Part 1

Tracking my week did not teach me anything in particular. I have been scheduling myself for years, particularly in the last year. I learned early that in order for me to achieve my goals and continuously better myself in a field as demanding as game design, I have to be great at time management. I already use two personal calendars (one for work and on for everything else).

Part 2

This is a short story I wrote in Winter of 2015.

ARTISTS AS ENTREPRENEURS

What entrepreneurs can learn from artists– Tim Leberecht

Are Artists Entrepreneurs?- Amit Gupta

1. What are the main points of each article?
2. What can artists learn from their “entrepreneurial cousins”?
3. Do you agree that artists are entrepreneurs? why?
4. Which of the 12 characteristics of artists do you agree with?
5. What others would you add to the list?
6. Additional thoughts.

1. ) These two articles both discuss how artists are changing the scape of entrepreneurship. Leaders of companies are bringing on and encouraging artists to find new and innovative solutions to the tedious bustle of corporate habits.  And it’s working.
2. ) From, “Are Artists Entrepreneurs?,” “…artists can end up without the needed backing to bring their dreams to reality.” This is one of the main entrepreneurial lessons an artist will learn. They need more than just the idea and talent to achieve their large projects. They need business savvy and the ability to get it done. As many art and media professors have said, “no artist is happy with the product they ship.” There is always something more they can do to make it better. A good artist AND entrepreneur will know when something is done.
3. ) I think this is an absolute statement and is therefore inherently incorrect. Not all artists can be entrepreneurs.  Some are just hobbyists, some are prodigies that have had their entrepreneurship taken care for them. Some are so stubbornly disinterested they fail.  There are many scenarios where an artist is not an entrepreneur, just as not all entrepreneurs are artists.
4. )  Tim Leberecht and I have different definitions of what an artist is. I find his list rather idealistic and specific to the stereotypical “artist persona.” There are many of these characteristics that I don’t agree is an exclusive artist trait nor a requirement to be an artist. I am not always passionate. There are certain projects where I can’t wait for it to be done. This does not make me a non-artist. I after all, do create art. I don’t agree with any of the traits listed since the term “artist” is so wonderfully undefinable.
5. ) The only trait I feel that is definitive to an artist is that one creates art. The medium, quality and attitudes do not matter. If someone makes something and defines it as art, they are an artist.
6. ) I thought these were interesting reads, but I don’t think it is a new concept. The most successful people in the art world, especially the contemporary art world, have always been people who could sell themselves and get attention. People who could not only create something of value to themselves, but convince other people that it is of value to them.

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GRIT

Grit: The power of passion and perseverance- Angela Lee Ducksworth

Grit test– University of Pennsylvania

1. ) I apparently have a fair amount of grit, apparently more than  70% of other Americans, but I was surprised by this result. I would have thought I needed more grit. I do move from projects fast, but that is a product of the length of assignments. I really identified with something Duckworth said, “Live life like a marathon, not a sprint.” This captures an attitude often overlooked in media creation– especially in the video games industry. People often do no feel legitimized if they do not overwork themselves. Crunch-time is a standard instead of a failure. I think this is a result of the wrong way of teaching grit. Telling people that all they have to do to achieve their goals is to work hard, and then when people work hard and do not achieve their goals, they work even harder. There is much merit to the concept of “grit,” however there are ways to misinterpret or even abuse it.
2. ) To increase my grit personally, I would like to create and define a year long project and stick to that schedule. Assuring that everything is on track. Nothing is early, nothing is late. I find that in a rush to get things done, I try and get it done as quickly as possible and do no savor the process or allow new ideas to surface. I am also doing this with smaller projects where I schedule time and take all of the allotted time to complete it. I am trying to eliminate rushing from my work ethic.