Have you ever asked yourself: “Should I or Shouldn’t I…?”
Fresh Arts new Podcast podcast for artists aims to provide different viewpoints to different issues relevant to the contemporary creative’s career development by simply asking: “should I or shouldn’t I….?”
Hosted by Houston-based writer and educator Reyes Ramirez, Fresh Arts “Should I or Shouldn’t I” podcast brings together a diverse pairing of Houston-based creatives to share their personal experiences and discuss the factors and variables that influenced their own career choices.
There are no right or wrong answers at the end of each discussion, simply explorations of the decision making process artists make everyday to succeed in their creative practice.
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PODCAST INTRO MUSIC:
“Ike is Gone” by Nick Gaitan. Follow him @NickGaitanMusic
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Season 2, Episode 1:
Should I or Shouldn’t I Collaborate With Another Art Practice?
Featuring Y.E. Torres and Koomah
Aired September 29, 2021
Are you a sculptor considering collaborating with a writer? A dancer wanting to work with a filmmaker? A graphic designer looking to create something with a fashion designer? An artist’s creative imagination knows no bounds. However, how do you even begin defining your project’s parameters if you’ve never seen a model for it before? Can you work with someone if you don’t speak the same artistic language? We will have two guests to discuss their experiences in developing and executing inter/multi-disciplinary projects and/or events from the ground up.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 1 transcripción en español
Season 2, Episode 2:
Should I or Shouldn’t I Work for Free?
Season 2, Episode 3:
Should I or Shouldn’t I Address Political/Social Issues in my Work?
Artists can do many things with their work to combat injustice: begin or contribute to larger conversations affecting people; bring light to an issue not being addressed by society; conceptualize a solution to a problem in a new way; etc. But some issues are so vast and large that even addressing it presents its own series of issues. One could enter a conversation with generations of artists having already laid the groundwork, requiring research and participation before engagement. A good question for artists to ask themselves is: am I the right person to bring this issue up? We will have two guests discuss the work it takes to address political and/or social issues in their practice and what considerations artists should do before entering new conversations with their work.
Season 2, Episode 4:
Should I or Shouldn’t I Identify as Emerging, Mid-Career, Established, etc.?
Featuring Julia Barbosa Landois and Yeiry Guevara
Aired October 20, 2021
You could be a writer with ten years of writing experience and still be considered ‘emerging’ after your first book comes out. You can be a painter with years of experience, exhibitions, recognitions, and clients and be considered ‘mid-career.’ Or you can just not care about any of that. What is the point of those labels anyway? Who finds them useful and why? How do you use them to your benefit? We will have two guests explore career labels, what their experiences are with them, and when they’ve been useful (or not).
Season 2, Episode 5:
Episodio 5 transcripción en español
Season 1, Episode 1:
Should I go full-time with my creative practice?
Featuring Justin Garcia and Icess Fernandez Rojas
Aired October 15, 2020
The stereotype of the starving artist still pervades the social conscious, but creatives know it’s more complex than that: you work to feed yourself, family, and the art. The question becomes, “How much time can I dedicate to my craft and pay rent?” Artists have navigated this question in many ways but deciding to go full-time with their creative practice is a big leap for many. Others work full-time jobs to pay the bills and work on their art around that fact. Both bring their own pros and cons. We will have two guests to offer their experiences in navigating their creative practices around the question of going full-time with their art.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 1 transcripción en español
Season 1, Episode 2:
Should I move to another city for its art scene?
Featuring GONZO247 and Ashley DeHoyos
Aired October 22, 2020
Each city is its own ecosystem of artists, organizations, and revenue with particular notions of identity and value. For example, Austin is known as the music capital of Texas, but Houston boasts one of the largest & most diverse populations in the United States. Should a Houston musician move to Austin to capitalize on that reputation? Should any artist move to another city for the sake of their art? Artists can find success in either scenario dependent on several circumstances. We will have two guests to offer their experiences of moving to and/or staying in cities for their creative practice and succeeding as a result.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 2 transcripción en español
Season 1, Episode 3:
Should I get an MFA?
Featuring Deborah DEEP Mouton and Grace Zuñiga
Aired October 29, 2020
According to a study by M-AAA, artists are one of the most educated populations amongst working sectors. However, degrees and/or institutional support has never been, nor should be, the deciding factor on whether or not someone is a legitimate/good/worthy artist. MFAs, ideally, should be programs that help an artist improve their craft, but others have interpreted the MFA as a necessity to be ‘taken seriously’ as an artist. Not to mention, the ‘institution’ can be a stifling & uniforming experience for artists. We will have two guests to offer their experiences as successful creatives who have or don’t have MFAs and can speak to the pros and cons of either decision.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 3 transcripción en español
Season 1, Episode 4:
Should I seek professional representation?
Featuring Janavi Mahimtura Folmsbee and Francis Almendárez
Aired November 5
Representation uniquely manifests in different creative fields: curators, agents, gallery owners, editors, producers, etc. With audiences, collectors, and revenue more accessible than ever with the internet, creatives’ reliance on representation for success has diminished. However, representation can still prove to be an important element in an artist’s career through contacts, space, funds, and advocacy. We will have two guests to offer their experiences on navigating their successful careers in an ever-expanding arts landscape, one represented in some form by a professional and another who is not.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 4 transcripción en español
Season 1, Episode 5:
Should I Start a non-profit?
Featuring Marlana Doyle and Outspoken Bean
Aired November 12
Not every artist considers their practice a small business, but the government does. Many creatives use this fact to their advantage by using business structures to grow and/or fund their practice. An artist will find several benefits as an independant, for-profit small business, and a non-profit provides another model of funding & structure that’s more commonly recognized by artists. Should an artist consider a non-profit status to help their practice? We will have two guests to offer their experiences on utilizing these business structures to their benefit.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 5 transcripción en español
Season 1, Episode 6:
Should I Invest time & funds in applying for opportunities?
Featuring Julia Barbosa Landois and Sarah Rafael García
Aired November 19
You see them packed into artist bios: residencies, grants, fellowships, awards, etc. What are they? What’s the difference? Are some better than others? A residency may grant you time to live rent-free to work on your art, but can you just up and leave your life like that? A grant can give you funds to complete a project, but how long does that last? An award can add attention to your work, but what do you do with that momentum? There are pros and cons to some blessings, after all. We will have two guests to offer their experiences in receiving these accolades but also provide context and nuance to each type and what their art gained from them.
TRANSCRIPTS:
Episodio 6 transcripción en español
