Hi there! I’m Carla Baudrons, I’m the founder and general manager of Art Office, and I’m here today to tell you something, and ask you something. First, I’m going to tell you about Art Office––what it is, how it works, and why you should care, and then I’m going to ask you to support it, because hopefully by that time you will care.
But before I tell you about Art Office, I want to tell you why I created it in the first place. See, I struggle with something called Artist’s Block, and let me tell you what I mean by that:
Most artists I know (myself included) would say that we need to make art, like we need to eat food. Making art is what gives substance to our lives. Artist’s Block is when we have all the ingredients for a masterpiece, but we simply can’t reach them.
Leonardo Da Vinci put it this way, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.” Work is the bridge between the artist and their art. It sounds pretty simple, right?
Well, if work is the answer to Artist’s Block, then why do so many capable, hard-working people still suffer from it? Because most people were never meant to be their own boss. And that is where Art Office comes in.
Art Office is an accountability program designed to help artists work more effectively by implementing a regimen based on personal reflection, peer interconnection, and public engagement.
Here’s how it works: Each session runs for twelve weeks, and all meetings take place online. Members keep track of their work, either by punching a timeclock or taking regular progress notes. We all take two low-impact calisthenics breaks every work day.
We start each week by sharing goals, milestones, and accomplishments; we inspire and encourage each other throughout the week on social media; twice a week we gather in one place to do our work, and at the end of every week, we wind down together at a happy hour.
To engage with the public, members participate in social media takeovers, they’re interviewed about their current work and art practice, and at the end of every session, they set up at our season finale art market at Big Grove Brewery (or online, depending on Covid restrictions).
And that is Art Office in a nutshell! Now, if you’re not an artist, you might be wondering, “What does this have to do with me? Why should I care whether artists are able to work or not?” Well, because artists are the only ones of us who can make art! And from humanity as a whole down to each individual, we all need art.
Art colors our experiences and enriches our imaginations. It turns our buildings into marvels, our houses into homes, and our bodies into stories. Life without art is an experience none of us wants.
And yet there are talented and original artists in each of our lives who are constantly dealing with Artist’s Block. Who knows what they could do, if they had the help they needed.
I hope it’s clear to you now why Art Office is an idea worth supporting. If you’re not an artist yourself, you probably know someone who could benefit from the program––and that’s our main request for you today. Help us spread the word. It’s a fact that Art Office helps struggling artists, but only if they know we’re here.
Another way you can help is by giving a few of your dollars if you can! Our financial goals are to fully fund two membership fees for for the upcoming Fall session, and cover important operating costs including advertising, shipping, and a company laptop, and on top of that, we’ll be donating a percentage of all funds raised to our very first partner, Public Space One!
Art Office has come a long way in a year and a half, and worked with a lot of people. Our aim is to keep helping more and more artists bring their unique art into the world. If you like the sound of that, I hope you’ll consider donating to this Art Office fundraiser.
Art Office 