Do Good this Holiday Season

 
   

GoodSearching and GoodShopping this holiday season is the ultimate way to do-good while shopping and searching this holiday season. GoodSearch allows you to support your favorite charity at no cost to you by searching the web or making discounted purchases through GoodShop. We figured these are things you're going to do anyway, why not do it for a good cause?

To get started click the logo above, choose Art as an Agent for Change, and start searching and shopping. That's it. Happy GoodSearching!

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - Constructive Criticism

By Melissa Cobb

This week's random truth reveals a bit more about the phenomenal Stevie Wonder!

One aspect of being in the field of creative writing that can be frustrating is having your work critiqued because it can be hard to know how people will react. On the other hand, critiquing someone else can be difficult because you want to be able to candidly express how he or she can improve his or her piece, but you don’t want to hurt his or her feelings. To make this a little bit easier, here are a few tips on taking constructive criticism and how to give constructive criticism.

Taking Constructive Criticism:

1. The most important thing to remember when someone is critiquing your piece is that anything they say about the piece does not reflect your worthiness as a person or anything like that. All this person wants to do is help you make this piece the best that it can. Also, it helps to remember that not every piece you write is going to be wonderful at first, nor is every piece going to be horrible.
2. If you disagree with something the person critiquing your work points out, instead of getting angry, ask them to explain why they feel this way and listen to what he or she says. You might get some really good insight.
3. Write down any criticism the person says on your piece so you can look at it later. This will help you get started revising.
4. Thank the person for critiquing your piece when the two of you finish.
5. Leave the piece alone for a few hours or a few days to let the critiques sink in, an then look back at the person’s comments and start revising.

 Giving Constructive Criticism

1. The most important thing to remember when critiquing another person’s work is to be candid about what he or she needs to revise but not to the detriment of the person’s self-esteem. Think of it as you helping this person make their work the best it can be rather than pointing out everything that is wrong with it.
2. Point out what the person needs to revise and why, and be specific and thorough.
3. Point out any strong elements of the piece and why they worked well.
4. Answer any questions the person has for you after you finish critiquing his or her piece.

Random Truth of the Week: It’s common knowledge that singer Stevie Wonder is blind, but it is not as well known that he also cannot smell.

Art Through Technology - Graphics Speak

By Mollie Cohen

As children we were often asked to do creative activities. These may have involved questions like, “If this color could make a sound, what sound would it make?” A Malaysian designer, however, took this idea and amplified it.

'Graphics Speak' is an installation for the Toolkit Festival, an Italian festival which encourages artists to go to workshops and to be inspired by the artists that have been chosen to display their work in the A+A Slovenian Exhibition Centre.

The installation itself is exactly what it sounds like. The artist (Weng Nam Yap) has designed several clear plastic discs that go over the records on record players. The user may choose one of these discs outside of the installation and then walk in.

The installation itself is inside of a darkroom and consists of two record players and an analog television. By broadcasting live video recordings of the discs onto the audio television the electromagnetic waves are translated into sound through a sensor. 

The last piece of musical instrument of is custom made. Instead of being able to place discs on it and manipulate the sound with those it produces a solid sound that comes from the lines that are already on it. The sounds this device makes can be manipulated by turning the crank to the right of the instrument and changing the line that the analog television is reading.

Various musical compositions can be made by mixing different patterns on the turntables. Though unlikely to produce anything truly amazing in the realm of musical genius, the art installation is one that stands on it's own as something that nobody else has been able to do. 

It is also family friendly. Due to the art installation not requiring anything truly special it is easy for children to interact with the exhibition making it a great hit among them. 

Art Activist of the Week - Art Works Project

By Whitney Gray

Does life imitate art or does art imitate life? Both could be argued, but some go out of their way to make art imitate life. The goal is to help others see a life outside of their own and perhaps be persuaded enough to learn more and take action.

 Art Works Projects creates pieces with this in mind. It’s an organization that seeks to raise awareness and educate the public about human rights and environmental issues through their art work.

It started with a woman named Leslie Thomas who was reading a story about genocide in Sudan when she witnessed a photo of a little boy whose face had been smashed because of his ethnicity. She realized that this captured image of a life in danger was shocking and haunting, but she also realized the motive that could be behind it. Art can be a window to another reality. 

Because she was inspired by one photo of injustice, she went on to create an organization that will strive to showcase countless pieces of artwork that imitate the lives of the abused, so that the general public could be exposed to human rights issues.

AWP’s artwork includes art and design exhibitions, books, recordings, films, and many other initiatives that are creatively displayed but also include information about the issue so that people can have an idea on how to get involved. Their projects range from sexual violence and genocide to human trafficking and forced labor.

 Their work is not meant to make individuals comfortable. It is often raw and shocking enough to cause discomfort, and from that discomfort comes change. For this, Art Works Project is the Art Activist organization of the week.

Visit the site at

http://www.artworksprojects.org/our-projects/

This Week in A.A.C. - Art Is Good Wine Tasting

By Natalie Sharp

Picture the scene. It's a Saturday evening, a bit chilly, but not too cold for your nice cocktail outfit. You enter  to find two violinists providing entertainment to a room full of similarly well-dressed people, and you notice that a jazz duo is setting up to play next.

At the tables to your left is an array of quality hors d'ouvres and wines. You make your way to one of the black-clad hosts or hostesses to get your food and a glass of that white zinfandel you saw a moment ago. As you enjoy the music, you mingle with the people around you. This is shaping up to be a beautiful night.

Does this sound like an event you might enjoy? Next Saturday, November 10, A.A.C. will be hosting its Art Is Good Wine Tasting to benefit the arts in Milledgeville. You can RSVP by sending an email to Melissa Reynolds at melissa.reynolds@aacshutdown.org. The cost is $40 per person and $65 per couple, so if you bring a friend, you can enjoy a significant discount.

Fine Wine. Great Cause. Indeed, Art Is Good.

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - Point of View

By Melissa Cobb

Where does the superstition of knocking on wood come from? Find out
in A.A.C.'s Random Truth of the Week!

Point of view is a basic component of every story, and it's important to have because if you don’t have a point of view, then no one is telling the story, which means there is no story. With that said, here are some tips on writing point of view well.

1. You, as the writer, need to decide from the beginning of your story whose point of view you are writing from. Is it going to be from the main character’s point of view? The main character’s best friend? An omniscient narrator? All of this is important to consider before you start writing because point of view needs to be clear through the whole story.
2.  Once you have chosen your narrator, think about how much that character knows about what is going on in the story. You don’t want to end up telling the reader something that character couldn’t know.
3. If you choose to write from the point of view of one of the characters in your story as opposed to an omniscient narrator, give that character a distinct voice. It makes the story feel authentic, and it will help the reader differentiate between the narrator talking and the other characters talking.
4.   Consider the age of the character whose point of view you are writing from, especially if it’s a child. You want him or her to sound realistic.
5. Keep in mind any biases your character has, such as people he or she doesn’t like or any deep-held beliefs he or she has. This makes your character feel like a real person.
6.    If you decide to switch between points of view of two or more characters, make sure they have distinct voices, and more importantly, make sure you keep the switches consistent. A good rule of thumb is to have one character narrate all the odd numbered chapters and have the other character narrate all the even numbered chapters.

