Artist Intelligence
First-person posts from artists, organizers, microbusinesses & creators of all types. Our archive of more than 1200+ posts offers inspiration and insight into how to make creative life work.
How to Draw a Nose
If you are an artist (or human really), you understand that a large portion of your time and your brain…Without Passion, Film Is Nothing
Gorman Bechard puts it all on the line: Passion is the key to filmmaking. We should tell the stories closest…What It Means to Be an Artist
Provoking thought and change for the betterment of society is not a hobby, it is a conviction. The power of…
Latest Posts
All our posts, in reverse chronological order.
Weight Rooms and Mosh Pits: Tales of a Punk Rock Jock
My punk friends thought it was weird that I played sports, and my jock friends couldn’t understand why I had such stupid haircuts.
Women’s Sports Don’t Need Saving
Anti-trans groups who claim they want to save women’s sports…
Tokyo Canvas Takedown: T-Shirt Design Theft and How I Fought Back
“Holy shit, they stole your art!” I discovered that one-line…
Why I Love This Monthly Conceptual Art Class at the Art Students League of New York
For the first time in 150 years, art students don’t…
Music
The people who make the music.
Dear Little Bobby: Fanboy with Homemade Joy, and Old Faithful Between My Legs
Do you think that the big Hollywood studios are right to sue the creators of these fan films for copyright infringement?
Dear Rich: Can I Stream My Cover Song?
We’re not sure imitation is always flattery, but we are pretty sure it’s not infringement. Copyright doesn’t recognize style, vibe, feel, or genre, only original content (though that rule has been tested recently).
Feature: Music Makers
The people who make the music.
Pyragraph TV
Moving pictures and experiments in streaming.
Pyragraph LIVE from the Albuquerque Press Club: Len & Donna Romano
Len and Donna give the lowdown on their branding biz Ripe Inc., the Washington Middle School mural project, and meeting Len’s doppelganger Jeff Goldblum.
Join Us to Supercharge Your Vote: A Livestream Event!
We’ve been living through such extreme weirdness that otherwise easy…
THE CANCELED SHOWS: TPC, Alli Wodar, Amanda LaForest on Exotica Music & Tiki
Eva Avenue plays music by musicians who had shows canceled…
Democratic AF Pilot Episode Featuring Billy McCall
Host Peri Pakroo talks with Billy McCall about his new…
Feature: Brandish
Artists and their favorite tools.
Music & Creativity
Pyragraph LIVE from the Albuquerque Press Club: Sam Miller
We chat with Sam about living in NYC versus Seattle versus New Mexico; songwriting inspiration in the middle of the…
Art is Political Because Life is Political
Everything we touch and use in this world has been affected by the choices of businesses, governments, activist groups and…
What’s Your Deal, Ari Herstand?
Ari Herstand started his own practical, no-bullshit blog based on his own experiences taking over the music scenes in Minneapolis…
Building a Guitar with Guy Clark: First Steps
In early 2012 I was in Nashville, sitting around the table with Guy, his wife Susanna, and Brennen Leigh, and…
Free Resource
Not to Be Dramatic, But It’s Time to Save Democracy Now, Okay?
We’ve got to focus. We are at a point before the election where the actions of the next few weeks have the potential to impact our lives — and the lives of immigrants, children and the disenfranchised, as well as…
Design
Freelance Illustration Careers in Publishing, Part 1: Editorial
The likelihood of having a career in illustration is about the same as having a career as a Hollywood screenwriter or actor, with much less pay.
Music
The Joy of Taking Breaks and Learning Something New
I wanted to do real things with my real muscles, so I signed up for a circus intensive. I didn’t have any shows booked so it was perfect timing.
Film/Stage
Burning Questions for Duct Tape Joe, New Orleans Sideshow Clown
I first met him before all the face tattoos, back in Florida when he was 15, painting his eyelashes white and sewing other people’s hair into his own hair.
How to Create an Intimate Moment With Only One Actor on Stage
Set and lighting tricks can help create a sense of intimacy, but only if the intimacy is already present in the writing. It has to be in the words.
Choosing Board Members to Maximize Your Nonprofit’s Effectiveness
The very best prospects for your nonprofit’s board will be people who share a passion for, and commitment to, the nonprofit’s mission. No matter what name recognition or professional credentials particular people may have to offer, they will not be assets to your nonprofit’s board unless they care a lot about what you do.
What’s Your Deal, The 1960 Sci-Fi Era?
