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!

5th Annual Poetic Notions Poetry Fest

In honor of National Poetry Month Art as an Agent for Change, Inc. hosted the 5th Annual Poetic Notions Poetry Festival April 13-14. The festival featured a Youth Poetry Slam (Friday) and a Performance Showcase (Saturday). The two day event is in its 5th year and A.A.C. will continue to the tradition by expanding the festival and increasing the scale and scope of the operation.

The Middle Georgia Youth Poetry Slam is the first of its kind in Middle Georgia and it was well received by its participants and spectators. A.A.C. Founder/Executive Director Paul Ayo started the program to encourage literacy and dialogue on community needs and solutions. The Slam is a part of an A.A.C. program called A.A.C. Youth Poetry Collectives. In the first year of operation A.A.C. had three Middle Georgia schools sign on including Baldwin County High School, Georgia College Early College, and Greene County High School. A.A.C. plans to start Poetry Collectives in other schools and hopes to have Youth Poetry Collectives in all Georgia High Schools.

 



The Poetic Notions Poetry Fest which took place Saturday April 14th is in its 5th year. The featured headliner was the Java Monkey Slam Team who is ranked #1 in the Southern Region Poetry Slam Competitions. Daryl Funn, Fit and Brian Patillo, made the journey from Atlanta to feature in the festival and delivered a hilariously, serious performance of “Chimp” proportions. Along with Java Monkey, A.A.C. assembled an amazing list of poets who share their inspiration, complexities, triumph, and journeys through life that A.A.C. believes should be the focal point of Art and is the means to create a better world.

 

The Poetic Notions Poetry Fest is A.A.C.’s longest running program and it will definitely return to Shut it Down April 2013.

Poetic Notions 2012

In honor of National Poetry Month Art as an Agent for Change, Inc. hosted the 5th Annual Poetic Notions Poetry Festival April 13-14. The festival featured a Youth Poetry Slam (Friday) and a Performance Showcase (Saturday). The two day event is in its 5th year and A.A.C. will continue to the tradition by expanding the festival and increasing the scale and scope of the operation.

The Middle Georgia Youth Poetry Slam is the first of its kind in Middle Georgia and it was well received by its participants and spectators. A.A.C. Founder/Executive Director Paul Ayo started the program to encourage literacy and dialogue on community needs and solutions. The Slam is a part of an A.A.C. program called A.A.C. Youth Poetry Collectives. In the first year of operation A.A.C. had three Middle Georgia schools sign on including Baldwin County High School, Georgia College Early College, and Greene County High School. A.A.C. plans to start Poetry Collectives in other schools and hopes to have Youth Poetry Collectives in all Georgia High Schools.


The Poetic Notions Poetry Fest which took place Saturday April 14th is in its 5th year. The featured headliner was the Java Monkey Slam Team who is ranked #1 in the Southern Region Poetry Slam Competitions. Daryl Funn, Fit and Brian Patillo, made the journey from Atlanta to feature in the festival and delivered a hilariously, serious performance of “Chimp” proportions. Along with Java Monkey, A.A.C. assembled an amazing list of poets who share their inspiration, complexities, triumph, and journeys through life that A.A.C. believes should be the focal point of Art and is the means to create a better world.

The Poetic Notions Poetry Fest is A.A.C.’s longest running program and it will definitely return to Shut it Down April 2013.

Visions of MLK Celebration

During MLK Weekend 2012 A.A.C. had the opportunity to visit the Visions of MLK celebration at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens, GA. The event was coordinated by Montu Miller of Athens,GA and the line-up featured an amazing line-up of gospel singers, hip-hop artists, dancers, and poets.

A.A.C. made the trip to Athens because one of Paul Ayo’s poems is being featured in the Visions of MLK Art Exhibit. The work is titled “Melanin in the Sun and the graphic design was handled by Natalie Sharp. We were proud that one of our pieces made it into the exhibit.

Artist Statements

The visual arts piece “Melanin in the Sun” is a collaboration between my colleague Paul Ayo and me—he wrote the poem contained therein, and I created the image. I wanted to evoke in viewers some of the same emotions that I’ve felt watching him perform the piece—hope, a sense of urgency, and most importantly, a desire for social change. I employ the visual idea of the mountain as an allusion not only to some of Dr. King’s own imagery, but also to suggest that humans of all walks of life can surmount adversity with an arsenal of words, of knowledge, of determination to never “choose sleep over action.”

-Natalie Sharp

When I work with poetry I am reminded that the remarkable parts of our lives manifest in moments that desire to pass unnoticed. Oftentimes, we easily forget the importance of our skin or the air, but if someone takes a moment to emphasize what we take for granted, we find glory in the mundane and obscure. I wrote "Melanin in the Sun" at a time when I was reading Martin Luther King Jr.'s, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” I mixed the poem with a little Hughes, Hansbury, and Hip-Hop and arrived at a crossroads, a challenge.