Happy Writing!

Random Truth of the Week: The superstition that “knocking on wood” is supposed to keep away bad luck comes from when people believed spirits lived in trees because of the sounds they heard inside them. Thus, they would “knock” on them to get the spirits in their favor. However, what they were really hearing inside the trees were termites and other insects.

SYTYCD: Milledgeville Audition Corrections

After a few scheduling conflicts we've finally got this one nailed down. Our audition dates for SYTYCD are as follows.

Oct. 26th GCSU Student Activities Center Maple 216 3pm-6pm
Oct. 27th GCSU Student Activities Center Maple 216 2pm-5pm

Our Walter B. Audition Date had to be changed due to the Oconee Regional Fair. 

This Week in A.A.C. - So You Think You Can Dance Milledgeville

By Natalie Sharp

 Photo by Constantina Kokenes

Dancer and Georgia College alumnus Grace Nichols lends her talents for SYTYCD Milledgeville.[/caption]

Art as an Agent for Change is proud to present one of our biggest undertakings to date: So You Think You Can Dance Milledgeville! Many popular elimination-style programs have already been adapted for smaller environments, but this is among the first large scale dance competitions to come to Milledgeville itself. We are starting with a round of auditions before the big competition in the spring. As visually depicted in the above flyer, auditions will be held on the following dates and in the following locations:

October 19 - Milledgeville Mall from 4 PM - 7 PM
October 20 - Walter B. Williams Recreation Center from 2 PM - 5 PM
October 26 - GCSU Student Activities Center (Maple 216) from 3 PM - 6 PM

Are you a dancer or do you know someone who is? Visit the location most convenient for you and audition for So You Think You Can Dance Milledgeville! Just like to watch? Be sure to attend the event in the spring! Whether you are on the stage are in the crowd, we are sure that you won't regret taking some time to help Milledgeville answer the question: so you think you can dance?

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - Creating Characters

By Melissa Cobb

 

This week's random truth is about hit singer Bruno Mars.

Before you begin writing a story, it is helpful to write down important information about your main character or characters. This will give you some grounding in your story. Here are some tips to get started.

1. Start with basic information. Is your main character human? If yes, specify the gender, be it male, female, or somewhere in between. Write down your character’s age, whether he or she is in school (specify whether elementary, middle, etc.) or has a job. Make note of what the job is, if your character has one. Include family members and whether or not your character is married, single, or in some kind of romantic relationship.


2. Next, think about your character's physical appearance. Tall and lanky? Short and fat? Tall and fat? Short and skinny? What color hair? Brown? Red? Black? You get the idea. However, if your character is not human, come up with a name for the type of living organism your character is and attributes of it. What does it look like? Where does it live? How does it typically behave? How does it reproduce? Does it have any special powers? Any enemies or predators?


3. Next, describe your character’s personality. Is he or she witty, kind, or selfish? What are his or her fears? How does this character deal with authority?


4. Finally, describe your character’s likes, dislikes, and quirks. What is your character’s favorite color(s)? Movie(s)? Book(s)? TV show(s)? With quirks, make them as specific as possible. This makes your character feel more real. For instance, does your character only eat green M&Ms? Have a favorite pair of sneakers/flip-flops/sandals that he or she must wear everyday, no matter what the weather is like? The sky is the limit as long as you are specific.


5. Now, knowing all of this, you are ready to put your character into the context of your story. To do this, put your character in a situation out of his or her status quo and write down how your character would deal with this situation. A good way to think about this is that your character wants something badly but is having a hard time getting it.


6. As you write your story, keep your notes you made about your character with you so you can refer to them and make changes, if needed. The most important thing to remember when creating characters is to be as specific as possible. The more specific you are, the more authentic and real your characters become.

Happy Writing!

Random Truth of the Week: Bruno Mars was one of the songwriters for Cee-Lo Green’s hit song “Forget You.”

Art through Technology - Making Future Magic

By Mollie Cohen

Light photography began in the early 1900s with Frank Gilberth. This man and his wife were able to track the motion of manufacture workers by using small lights and the open shutter of a camera. Eventually, people would latch onto this idea and begin to light paint.

This 'light painting' was a method of using light and a low shutter speed to literally draw with light. Light painting has been around since the 1940s and with all of the new technology today it has been adapted and changed over time.

Probably the most prolific of  modern light painters would be the group known as Making Future Magic. During May, June, and July of 2012 this group worked with another group called BERG. BERG is a design consultancy based in London that helps companies research and develop their technologies and strategy. Together the two teams created two full stop-motion films made completely of light painting.

However, unlike the Gilberths who used tiny flames to track manufacture workers, Making Future Magic developed their own way to light paint by using an iPad. The team also developed the software they are using to create their paintings and stop motion films.

Making Future Magic puts everything it wishes to turn into a light painting through an entire animation and runs through it what they jokingly call 'the CAT scan'. It's exactly what it sounds like: Each block or letter is broken up into a single line.

After going through the process of dealing with the animation itself, the 'CAT scan' is then transferred to an iPad. With a camera and tripod in hand, the team at Making Future Magic set off to find the sets for their pictures. Once they are ready, they use long camera exposures to record the motion in space to produce their 3-D light forms.

While light painting has been around for years, this new method to approaching it opens up a world of possibilities. The team has inspired several groups to also pursue light painting with different mediums and perhaps even sparked a new found interest in a relatively new art style.

Art Activist of the Week - Yes! Magazine

By Whitney Gray

When you walk into the checkout lines of your favorite grocery store, you might take time to notice the various magazines displayed off to the side. Most will consist of glamorous smiles on the cover or perhaps bold headlines about a celebrity’s personal life.

You may grow tired of all the superficial beauty and diet tips, news on what stars look best in a bikini, or pages of nonsensical advice on how to please your man.

It would be nice if our society took more time to focus on what’s really important.

Luckily, there is such a thing as a magazine that wants to do more than just occupy your time when you want simple entertainment. Yes! Magazine would rather stimulate your mind with world events and ways that everyday people can get involved.

On every cover you’ll see their slogan “Powerful Ideas, Practical Actions” slogan. They want readers who want to take part in creating a better world, and their mission is to give you the most practical ways possible. This is precisely why this magazine stays nonprofit and stays running by the energy of enthusiastic volunteers with a commitment to change.

While this magazine covers a myriad of topics, there is a special section set aside for art and activism. You’ll be introduced to incredible stories of dancers, painters, or even beat boxers who have found a way to use a creative talent as a form of activism.

