this something you need to work on?
I’m more gritty than 60% of the population with a score of 3.75, but I think I can definitely benefit by being grittier.

2. List a couple of things you could do to increase your level of grit.
I’m a really bad procrastinator, but entering college I’m trying to curb that habit because I know it will only hinder me. I can also work on extending my patience and attention span, because if I’m not interested in a project, piece of coursework, or subject it’s difficult for me to work diligently.