Through ACME Liverpool (basically a section of the city council) I was lucky enough to get some free business advice with David Parrish last week. I was expecting similar to previous experiences: someone interested in how to make money and who didn't really understand how that may or may not be possible within the confines of an artists' world.
Instead, I found I had a very generous two hours to talk over tea, very informally, with someone with a lot of experience in the arts. This makes a difference in terms of understanding how I am a non-expandable business (it's just me and although I have a twin sister, that doesn't count) and also, most importantly, that I have no desire to be expandable. I don't want to outsource work making random stuff to make money. I want to make my work and do it without compromise – well mostly without compromise. I came out thinking quite differently about values (mine), marketing those values and looking in slightly different places for paid work without having to cross over to some other area. He also gave me a copy of his book: 'T-Shirts and Suits: A Guide to the Business of Creativity', which can also be viewed online for free from his website – go get it.