Yes! Magazine carries the same ideal that Art as an Agent for Change does: being an activist isn’t meant to be glamorous or sexy. It takes work, dedication, and sometimes deviating from the norm or what’s popular.

It’s safe to say that Yes! Magazine is not your average grocery store rack magazine. For this, Yes! Magazine is A.A.C.'s Art Activist organization of the week.

For more information, click the link below.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/

This Week in A.A.C. - The Office

By Natalie Sharp

Art as an Agent for Change started in Milledgeville on the campus of Georgia College, but one necessary thing was fairly difficult to obtain for a short while: an office. We were offered a permanent space in the Georgia College Cultural Center just last year, and we gladly accepted.

The benefits of a common space to call our own were apparent almost right away. We wouldn't have to worry about finding a location for both planned and impromptu meetings. We would have a single area in which to store documents, records, and other important items.

And my personal favorite: we would get to decorate.

I don't mean that in the "throw pillow here, pointless decorated box there" sort of way. Of course, aesthetics must be considered, but as an arts organization, we wanted a place to display the works of our members as well the people whom we support. Hence, wall decorations like the one pictured above--a painting commissioned specifically for A.A.C.'s office and created by one of our members--acquire more meaning than mere eye candy.

They reveal our mission to educate, to inspire, and to entertain, and our dedication to social justice by means of the arts. It is our hope that seeing the faces of such dynamic figures as Angela Davis, Andrea Gibson, and Saul Williams will provide inspiration to all who visit us in our office and any who work for social uplift in their communities.

If you like what you see or would like to contribute your own socially motivated artwork, share this article and follow the instructions under the connect tab of the website!

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - Writing Schedules

By Melissa Cobb

 

Read this post to see how you can lasso in your writing times and learn a random truth about Wonder Woman!

Having a schedule for when you are going to write is a good way to make writing a habit and to help you get better at it. Here are some tips as you create your schedule.

1. Choose a time that does not interfere with work, school, or any other obligations that you have. The best way to figure this out is to write out the days and times for everything you do during a typical week, and see what times are available.


2. Pick at least one to three days to designate to writing. That way, you won’t feel overwhelmed, and if you happen to miss a day, it won’t be a big deal since you have one or two other days to work with. However, as you get more comfortable with writing, try adding a day every week or two weeks, the goal being to write every day. How fast you do this is up to you.


3. Think about what time of day you are most productive. Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening person? Doing this will help you best use the time you have to write.


4. Decide how many words you want to write per day. Start with a low number, such as three hundred words a day, and add fifty or one hundred words each week.


5. Think about how much time you want to spend writing per day. Start with thirty minutes each day so you don’t overwhelm yourself, and add time every week or two weeks, depending on what works for you.


6. Once you have a schedule planned out, pick a day for revision so you can look over the pieces that you have written during the week. Pick the two or three pieces you like best to revise.


7. Be flexible. While it is important for you to stick to your schedule as much as you can, it is also  important to realize events or problems may come up, and you may not be able to write that day. That’s fine. Figure out another time to write, and stick to that day.


8. Be patient. The first schedule you come up with may not work for you, and that’s all right. Readjust as much as you need to, and remember that writing is a very individual process. Thus, finding out what works for you may take awhile. But when you do find that perfect schedule, it will be worth it.

Happy writing!

Random Truth of the Week: Wonder Woman’s “Lasso of Truth” used to be called the “Lasso of Obedience”.

Art Activist of the Week - Sing for Hope

By Whitney Gray

Singing is an art form that can be very personal. It’s not something that we can see, nor is it something tangible. It comes from within a person, but it has the ability to touch all others who hear it. This makes it a great tool to uplift a community.  Singing may be cathartic, but it also inspires and gives hope.

This was the idea that Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora had in mind when they created the organization Sing for Hope.  They believe that when art and volunteer work join hands, something powerful is created.

These women strive to utilize their beautiful soprano voices, as well as their acting experience, to raise funds and awareness for a variety of different causes aimed at making underprivileged communities stronger and more supported. They’ve taken it even further by giving others an opportunity to do the same through their programs involving incorporating communities into projects and activities where all can come together and showcase their artistic talents.

The program Community Arts encourages charitable activities that benefit humanitarian non-profit organizations, while making art available to all. Art U is aimed at the youth, helping them to foster their talents and teaching them that these talents are most enjoyed when used as a catalyst to change the world around them. The Healing Arts Healthcare Outreach is designed to provide concerts and bedside performances to patients who could use a lift in their spirits.

Sing for Hope embodies the meaning of the phrase "art as an agent for change." Art is infectious, like a warm smile, and it is meant to be shared with all those whom we come across. For using art to bring communities together, Yunus and Zamora of Sing for Hope are our Art Activists of the Week.

 

This Week in A.A.C. - Poetic Notions Pizza Power Meeting

By Natalie Sharp

This year promises to be pretty exciting, and the Poetic Notions Pizza Power Meeting was just a teaser for some of the programs that A.A.C. has in store. Pizza helped immensely with brainstorming some new ideas for the Poetic Notions Poetry Fest held every April for the past six years.

For 2013, Poetic Notions is getting bigger and better with the continuation of the Youth Poetry Slam that began last year. There are also some other expansion plans in the works.

Whether you are a longtime fan of Poetic Notions or a newcomer to the slam poetry scene, an artist, activist, or arts activist, or just an interested person, feel free to contact us and learn more about the program. We look forward to seeing you in the crowd when the Poetic Notions Poetry Fest is unveiled in the Spring!

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - Writer's Block

By Melissa Cobb

Oh writer’s block. We know it all too well, don’t we? Staring at a blank page in a notebook or on a computer, fingers poised to type or pen at the ready, and you’re just waiting for those brilliant pieces of prose to start flowing on the page like every inspirational cliché you have ever heard in your life and…

Nothing. Nada. No matter what, you have no inspiration, and there is nothing you can do about it. Notice a trend here?

On that note, while there is no way to cure writer’s block as it is unfortunately a part of life, there are ways to combat it. These are some ways that worked for me, and perhaps you will find them helpful as well.

1. Take a break. No, really, I am being serious. Take a break! If your brain feels like it is turning into banana pudding that’s been left in the fridge for a week, or you just feel distracted (oh look, a giant hamster!), you need to take a breather. Go outside for a walk, or listen to some calming music. Read a book. Do some yoga. Whatever relaxes you and gets your mind off your work, do it for at least ten minutes. You brain will thank you for it by making you much more productive when you come back to your writing.


2. Can’t figure out where the plot is going? For this problem, it’s a good idea to write out what has happened in your story so far, and then ask yourself what could happen next, or where you want your story to end up. Writing a summary of what’s happened up to this point will help you focus on the important plot points of your story, and it will help you focus on how you can keep your story going or how you can bring it to a satisfying conclusion.