My name is Scott Elkins; I go by the name The 1960 Sci-Fi Era. I am a songwriter and production artist.
Meow Wolf: The Newfangled and Undefinable
If by this point you have not heard about Meow Wolf, you have our permission to crawl out from whatever giant robot’s foot you’ve been hiding under.
Dear Little Bobby: Filmmaker Who Wants to Share My Story, and Animal Lover Who Wants to Love Makeup
My research also helped me discover many brands of cosmetics which ARE in fact cruelty-free and which treat our animal cousins with Compassion.
Weight Rooms and Mosh Pits: Tales of a Punk Rock Jock
My punk friends thought it was weird that I played sports, and my jock friends couldn’t understand why I had such stupid haircuts.
How to Photograph the Most Photographed Event in the World
The Balloon Fiesta offers a photographer a challenge unlike any…
My Hopefully-Not-Boring Wellness Tips
I tend to find articles about diet and exercise incredibly…
Dear Little Bobby: My Head Is Going To Explode
You have probably heard it said that we “can’t fix…
Tokyo Canvas Takedown: T-Shirt Design Theft and How I Fought Back
“Holy shit, they stole your art!” I discovered that one-line message when I opened Facebook a few weeks ago. A friend sent it, along with a screenshot of an ad that had randomly appeared in her feed.
Keep Joy Alive: Pursuing My Passion for My Mental Health
Ask me what my passions are, and I’ll include writing…
How to Write a Music Video Treatment: ‘Ferraris On Ice’
It’s a simple, effective way to organize and communicate your…
Busting Up Fashion’s Hierarchy of ‘Acceptable’ Shapes
I grew up queen-size—an Amazonian tree-grazing, wide hip-having, size 12.5…
Weight Rooms and Mosh Pits: Tales of a Punk Rock Jock
My punk friends thought it was weird that I played sports, and my jock friends couldn’t understand why I had such stupid haircuts.
PyraGuide: Supercharge Your Vote!
It goes without saying there’s a lot riding on the…
What’s Your Deal, Hurdle?
“Just as Faye was about to get the party started…
What’s Your Deal, Floozy?
I’m telling you, people, Floozy is fun. I’ve played a…
Hello Internet: Meet the Creator Who Turned His Furry Friends into a Yuletide Hit
Hello Internet, My friend Hudson recently asked me to sing the lyrics to his new song Kitty Cat Christmas over some music. It’s not unusual he’d write a song about…
Be Free Where You Are: Crowdfunding Indie Films
Guest Blogger Emily Best shares how Seed&Spark and its #StayIndieTour…
What Does It Mean When Someone Says, ‘Your Work Reminds Me Of…’
Inevitably someone is going to compare your work to someone…
Dear Little Bobby: 9 Lives of Cat Calls
When we deny families and schools the resources needed for…
Weight Rooms and Mosh Pits: Tales of a Punk Rock Jock
My punk friends thought it was weird that I played sports, and my jock friends couldn’t understand why I had such stupid haircuts.
Dear Little Bobby: 9 Lives of Cat Calls
When we deny families and schools the resources needed for…
Vision — Bored to Board
My friend hosting us said, “Hey, let’s make a vision…
How Theater Education Can Change the World
Guest Blogger Jeff Andersen: “We work with students in local…
Weight Rooms and Mosh Pits: Tales of a Punk Rock Jock
My punk friends thought it was weird that I played sports, and my jock friends couldn’t understand why I had such stupid haircuts.
Burning Questions for Andrew Fearnside, the Fine and Resourceful Artist
Andrew advises: “Let your work take up even more space…
PyraGuide: Supercharge Your Vote!
It goes without saying there’s a lot riding on the…
What Artists Brandish: Hard Drives and Running Shoes
While we post a new photo every week on social…
Tokyo Canvas Takedown: T-Shirt Design Theft and How I Fought Back
“Holy shit, they stole your art!” I discovered that one-line message when I opened Facebook a few weeks ago. A friend sent it, along with a screenshot of an ad that had randomly appeared in her feed.
Where in the World Should We Manufacture?
Local manufacturing can lead to greater innovation, it can be…
Self-Employed Happy Hour Podcast: Awkward Holiday Office Party & Season Finale
To close out the year we figured why not throw…
THE CANCELED SHOWS 4: Weedfeeder, Miranda and The Beat, Reporter Damian Garde on Hydroxychloroquine on Pyragraph TV
The Canceled Shows includes a demo of how I suit…