IN THE KNOW
IMHO: Show Me The Money By A. L. Dawn French
I
have always held the firm belief that a stool stands better on four legs than on one. Let me confess right from the start I am no economist but I do know the power of my dollar and I have always been of the opinion that Saint Lucia’s economy would be more resilient had our economy stood on the four pillars of Agriculture, Entertainment, Manufacturing and Tourism. Then I learnt the phrase Creative Industry. Of late there has been the move towards just such a diversification of the economy; as I note the renewed vigor in Agriculture and the focus on the Creative Industry. One is born with a talent or not. What I do in the shower and my dogs join in the chorus cannot be called singing. If I am a singer then what is Shirley-Ann Cyril Myers? I say this to illustrate the point that one does not need to be “taught” one’s talent. It manifests together with your two front teeth. The Master/ Apprentice relationship is there to instill discipline and direction. Shirley-Ann Cyril Myers does not need to be taught to sing but she has been taught control of the formidable talent that she possesses. In the new era of Creative Industries one does not need to be taught their talent. One writes or does not. One sings or does not. We as creators of an artistic product must take a step back
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and look at the art through the cold lens of business. How does an actor in Saint Lucia use the craft to pay the bills? That is the ultimate goal. With the formation of the Ministry and the already established Cultural Development Foundation there is potential. But as artists we must take the bull by the proverbial horns. In 2014 the Chamber of Commerce conducted a two week/four day workshop on the use of social media as a business tool. I don’t live in a crab hole. I know of social media but saw no use for it in my personal life, but as a tool for my books? The idea intrigued me so I signed up. Of the twenty persons in attendance the tourism sector was in the majority, the creative industries were represented by two people: Alcina Nolley – jewelry maker and instructor and Dawn French – writer. I was disappointed then and I am still disappointed. We cannot write a book, record a music album, create a painting, and then move on to the next creation. We must market the product, seek partnerships and generate the sales. This brand new world is called Creative Industry. The Agriculture, Manufacturing and Tourism Industries all have one thing in common: they are businesses and are run along the principles of business. The Creative Industry is a relatively new concept but for us as artists it is imperative that we too view our creativity as a business. It is this attitude which has
garnered sales in excess of 3,000 copies of my book “The Common Cents Approach to Managing Money” • •
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Billboard stated that in 2013 the music industry made $15 billion in the USA alone. Gartner, Inc. stated that the Gaming industry worldwide made $93 billion in 2013, up from $79 billion in 2012. This includes video game console hardware and software, online, mobile and PC games. Numbers.com estimates that the US Motion Picture Industry ticket sales were $10.90 billion for 2013; this does not include the spin off from merchandising that follows a movie, nor are these worldwide figures.
In 1849 gold was discovered in California, USA, the gold rush followed and many became wealthier than Midas. In 2012 the government of Saint Lucia made the Creative Industry part of its economic policy. In my humble opinion (IMHO) the gold rush has started --- what are we as artists doing about that? ¤
Dawn French has been writing all her life but has recently started publishing. Her works are available at http://tiny.cc/ dawnn-books