Essential Questions

1. What is a ‘real’ job?

2. Why is it important to know your definition of success?

3. What does pursuing a career as an artist involve?

Learning Intentions – In this Module, students will:

1. Be more aware of what it takes to pursue a career as an artist;

2. Recognize the importance of creating your own definition of success;

3. Understand roles and collaboration in the creative process;

4. Be able to conduct and process professional style interviews. 

Success Criteria

1. I commit to creating my definition of success for 3 areas of my life (eg. career, health, spirituality, friends and family, etc.).

Learning Outline

This 3-hr module is on the Pursuing A Career As An Artist video presentation by Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin. It can be used as a whole learning experience, or in chosen sections as time allows:  

• 35 minutes: Launch Activity– State of the Artist

• 15 minutes: While Viewing–How To Make It As An Artist

• 25 minutes: Post-Viewing– Interview Simulation–What Are Your Definitions of Success?

• 40+ minutes: Demonstration– Interviewing Career Artists

• 60+ minutes: Making Connections– Arts Integration Project - Online Interview Magazine Web Design on Career Artists

Launch Activity–Pre-Viewing: State of the Artist

[20 min]

[Learning Intention 1]

Procedures:

1. Hook: Ask students what they think a “real” job is. Follow up this question by asking them where did this idea of a “real” job come from? With regards to career, what does ‘making it’ mean to you?

2. Show this TEDx Talk by Luther: How To Make It As An Artist (14:06min) Prior to watching, review the following questions and have students jot down responses as they watch, to discuss afterwards. 

   1. What does Luther say about ‘making it?’

   2. In what ways can you relate to Luther when he talks about starting to wear jeans as the moment he sold out and gave up his individuality? 

   3. Luther says, “We are all artists when we choose to share and risk rejection for the chance at connection.” By this definition are you an artist? Explain.

3. Tell the students they are going to watch a video featuring  Salt Lake performer Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin about her journey to a career as an artist. Share the introductory blurb at the beginning of this module. 

While Viewing: How To Make It As An Artist

[15 min]

[Learning Intention 1]

Procedures:

1. Have students read this quote from Luther’s TEDx Talk How To Make It As An Artist:

 “The only way to control is to let go; let go of the critic; come back to feeling; remember what it feels like to be free; and risk everything for the chance at connection. That’s how you make it as an artist.” Give students 3 minutes to paraphrase and rewrite this quote in their own words. Have volunteers share. Discuss as a class. 

2. As they watch Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin’s video on The Pursuit of A Career As An Artist, have students take notes on how Dee-Dee’s experience speaks to Luther’s quote about how to make it as an artist.

3. Put students into groups of 4 to share their ideas. 

4. Come back together as a class and ask students to share what they have learned from both Luther and Dee-Dee with regards to what it takes to be an artist. 

Post-Viewing: What Are Your Definitions of Success?

[25 min]

[Learning Intention 2]

Procedures:

1. In the video, Dee-Dee defined what success meant to her. Ask students to recall what she said. Acknowledge responses and emphasize that for her it isn’t being rich or famous (though if that happened that would be a bonus! ) But rather for her “success looked like people calling me to do shows without me having to hustle.” She goes on to explain that as people started calling her to be in a play where she doesn’t even have to audition, she started feeling successful.

2. Option Replay segment where Dee-Dee is talking about defining success for her as an artist (from 16:50- 18:30) Or tell students: Dee-Dee’s advice to her daughter who wants to be an actress, “If you're gonna be in this business at all, even peripherally, even around the edges, you have to figure out what success looks like for you. Everybody can't be Beyonce or Ariana Grande. If you really wanna be an actor then you need to look at that in terms of what is success for you?”

3. Tell students that defining success isn’t confined to career artists, but can help in all areas of life. What is your definition of success as a student? In a sport? What is your definition of success when it comes to your health? Spiritual life? Relationships with friends and family? 

4. Give students 5-7min and ask them to produce a personal definition of success for any area of their life: health, spirituality, finances, career, being a student, in sports, with friends, with family, etc. As a class, have a few volunteers share their definitions of success. 