-Paul Ayo

During the event children and adults were encouraged to work on a collaborative arts piece where each individual designed a single letter of the words community, service, and peace. After all the letters were designed the words were displayed as the backdrop for the performers. This project really spoke to us, and we hope to host a similar collaborative project in the future. You can take a look at the video below to get a full explanation.

The finished product.

There was good energy and great vibes at the event, and we hope to visit Athens in the future. Keep Shuttin’ it Down in your Communities

A.A.C. End of the Year Review (2011 Edition)

SHUT IT DOWN!!!

It’s the final few days of December, and the end of the year signifies a time for family, friends, and yields an opportunity to examine where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.

This past year, A.A.C. has continued to build upon its list of accomplishments and further its mission to empower those with a passion for the Arts and Social Justice. We’ve also noticed that everyone seems post a list of remarkable accomplishments from the past year, and A.A.C. would like to share a few of ours.

7. Bad Mamma Jamma Slam

A.A.C. has hosted a series of Poetry Jamz at Blackbird Coffee for the past 3 years. This year we added a little extra spice with the Bad Mamma Jam Slam, A.A.C’s first legit Poetry Slam. It was legit, because it was the first time we used National Slam Rules with a few modifications. The B.L.A.C.K. Poets from Macon, GA. graced the stage, as well as GCSU Poets, April Bivins, Jordan Budnick, and Sal Taluto. This crew along with A.A.C.'s finest Natalie Sharp and Jerome German delivered an amazing evening of Voice and Art to A.A.C./Blackbird’s audience.

The Bad Mamma Jamma Slam also marked the first evening of Haiku Slam for Milledgeville GA., as Tommy Hughey and Deandre Beck lit the crowd with a few clever and witty scribbles from their inner comedic psyches. The evening culminated with the crowning of Natalie Sharp as the champion of the Bad Mamma Jamma Slam, Jerome German earned 2^nd place and, Virge Owens placed third. A.A.C. will definitely bring this Bad Mamma Jamma back to Milledgeville in 2012.

6. The Shutdown Magazine Debuts

The Shutdown Magazine is the first in a series of Magz that A.A.C. will publish annually. The goal of the magazine is to tell the story of writers, artists, musicians, and other individuals who are making strides for social justice in small communities and may not see coverage from large news networks or in national print media. A.A.C. has never been interested in waiting for someone else to tell the our story movement, so we’re always on the lookout for your stories of triumph, as we move art to the center of the movement to create a better world.

5. A.A.C. Youth Poetry Collectives

This past fall, A.A.C. has created two brand, spanking, new Youth Poetry Collectives (YPCs) in Middle, Ga. For folks who are from rural communities, they know opportunities with the arts are sometimes few and far in between, but with advocates who aim to provide opportunities and exposure to ground-breaking movements like the Slam Poetry Movement in local high schools, we grow ever closer to filling the gaps in education and connecting our youth to positive life changing programs that cultivate stronger readers, speakers, and thinkers.

4. A.A.C. Orgz

This program has been a long time in the making, but finally it’s off the ground and coming to a community near you. A.A.C. has sought the ideal way to empower others to create solution based programming through the arts in their communities, and A.A.C. Orgz is the vehicle that gives any grass-roots, arts organizer effective strategies to implement any arts based program in their community. With our new A.A.C. Orgz Program, we will lay the framework and help support you on your journey to creating a positive social impact in your community.

3. The D.N.S.T.P. (Do Not Stop the Progress) A.A.C. Org

Our first Affiliate Org is up and running at Georgia College and State University. The founding members, Deandre Beck, Tommy Hughey, Natalie Sharp, and Simone Williams have made significant strides in continuing the A.A.C. tradition at Georgia College. As our very first Org, they’ve met a significant challenge and A.A.C. is proud to have this young and energetic team furthering the mission to educate, inspire, and entertain.

2. A.A.C. Shutdown.org goes live!

Well… what can we say? After a year in the making, we finally got a website. You can check it out at right HERE!

1. YOU!

It’s been an amazing year, for A.A.C., and we’d like to hear your stories about social uplift through the Arts. Tell us a little about your story in the comment section below. We’re always on the lookout for artist using their talents to better the world.

P.SSSST! We like to write articles about other people using art for social justice. Post your story and if it sounds compelling, more than likely, we'll contact you for an interview. We're revamping our blog and the addition of your stories will make things infinitely more interesting. Have a stellar New Year and keep SHUTTIN' IT DOWN!