3. Add another character. If you feel like your main character of your story is going nowhere, try adding another person for him or her to interact with. It can be an antagonist, a best friend, his or her mom--whatever works for your story. Having your character interact with someone else can help bring out qualities in him or her that you might not have discovered otherwise, and can help move the plot of your story along.


4. Last, if you are feeling really stuck and none of the above strategies are working for you, talk to someone you know is a creative writer, be it a teacher or best friend or anyone else you think will help you. Talking it out with someone you trust and getting another perspective can help you see your story in a new light. Also, if you are a beginning writer, it is good to have someone with lots of experience whom you can talk to when you are running low on inspiration.

Happy writing!

A.A.C.'s Truth of the Week:  Donald Duck was banned in Finland for not wearing pants.

Art Through Technology - Huang, Fizel, and the D-Dress

By Mollie Cohen

When most people think of couture fashion they don't think of a piece of software. However, designers Mary Huang and Jenna Fizel have made this a part of the mindset of many fashionistas. They have dubbed the software 'D.dress'.

The 'D' in the software stands for 'delauney triangulation' which is the algorithm that Huang uses to deconstruct each dress into a series of triangular patterns. This app allows the user to draw a dress, turn it into a 3-D model, and export the cutting pattern to make a real dress. The dress is then sized to your measurements and a laser cutter cuts the pattern out of fabric and sews it into the dress.

While the duo is not the first of the fashion industry to use 3-D printing for their designs, they are perhaps the most innovative. Miss Huang realized the issue with most modern day 3-D design software that allowed designers to try to simulate cloth. Instead, she chose to take the opposite approach and design her software around a more computational aspect.

Instead of trying to design dresses to look like flowing cloth, low resolution triangular shapes are used, giving the dress a more avant-garde look. Huang says that this “prompts people to imagine what the resulting dress would look like rather than expect an exact rendition of the screen image.”

With this app, fashion is available to anyone with an Internet connection. With little to no time in the app and sometimes with some completely random scribbles, an entire garment can be made with all the feel of an avant-garde runway.

They have begun calling the software 'computational couture' and they believe that utilizing this new type of technology is the future of fashion. While previously made dresses can be purchased through their label, Continuum, the cutting patterns are downloadable to any computer free of charge for those who would prefer to sew and create their own dresses.

Perhaps standardized sizing will soon be a thing of the past as the fashion of the future takes the industry by storm.

Art Activist of the Week - The Gordon Parks Foundation

By Whitney Gray

Art activism isn’t just about acknowledging the activists that contribute today: we should also recognize and take lessons from the creative crusaders that lived before us. These are the ones who helped make it possible for us to freely express our thoughts on social issues, so that we can promote change in society.

Photographer Gordon Parks was born into poverty in Kansas in 1912. Parks was a visionary even in his youth, first garnering his inspiration from images of migrant workers published in a magazine. He went on to purchase his first camera from a pawn shop, and his skills were entirely self-taught.

Due to his own ambition, he acquired a photography job with The Farm Security Administration (FSA) that chronicled the nation’s social conditions at the time. This is where he began to channel the previous inspiration that spurred his interest in photography.

After the FSA closed in 1943, Parks became a freelance photographer intent on pursuing his passion to address humanitarian issues through his work. He became the first African American staff photographer and writer for Life Magazine, where he captured the social and economic impacts of racism and poverty through his photos while paving the way for more minorities to become professional photographers.

Parks wasn’t just taking photos of daily life. He was defining an era in our nation’s history. He showed segregation, Jim Crow, and racial prejudice where they festered every day in homes, on the street, and in shops. He sought to create an image of a social climate that need to be changed, and he believed that he could help that change to occur by using the universal medium of art.

He was also a composer and an author, focusing on the same subjects displayed through his passion for photography. He died in 2006 after a life of fighting for the ideals that he loved, while creating the art that he loved. Parks lives on in the spirit of his works, and the history that he has creatively documented for us so that we may learn from it and continue to grow as a society.

For his efforts, Gordon Parks is our Art Activist of the Week.

Learn more

http://www.gordonparksfoundation.org

 Check out some photos

http://www.gordonparksfoundation.org/archive/

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - CNF

By Melissa Cobb

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="327"] Find out more about the phrase "couch potato" in this week's random truth![/caption]

1. You do not have to have an exciting life to write good creative non-fiction. Just because you have never been out of the country, never been chased by a lion, or climbed Mount Everest does not mean you have nothing good to write about. In fact, creative non-fiction is at its best when you use it to talk about everyday experiences that have given you insight.


2. To get started, pick a topic, then think of three or four experiences you have had that relate to that topic. For ideas, think of a current news event, and use your experiences to talk about that event. Choose something that makes you angry or excited or intrigued--as long as it makes you feel something!


3. One good way to structure your piece is to switch between your experiences and your commentary on it. For example, start off telling the story of your experience, then in the next paragraph talk about how it has given you insight into your topic.


4. Read lots of creative nonfiction! There are so many different ways to write it, and the best way to learn is from the experts. Some good authors who write creative non-fiction are David Sedaris, Joyce Carol Oates, and E.B. White. You can find many of their books at your local bookstore or library.


5. As always, have fun!

Happy Writing!

Random Truth of the Week: Robert Armstrong trademarked the phrase “couch potato” in 1976.

Art through Technology: Tempt and the Eyewriter

By Mollie Cohen

When legendary graffiti artist Tony Quan was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) he thought his career as an artist was completely over.

This artist, also known as Tempt, faced complete body paralysis in his hospital bed. His confinement to his bed as well as his loss of ability to paint and draw left him what he would later describe to a reporter as a “sense of total emptiness."

This was until the members of Free Art and Technology, OpenFrameworks, the Graffiti Research Lab, and the Ebeling Group communities teamed up to create an open-source eye-tracking device that would allow Tempt to draw using only his eyes.

When asked how he feels about being able to draw again Tempt replied, “I can't even begin to describe how good it feels to be able to rock styles again, and through my art I've been able to raise awareness about my disease.”

The eyewriter is surprisingly simple technology and can be made in about a days time with under fifty dollars invested in the project. The Eyewriter community has put together a prototype and given easy access to instructions for many people to build their own eyewriters.

The software itself is less complicated than one might think and it works with the Eyewriter as well as commercial eye-trackers such as MyTobii. The software is made specifically for graffiti taggers, namely Tempt, who has since the invention of the Eyewriter been able to participate in galleries internationally.

He puts all profits he receives from any gallery into the TEMPTONE ALS FOUNDATION a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people who suffer from Lou Gehrig's disease as well.

Tempt himself says that, “Art is a tool of empowerment and social change, and I consider myself blessed to be able to create and use my work to promote health reform, bring awareness to ALS, and be able to help others.”

His name, which was legendary before, has come to know new heights and his graffiti tags have been replicated by robots, people, and paint ball machines. His story brings hope to those who suffer from disease. Now, sitting in his hospital bed he can still pursue his two true loves: art and social activism.