5. Revisit the question, ask students what they think a “real” job is? Discuss how any job can be “real” based on an individual’s definition of success. 

Demonstration: Interviewing Career Artists

[40+ min]

[Learning Intentions 3,4]

Procedures:

1. Put students in teams of 3-4. Tell them they are going to interview a career artist of their choice to learn more about the pros and cons, the journey, and about their definitions of success.  For their arts integration project, they will create an online magazine webpage that contains their interview in text, along with a photograph and any other design elements they want.

2. Have each team member take on one or more of the following roles: 

   1. Producer (keeps the schedule; manages the team duties; oversees the process; helps with editing)

   2. Interviewer

   3. Lead Editor (all team members should contribute to the editing process)

   4. Magazine Web Page Designer

3. Brainstorm: Have teams of students

   1. List artists they could interview (make sure they think about whether this artist is accessible for either a face-to-face, Zoom, or phone interview. 

   2. Select an artist and the producer schedules an interview

   3. Generate interview questions they would like to ask the artist. Remind them to include a question about the artist’s definition of success. 

4. As a class, review Interviewing Tips and Strategies

5. Have students conduct the interview (If students are in the classroom, you will need to create a studio space where they can conduct their interviews.)

   1. Face-To-Face: have students record the interview using the voice record app on a phone

   2. Zoom: have students record the interview

   3. Phone: Some phones allow you to record the phone conversation to your voicemail; or you can put the phone call on speaker and use another phone or recording device to record. 

*Remind students that they MUST get consent to record someone. As soon as the interview starts, they must ask the artist if it is okay to record the call. Having students get a signed Release Form is also good practice. 

Online Interview Magazine Web Design on Career Artists

[60+ min]

*Note: Some of this section can be assigned for homework

[Learning Intentions 3]

Procedures:

1. Tell students they are going to create an online interview magazine page in Adobe Spark Page (Now Adobe Creative Cloud Express) (low tech modality- create a page in microsoft word) that features their career artist interview. They will include both photographs and text and any other design elements they want.  Pass each team the links of the following examples for content and layout ideas: 

   1. Indie Plus Music- Online magazine with interviews of musicians

   2. The Talks Interviews with Artists - Online interview magazine

2. Transcribing: The producer divides the transcript up into sections and assigns each team member a section of the recorded interview to transcribe. Once the entire interview is transcribed, the producer merges all transcription parts into one transcript.

3. Editing: The lead editor, working with the team, selects the best parts of the interview and cuts the rest. 

4. Online Magazine Page Design: The Designer gathers the text interview, photographs and any other design elements and using Adobe Spark Page, designs a web page featuring their career artist. 

5. Exhibition: Teams share their ‘Online Interview Magazine Webpage’ with their peers. 

   1. Option 1 - Asynchronous: Use Padlet to showcase students’ web pages using the Shelf Template. Students’ names are the header of each column with their page linked below. Peers can view outside of class and post written or oral responses to peers’ magazine pages. (Low Tech Option - Students can post their word doc to Padlet.) 

   2. Option 2 - Synchronous: Create time in class to show each magazine web page  and allow peers to share reactions and reflections. (Low Tech Option - Students present their career artist orally to peers in class.)

Invite students to “dig deeper” on these topics by providing additional options for research and reflection about pursuing a career as an artist. 

Try-it-Out: Invite students to interview more artists across multiple artforms, transcribe and edit the interviews and submit the text version to local music publications or start a class or blog, “Pursuing A Career As An Artist”.  

Websites

Luther Mallory's popular SOTA (State Of The Artist) Newsletter discusses the struggle, the dream, the joy, and the brutal frustration of being an artist, and is read by thousands of artists and entrepreneurs. Get it in your email at this link: www.luthermallory.com

Videos

• The Artist’s Way- A short video that introduces the concept of the Artist’s Way- a method developed by Julia Cameraon to help you connect to your creativity.

Social Media

• Dee-Dee Darby-Duffin Facebook Page

• Luther Mallory Instagram