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.
Turning Adversity Into Poetry
I wouldn’t want to suggest foregoing the grieving process in favor of art, but perhaps it’s possible to funnel some…Writing Myself Into Being: Upending the Cliche of the Sweet, Diminutive Abuela
That’s the great thing about writing: It allows us to create a separate world of pure imagination.5 Tips for Making a No-Budget Music Video
One of the reasons I was always loathe to storyboard (besides the fact that I can’t draw for shit) was…
Latest Posts
All our posts, in reverse chronological order.
Women’s Sports Don’t Need Saving
Anti-trans groups who claim they want to save women’s sports are all full of shit.
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…
Hello Internet: Meet the Creator Who Turned His Furry Friends into a Yuletide Hit
Hello Internet, My friend Hudson recently asked me to sing…
Music
The people who make the music.
Record It Yourself!
Somewhere along the line I decided to play solo, do my own recordings, and make most of my own music videos. Why? Because I’m a fucking artist and I can.
Lessons From the Road: Zen and the Art of Pumping Gas
Just stand here. Stand here. Be still. Pump gas.
Feature: Music Makers
The people who make the music.
Pyragraph TV
Moving pictures and experiments in streaming.
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 up to go out in the world, some crowd-sourced opinions on yoga, and an interview with national biotech reporter Damian Garde because of that wonder drug lololol Trump’s pushing. Featuring two groups whose members missed SXSW this year after it was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.
THE CANCELED SHOWS 5: Jalessa Blackshear, Fast Heart Mart, La Leif, Jack Evan Johnson, I Know Billy
THE CANCELED SHOWS 5 includes footage from a BLM demonstration,…
Pyragraph LIVE from the Press Club: Ryan Leonski and Shandiin Woodward
We chat with game developers Ryan Leonski and Shandiin Woodward…
Pyragraph LIVE from the Albuquerque Press Club: Mauro Woody
We chat with Mauro about the scene for women-led experimental…
Feature: Brandish
Artists and their favorite tools.
Music & Creativity
PR Basics I’ve Learned from Smitten Kitchen
I love using this successful blog as a model for my own online musical marketing promotional adventure.
Dear Little Bobby: Too Slow, Manilow?
Our modern civil rights movement needs as many people as possible to be themselves and for us to work together…
Your Band Is Your Brand
You don’t need to always be actively pushing your music in everyone’s face. Let people sit with it. Let them…
What’s Your Deal, Sage and Jared’s Happy Gland Band?
Sage & Jared’s Happy Gland Band will be unleashing happiness upon Pyragraph’s ReLaunch party, and we’re feeling positively engorged.
Free Resource
How to Improve Your Financial IQ
Stop avoiding your numbers. There’s nothing to be afraid of and everything to gain.
Design
Dear Rich: Is Gallery Liable for Artist Infringement?
Clothing designs are not protected under copyright law and resale is permitted under the first sale doctrine.
Music
Dear Readers: A New Year, Pyragraph Premium & You
While we mostly run on fumes, we do have costs. Please help us set a foundation for sustainability in 2015 by subscribing to Pyragraph Premium.
Film/Stage
Dear Rich: Can I Theatricize ‘Hoarders’?
Generally, novelists and dramatists can get away with fictionalizing real life people and events without permission.
Faith Over Fear
I caught myself stressing, like I did every month, over how I was going to pay my 3-bedroom’s whopping $250 rent on my unpredictable performer’s salary.
So You’ve Got a White Supremacist in the Audience
Staying silent is a way of obeying the rules and protecting yourself while doing nothing to address the bigotry on display in front of you. Every day that a bigot thinks they can get away with their hatred in public is another day they can influence others to their way of thinking.
Sage Pipes In: My Top PyraPosts
Eva! OK sure, there are some great pieces on your list of top-ten Pyragraph posts. But you’ve overlooked some of my bestest favorites!
Get Your Screenplay Right
Remember that a micro-budget film is not a bad thing; it’s a horrible story that hurts the most.
When Revolutions Comes Around: A Theater Phenomenon
Revolutions is very much alive, and Tricklock Company is holding on to the reins, enjoying the ride without any intention of trying to tame it.
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.
COUNTDOWN TO MEMORY #2: A Little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That
I certainly try not to think about how this 9th…
What To Do When No One Shows Up at Your Book Signing
At the signing, I laid out cookies, vegetables and dip…
Some Love for My Top PyraPosts
Working with awesome contributors like these is why I started…
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.
Clown Fish of the Lit Ecosystem
Entrepreneur Lee Francis is the “Indiginerd” mastermind behind Indigenous Comic…
Dear Little Bobby: Trying to Help a Sick Friend
There is also the act of allowing her to be…
Art Hurts, but That Doesn’t Mean You Have to Suffer
So art-making is a struggle, and struggle is pain. There…
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…
THE CANCELED SHOWS 5: Jalessa Blackshear, Fast Heart Mart, La Leif, Jack Evan Johnson, I Know Billy
THE CANCELED SHOWS 5 includes footage from a BLM demonstration,…
There Are No Magic Doors: Or, Why No One Else Is Responsible for Your Success
The good news is that this work is enjoyable. Figuring…
Dear Little Bobby: Worried and Still Bar-Hopping With My Alcoholic Friend
I don’t want to be an annoying downer so I’m…
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…
Ishita Mili Shares the Story Behind Urban Indian Dance
I started to get really pissed at so many things…
How to Feel Great Before, During and After an Audition
The couple hours before the audition are spent figuring out…
Embellishment or Thievery? How to Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
People will be inspired by my art and I will…
Women’s Sports Don’t Need Saving
Anti-trans groups who claim they want to save women’s sports are all full of shit.
Dear Little Bobby: Trapped With Right-Wing Radio, and Threesome With Dogs
Do we just have to wait until our animals die…
Staying Organized, Busy, Inspired and Sexy: Part III
I haven’t pounded out a syllable. I’ve avoided writing all…
Self-Employed Happy Hour Podcast: Women & Creativity
We had a great talk about the unique ways that…
Women’s Sports Don’t Need Saving
Anti-trans groups who claim they want to save women’s sports are all full of shit.
Dear Little Bobby: Frisky in Frisco
For some people, some fantasies should remain fantasies. For others,…
Punk Trump
Of course I want us all to “do the work”…
But What About the Revolution?
A society in which not all members are free is…
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.
Five-Step Pep Talk
If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will…
Jackie Battenfield: Make a Living Doing What You Love
“The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What…
Dear Little Bobby: Bummed by Bitches and Squeezed in San Francisco
I hate my bandmates’ partners’ thinly veiled bitchiness. I’m considering…