 

The Arts Make History: Gwendolyn Brooks and Your Identity in Art

By Bri Neves

Gwendolyn Brooks was a world-changer from the time she was born. Ambitious and dedicated to her craft, Brooks had around 75 poems published by the time she was 16.

Later on, in her adult life, she sought higher pursuits for her writing, eventually winning several prizes and fellowship for her writing, including becoming the first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. In her lifetime, she had published over 20 books of poetry, a fiction novel, and several prose works, including an autobiography.

But besides this impressive list of accomplishments, how else is Brooks defined? As a “black poet”? A leader in the civil rights movement? Yes, but she was much more than that.

She was a poet, a conveyer of language, and contrary to popular belief, her works did not only explore racial issues. Embedded within many of her poems include religious themes, sexual issues (such as prostitution), and many of her poems, such as those in her Gay Chaps At the Bar poetry collection, depict life in World War I from soldiers’ perspectives.

Gwendolyn Brooks was someone who cared about many different things and those cares, along with her rhythmic lines and riveting imagery, were second nature to her. She used forms such as sonnets and ballads to get her point across and even experimented a bit with free verse. She had ideas and was moved to write them down.

Along with all of her success, Brooks led a relatively low-key lifestyle. She married her husband Henry Blakely in  1939 and had two children. She worked many odd jobs, including secretarial work, before she finally got a job as a Creative Writing instructor.

All in all, Brooks was an ordinary person with an extraordinary life fueled by her passion for the craft of writing. Which brings me to my next point…

How does your craft identify you? Look at your works. What do you write about? Or sing? Or play? Or paint? If somebody only were to know you based on your creative input, what would they have to say about you?

With your creative gift, you not only have the gift of impact, but a medium (or multiple mediums) in which to channel it from. You have a way to reach people. Use it. You may not become the next Gwendolyn Brooks, but one thing is for certain; the work you do will not be wasted.

Happy crafting!

 

 

 

Art Activist of the Week - Stanford Graphic Novel Project

By Whitney Gray

“Beware of powerful men: They may kill you if you refuse their advances. And beware of their wives: They may kill you if you do not.”

This warning was destined for a young girl, barely a teenager, with impoverished parents who were getting up in age (at least by Cambodian standards). She was compelled to drop out of the sixth grade to take up work and support her family. At the tender age of perhaps eleven or twelve, she began selling fruit shakes on busy intersections, even late into the night when most American preteen girls would be in the comfort of their bedrooms staying up late only to stalk their peers on Facebook.

Two years later, she was introduced into the life of a karaoke girl where she would saunter about in risqué outfits and flirt with cameras to make her living. Unfortunately she was even further introduced into the life of a mistress of one of the many prestigious older men who seek out these youthful girls already in a world too adult for them.

Lastly, she was forced into a situation that consequently altered her life forever. She couldn’t leave the married man taking advantage of her because of his threats, so she was brutally attacked with acid by his jealous wife and permanently physically and emotionally scarred.

This is the story of Tat Marina and many other impoverished Cambodian girls who have been seduced by older wealthy men and forced to face acid attacks from enraged wives. This is also the story that inspired the creation of “Shake Girl”, a massive collaborative effort between fifteen students and two instructors of the Stanford Graphic Novel Project and of journalist Eric Pape who interviewed Marina upon visiting her in 2001.

In the winter of 2008, this group worked vigorously to transform Marina’s experience into a graphic novel that would create awareness about the issue of violence against women in general, but would more specifically call attention to the horrifying acid attacks in Cambodia. It was also created to encourage donations to organizations that will strive to end human right violations in Cambodia and help establish women’s rights.

In a matter of weeks, their effort resulted in a heartfelt piece of literature that they hoped accurately captured the complexity of the lives of young girls living a world away from them. For their dedication and enthusiasm to make the story of these girls known, the members of the Stanford Graphic Novel Project are our Art Activists of the Week.

 Want to take a look? Check it out at http://www.stanford.edu/group/cwstudents/shakegirl/pageturn.html

Learn more at

http://www.stanford.edu/group/cwstudents/shakegirl/index.html

This Week in A.A.C. - Poetry Jamz

By Natalie Sharp

A.A.C. proudly presents September's installment of "Poetry Jamz @ Blackbird Coffee" in Milledgeville, GA. We are excited to welcome the wonderful and talented Shanai Prosser to the stage, but inquiring minds may want to know a little more about her.

Shanai is a graduating senior psychology student at Fort Valley State University. Born and raised in Irwinton, Georgia, she is a self-proclaimed southern belle. Prosser is a writer and poet who started to develop her craft in 1999. Says Shanai, "Pain is one of the reasons I call myself a poet; seems I write best whenever I am in my feelings." As the mother of a five-year-old son, Prosser claims that her son and her Rock sustain her in the midst of her everyday life.

Before Shanai goes on, there is an open mic for anyone with something to express. Are you a writer? Let that page meet the stage and be heard!

We plan to pack the house for Poetry Jamz this month, and we would love to see your smiling face in the crowd. Come on out this Wednesday, September 19 at 8:30 PM to Blackbird Coffee in downtown Milledgeville for an evening of poetry the likes of which you've never seen.

Tips and Truths with A.A.C. - Flash Fiction

By Melissa Cobb

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Which of these soda varieties does the least damage to tooth enamel? Scroll down to find out if your guess is correct in this week's random truth![/caption]

Flash fiction is a form of the short story that is very short, usually around five hundred words or less. Here are some tips when writing it:

1. Keep the story to one specific moment. What gives flash fiction its power is its ability to vividly describe a particular event or moment.


2. Stick to only one or two main characters. Because flash fiction is so brief, it’s best to stick to one or two characters because there is not enough time to develop more characters. Save stories with more than two characters for longer pieces, like short stories or novels.


3. Be picky when choosing a moment for your flash fiction’s setting. Because there is only so much time to tell your story, its best to pick a moment with staying power. For instance, you could write about a person proposing marriage to his or her significant other, a character finally finding something important to him or her, or you can use this format to write about a particular moment in an ordinary day. If you go with the last option, find something unusual or interesting in that ordinary day. For example, say your character is taking his or her daily walk and sees something there that they don’t usually see. It could be a person, place, animal; the sky is the limit, as long as you can make it believable.


4. Save your work! That way you can go back and revise it. Also, you can use the scenes you create in your flash fiction in longer pieces, like short stories or novels.


5. Flash fiction is also a great writing exercise if you are stuck or do not have a lot of time to write. Give yourself a specific moment and see what you come up with, keeping these tips in mind.


6. As always, have fun!

Happy Writing!

Random Truth of the Week: The soda that does the least damage to tooth enamel is root beer.

Art Activist of the Week

 

Madman #11, William Alexander (1941-2008)

By Whitney Gray

I truly believe that art has healing properties. Any creative manifestation of the self is an opportunity to reach out to others and leave an impact for society to enjoy for years to come. It is also a way of reaching inward to learn more about the person within and to convert any anger, fear, joy, or excitement into something tangible. The pride and satisfaction that comes with this can be a source of motivation for anyone, but it can be especially beneficial when a mental illness hinders one’s ability to cope with everyday emotions while attracting harsh judgments from those who lack understanding.

Fighting a mental illness is a struggle within itself, but fighting the social stigma that accompanies it is a whole other battle. The Awakenings Project, founded in 1996 by Robert Lundin, is a grassroots initiative that strives to do both. Lundin, a member of the board of directors of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Illinois (NAMI-IL) at the time, created this program in hopes of giving a voice to those who live with depression, schizophrenia, bipolar, and other psychiatric disorders, and this voice is the creativity that is within them. The Awakenings Art Show allows those who encounter a loss of motivation and self-identity to channel their talents with various forms of art so that they may gain a new sense of hope and purpose. When artists submit their fine art, music, literature, or drama to be displayed in these shows, there are opportunities for feedback and questions concerning their art as well as having poems, short stories, or scripts published. These contributions to our culture are beneficial for fostering creativity, but they also help give a face to mental illnesses and promote further understanding and acceptance of those who carry them.

In 2006, The Awakenings Project was awarded the "Outstanding Contribution to Recovery by a Non-Profit Organization" award from the Irwin Foundation at Celebration Recovery. It has also been awarded the “Stigma Busters” award from Ecker Center at the Elgin Country Club in 2010. For its efforts in utilizing art as a means to break barriers and promote social equality, today I dub Robert Lundin and all who are involved with The Awakenings Project Art Activists of the week.

 

Victim to Victor, Irene O'neill

For more information about this organization, visit http://www.awakeningsproject.org/index.shtml

This Week in A.A.C. - Artz Jamz

By Natalie Sharp



A hefty part of what we do here at A.A.C. is development—finding out which new programs and services will benefit the community to which we belong. Some ideas stay in the incubator a bit longer than others, until we can work out the kinks and figure out how to really do a program well because we don’t like half-steppin’ around here.

That said, the newest program fresh out of the box is A.A.C.’s Artz Jamz for Kidz. Just what is Artz Jamz? It is a program that allows local instructors in various arts areas—music, dance, visual arts, poetry—to bring their skills and knowledge to children ages 8-12. The first interest meeting was held here in Milledgeville at Georgia College on Monday, and the turnout was pleasing. It is certainly our hope that Artz Jamz will bring an outlet for creative expression to Baldwin County’s youths.

Interested in getting involved as an instructor or in bringing your kids? The next meeting for instructors will be held Monday, September 17 at 6 PM in the Georgia College Arts & Sciences building, Room 272. The first Artz Jam will be October 6, 2012 from 8 AM to 12 PM at Wray Homes in Milledgeville.

Tips and Truths with A.A.C.

By Melissa Cobb

Here are eight poetry writing tips for your personal enrichment, followed by a random truth also for your personal enrichment.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="340"] Cary Grant: Classic Hollywood actor. Arsenic and Old Lace. Eyes that gaze deep into your soul. And the subject of this week's random truth![/caption]

Tip 1: To get started, pick a specific moment and write about how it felt, or write about an object that is special to you, like a piece of jewelry or a card. Whatever you pick, just be sure its something that gives you a lot to say.

Tip 2: Use deliberate lineation- How short or long a poem is creates a certain atmosphere, and the length of each line affects this as well. Use shorter lines if you want to focus on specific words, and longer lines to explain the particular moment or object you’re talking about.

Tip 3: If you are writing a form poem, such as a sonnet, makes sure the subject matter fits the form of the poem so it doesn’t feel forced. For instance, to use the sonnet example, use that form to describe a specific moment or person that changed you in some way, whether its how you thought about something or your view of the world. This makes sense for a sonnet because the first part describes the situation, then the second part has a twist, and the third part tells what happened or changed as a result of the twist.

Tip 4: After you write your poem, read over it to make sure everything in it is there for a reason. Poems have limited space, so economy of language is important. You may want to do this a day or two after you write the poem so you can see it with fresh eyes.

Tip 5: Write as much poetry as you can, and save it. You have heard it a million times, but its worth repeating: The more you write, the better you will get, and the more you will understand how to convey what you’re saying. Also, saving your poetry will help you see the progress you have made.

Tip 6: Read lots of poetry. Doing this can give you ideas for future poems as well as show you how to effectively use figurative language and symbolism.

Tip 7: Show people you trust your poetry. The best way to tell if a poem works is to read it out loud to someone you trust, like a teacher, family member, or friend. He or she can tell you what works and what doesn’t, though for the best advice, go to someone you know who writes or teaches poetry.

Tip 8: Have fun! Experiment with different forms and subjects and enjoy what you learn from that.

Happy Writing!

Random Truth of the Week: Actor Cary Grant’s real name is Archie Leach.

A.A.C. Poetry Workshopz

design by http://rob.bukamedia.com/

A.A.C. proudly presents, The Lab, monthly poetry workshops at Blackbird Coffee in Milledgeville, GA. Our first workshop is Wednesday, September 5 at 8:30pm.  Dust off that old notebook and grab your favorite pen. Conversations about poetry stimulate the best poems. Also, great coffee and great people make poetry even better.

This workshop is for poets of all skill levels and backgrounds. Our focus during the workshops will build compelling poetry and compelling presentations for your poems both written and performed.   Check your fears at the door, bring an open mind, and get ready to write some poetry in The Lab.

Advice on Changing the World

 

Starting your pursuit to change the world  is the hardest part. Finding others with your level of passion is also the hard part. A mission, a vision, and goals are also difficult to choose. If you've stopped and thrown away your idea that means it's not worth it to you.  Building a better world isn't glamorous, cheap, sexy, easy, or greasy. Plainly stated, it will not give you sex appeal.  It's hard work, challenge, and triumph. Triumph, that's the fun part.

 

-Paul Ayo

Moonlighter's Mindstate

The way to connect dreams to action is very simple. The person dreams and simply does. This is easier said than done, but the concept works, and one can’t poke many holes in such a simple plan.

For the artist, the problem can take a much more complex turn. There are bills to pay, children to feed, personal hang-ups to overcome, and a challenge that teems with pessimism. "I can’t do it. I don’t really believe in myself. I can’t find a way to make this widget or convince an audience that my plan is brilliant." This is what pessimism sounds like. It’s not something we want to hear or embrace. It drives a wedge between us and what we intend to accomplish.

The solution lies in finding a way to establish your art slowly. A quick rise may occur, but more often than not, slow and steady will win the race.

This artist found a way to produce what he loved and pay his bills. Instead of moonlighting with distractions he chose to moonlight with his passion. I’m sure you're passionate about something, but are you moonlighting enough?

by Paul Ayo

Am I Leader?

The trouble with this question is doubt. You never doubt whether you’re starting your car or if you’re applying the brake to stop at a red light. You never think about it, you just do it.

You also have your anti-leaders. You know, people that challenge leaders, because their favorite past-time is finding mistakes in others. Anti-leaders never lead, and they shy away from honest sincere art. Anti-leaders steal emotional labor or prevent it from taking place.  They undermine, cause conflict, breed contempt, and use information as a tool of destruction, not human connection.

The challenge for the artist is leading and meeting anti-leaders head-on. Dealing with the greedy, the contemptible, and the cut-throats that so many of us work with when we should work against them.

Leaders and artists should develop an infrastructure that protects their mission, furthers their focus, and accomplishes their goals. The anti-leader will be the first to challenge this notion and not offer any advice about fixing the problem they’ve created with your goals.

For all the leaders, artists, activists… I think the better question is. Am I afraid to challenge, outwit, and take-on bullies with art?

Milledgeville Artz Benefit Concert

In an effort to stage big events that generate a big impact for our community, A.A.C. is proud to present the Milledgeville Artz Benefit Concert. The concert will take place at 8pm Saturday August 18, 2012 at Buffington’s in Milledgeville, GA.

We’ll be featuring three phenomenal acts (details below) and all the proceeds will help support two brand-spanking new Artz programs in Milledgeville, GA.

Program Details

During the summer of 2012, A.A.C. established a partnership with the Milledgeville Housing Authority and Baldwin Family Connection to present Artz Jamz. The program will connect members of Georgia College’s DNSTP Chapter of Art as Agent for Change with local youth from the Baldwin County area in weekend visual arts workshops.

A portion of the proceeds will also help support Baldwin County High School’s Youth Poetry Collective. The team won last year’s Middle Georgia Youth Poetry Slam and is in need of books that will help them better study the art of poetry and build connections between the world of literature and the world in which they live.

The Artz Benefit Concert is all about deepening the impact of our passion to create a better world. Our fundraising goal for the concert is modestly set at $1,000.  We aim to exceed this goal. You can make a donation via paypal here or on the night of the show. Every contribution counts.

Admission: No Cover (Donations Accepted)

Bring extra $$$ for our raffle

Music Starts at 8pm

If you'd like to volunteer for either program, click here

Bandz

The Last Tycoon

Bio:
The Last Tycoon is the new band and musical project by songwriter and guitarist John Gladwin. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee in the spring of 2009 with producer Tyler Welton, the album blends diverse instrumentation with crafted songwriting for a truly unique sound. The album is filled with haunting images of the American South inside songs that seem to be lost in time. Originally from rural Arkansas, he learned how to play music in the honky-tonks and churches that lie along the Arkansas River. At eighteen, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he played in clubs and concert halls while exploring the history of American roots and country music. John has toured across North America and Europe both with the band and as a solo artist. He recently moved to Stockholm, Sweden and is hitting the road across Europe in support of The Last Tycoon.

Kyshona Armstrong

With her roots in South Carolina and her feet grounded in Athens, GA, Kyshona Armstrong has set off on the road of full time touring artist this past year. Independently releasing her third Album, Home Again, Kyshona has armed herself with guitar and bags to play anywhere from the bayous of Louisiana to the Minnesota Red River Valley.

“Her voice is clear and hefty, carrying a weight of fortitude that smacks through the psyche and into the gut, filling the belly with a soul-stirring resonance.”-Flagpole Magazine.

“...soul-stirring, hand-clapping and foot-stomping music is what Kyshona Armstrong gives the crowd”- Brittney Holmes, Red and Black Magazine

“Heavily influenced by the blend of bluegrass, folk, gospel and country music that played in her home as a child, Armstrong’s songwriting meshes harmonies and melodies across musical borders, unafraid to abandon conventional styles for the sake of an individualized creative process.” - Anna F. Hall, Music Journalist

Mayview Road

Click the Photo for a preview

Bio

Getting its name from the road in Sandersville, GA, Mayview Road is a gathering "place" - for musicians, songwriters, friends, and genuine folks who all share a love of good music. "We're just improvisin'..." The band is comprised of long time A.A.C. supporters Ed and  Tori Averett along with their assembly of great musical talent.

Come out and support the Artz in Milledgeville August 18th 2012 at Buffington's in Milledgeville, GA. See our Calendar for all the details.

Fans, Friends, and Folks: How to Identify Your Supporters

 

When beginning the artist journey to forge human connections that make a difference in our world, identifying your fans, friends, and folks is just as important as developing a remarkable mission. Classifying the types of people that support your mission will enable you to better manage your human resources. It’s important to note that these categories aren’t mutually exclusive and some people will either be a friend, fan, or folk on a varying basis.

Fans

Fans are supporters who attend events and support your cause occasionally. Fans generate a buzz about your cause and can make your organization a household name. This category usually encompasses the vast majority of people who support your endeavors and they are an extremely valuable portion part of your base. Without fans your volunteer projects, special events, and fundraisers would fall flat on their face. Fans also tell their friends about your cause and generate leads back to your organization. Building a fan base is an important part of generating awareness and an impact with your endeavors.

Friends

Your friends are the people who support your cause, make donations, may attend events, and they’ll tell others about what you do. These folks won’t come to every meeting and they won’t be at every rally, but they’ll support you and your cause when they have time and can make a commitment to help. This group is small than your fan base but includes local businesses, good politicians, university professors, other organizers, and people with resources that you may need to deepen the impact of your programming. Having lots of good friends is essential to the effectiveness of any grassroots movement.

Folks

This is a small and highly specialized group of individuals that support your cause. These people usually make up the staff of your organization. This group represents the adamant supporters who champion the mission of your organization no matter where they go. Use this group wisely.  Their talents vary and organizing this group into a lean-mean-mission-fulfilling-machine can be challenge. A good leader will meet the challenge of getting this group headed in the right direction.   A great leader gets this group moving  and then gets out of their way, so everyone can work towards the greater good.

Caveat

Some people will remain within the confines one of these groups, other people won’t. It’s important to note, life is a cross-section of many experiences and human beings are inconsistent little buggers, but your movement,  your fans, your friends, and your folks are inspired by your consistency.

A. Friend for Change
B. Volunteer for Change
C. Advocate for Change
D. Agent for Change

Still Looking for Staff Writerz

Still Looking for Staff Writerz

The deadline to apply for one of our staff writer internships is about 10 days away.  We always appreciate people with the bravery to use their talents for a good cause. Here is a link to the original posting.

Being an Artist and Activist: 12 Things you should know

I’ve worked with plenty of artists who use their talents for the good of the community, and I've founded a nonprofit organization that's sole purpose is helping arts-activists build more effective programming. I'm sure this list is longer, and maybe, I left something out, but I want to share a few of the procedures I live by when using my art for truth, justice, and the Art-Activist's way.

1. Broadcast Yourself.

The important part of being an artist is telling the story of your painting, your song, your mural, your sculpture, and your efforts. It’s cool to help, volunteer, serve, sacrifice, and make a difference. Your difference is then magnified exponentially when you’re willing to tell your story and build connections with anyone searching for an the inspirations, idea, or model to build a sustainable impact in their community

2. We’ve been conditioned to be factory workers. Innovate.

Our imaginations are the most active when we are younger, and the older we get, the more we’ve been conditioned to settle for safe, secure, fast, cheap, easy, and greasy. Our art, or our best art, isn’t the product of an assembly line or cheap, easy labor. It sparks from the desire to innovate and create new, amazing, unexpected, remarkable, significant, Art. Innovation isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s making the wheel better, brighter, less rubbery, filled with plants, or recyclable.

3. Use your brilliance wisely.

Being brilliant is hard work. If it weren’t, brilliance wouldn’t be held in such high regard, it would be mundane. Likewise, being brilliant every day is exhausting. Intentionally pick the day you will unveil your masterpiece and deepen the impact of the unveiling by broadcasting the story.

4. Organize.

Organization isn’t a prerequisite for art, but it is essential to deepening the impact of Art that aims at the social uplift of our communities. The secret to organizing anything is making sure the components of the project, team, committee, cabal, or task force has a place and a role in the project outcome. If it’s not essential, remove it. If it’s essential, connect it to the bigger picture. If you don’t have a big picture to connect all your dots, draw one. And if you can’t, find someone who can.

5. Learn everything you can about marketing.

Marketing is the key to amplifying every aspect of your story as an artist. I read this and I attend lots of webinars from these guys. Search the internetz and become an expert or generalist.

6. Find the 10 people that like you and your cause.

Often, we spend too much time with the people that don’t like us. We focus on the people who will never like what we do and how we do it, so the people who do like us never receive an invite or better art because we’re caught in gaining the attention of an outlier. The 10 people who like you will tell their friends. The people who don’t won’t tell anyone. Focus on your friends, fans, and folks. Don’t market to your enemies. They don’t like you now, don’t waste your time trying to make them like you.

7. Don’t work on an island.

Too often, artists-activists work alone on projects and are too busy or stretched too thin to build relationships with other folks with talents and skills who share the same passion. Identifying the friends, fans, and folks who support your cause is essential to effectively using your passion to create an impact in your community. For instance, you may have a friend who likes writing. They can create a blog for your cause. You may have a fan who owns an art gallery. One of your folks maybe a musician who wants to help you fundraise. You never know how a supporter can help. Don’t be afraid to ask and never work alone on a project. If you have to work alone to start things off, that’s understandable, but work towards working with others.

8. Evaluate your progress.

If you don’t evaluate your progress you’ll never recognize your growth, your talents, or see the big picture or reality of what your  passion for the arts can create. Ignorance is not bliss for the artist with the betterment of the entire world at stake. We use a personally tailored version of these evaluations.

9. Set and track your goals.

Set your goals and meet them head on. Evaluations and tracking are pretty much married. Don’t divorce the two. Goals are important because they create clear targets for your art. Without a clear target, you might as well create brilliant art climb to the tallest building and let it fly. Where it lands, nobody cares, but if you have somewhere for your art to do what it’s intended to do, make sure you set a goal of getting it there.

10. Learn about the people you’re trying to serve.

Oftentimes we try to serve groups we know nothing about. For instance venturing into the inner-city and endeavoring to save the community, but knowing nothing about the history and reality of the people you are trying to serve. Learning about the people you aim to support. This will help you create art and activism that means the most to the people that it helps the most.

11. Don’t wait for permission.

If I were waiting for someone else to ok my founding of Art as an Agent for Change, Inc., I’d still be at the drawing board, waiting. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, Oftentimes, “wait,” means never.  Take the initiative and build your vision for a better world with the friends, fans, and folks who are near and dear to you.

12. Always Shut-it-Down!

You asked us to hold a sign that you painted. You asked us to recite a poem on a soap box in a public area, you asked us to help you register voters, and you asked us to help you create a mural. Alongside you, we did something to make a difference. And whenever you do something to make a difference, remember, it is your act of expression that will begin the end of oppression and isms that disjoint world. Always do your best, no matter what it is you are doing, always Shut-it-Down!

 

Please, Comment, Share, Like, Subscribe, GoodSearch, or Donate. Everything you do counts.

 

By Paul Ayo

A.A.C. Seeks Staff Writerz

A.A.C. is on the hunt for a few remarkable Staff Writerz for our Shutdown Magazine and Blog. We are looking to change the way we blog and we thought there may be a few good people out there with the passion and tenacity to produce meaningful and remarkable content about art based activism.

Working with A.A.C. will be a challenge, anything worth doing is. The challenge will center on doing your best and producing truly excellent content that may change our reader's opinions and offer a new view of our world. If you're up for a deadline driven, goal-oriented, collaborative environment with plenty of hard work. This is for you. If you're afraid of hard work. It's ok, keep being afraid. Everyone else, the position description is below.

Read it, see how you measure up, and email us at connect@aacshutdown.org with your name, age,  location, and a brief statement(1 paragraph) explaining why you're interested.  This is a volunteer position. (Deadline to Apply July 27, 2012)

Here is a quick list of responsibilities:

Responsible for completing assigned articles according to deadlines
Attend regular conference calls and/or meet-ups
Report to the Editor of the Shutdown Magazine
Assist the editor with creating and updating content of the magazine
Writes feature stories for A.A.C. Shutdown Magazine
Coordinate interviews that are necessary for the completion of projects
Actively contribute to team meetings regarding new projects
Suggest ideas and brainstorm new content with team members
Produces well-written and accurate content for publication in the Shutdown Magazine and A.A.C. Blog
Responsible for conducting research on feature content

P.S. It's the 21st century. You won't have to relocate to join our team.

A.A.C. Visits the Renewal Arts Show in Athens

April 21^st marked the Second Renewal Arts Show in Athens, Ga. Mark Palmer along with Ekklesia Church organized the event, and we were lucky enough to be invited by Sybil Zimmerman, an Educator, Activist, and long time A.A.C. Supporter.

The Renewal Arts show was hosted by Athens Art 4 Schools and featured 30+ artists, a silent auction, and best of all a good cause. In the Arts community, we know that the first programs to receive funding cuts usually involve the Arts, but Athens Art 4 Schools aims to provide funding and support for quality Arts programming in Athens, GA.

In this short video, Sybil Z. and Rhonda Palmer explain the purpose behind the Renewal Arts show and their organization Athens Art 4 Schools, which works to provide funding to arts programs in elementary schools.

We like the motto, “Do you love kids, and do you love art?” We especially like that Sybil and her group are taking matters into their own hands and “being the change they wish to see in the world.” Kudos to Sybil and everyone who supported Athens Art4Kids.

Keep Shuttin’ it Down!