DIY Promotion

Being an artist means putting yourself out there. The deeper and more real your expressions are, the more you set yourself up for criticism. Sometimes it’s tough to sift through which criticism to ignore, and which to pay attention to.

Southwestness publisher/editor Samatha Anne Carrillo shares the worldview and inspirations that drive her work: “In the real world, facts exist and science is real. … Since Southwestness is my own site, I have the freedom to report on our corner of the world based on my own perception of the world. There’s no question that this perception is still evolving and thank goodness for that!”

Entrepreneur Lee Francis is the “Indiginerd” mastermind behind Indigenous Comic Con (aka IndigiPop X) and Red Planet Books & Comics. Dr. Francis dishes on cultivating Indiginerds, supporting community and how his niche bookstore thrives in the retail ocean.

Nate and Ben of Iska Dhaaf chat with Sam Miller about their latest album: “I think writing about dark things is healthy. Our first album had themes about drone warfare and disconnection. The new EP is more about communication and wanting to be close to others, even though we often fall short.”

For the last few years, I kept checking for accessible foreign editions of some of these books. I reached out directly to Reza Dalvand, the illustrator of Ace, who put me in touch with his publisher in Iran.

Ayanna D.N. Freeman explains how she went from having no idea her destiny was in skincare to launching and nurturing her own successful brand.

Our latest background image is a painting by artist, photographer and filmmaker Jesse Littlebird. Check out his visual art on Instagram. 

Please forgive me for taking until now to announce that in May 2020 I hired Lisa Barrow as Editor, and I could not be more stoked to have her as my very first employee!

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.

Eva Avenue plays music by musicians who had shows canceled due to COVID19 concerns. See artists’ links below, in the order they appeared, to find out more!

Hey arts-loving friends! Albuquerque’s Arts Hub is raising funds for artists impacted by the pandemic. Donate at their Facebook page or at their website at http://www.abqartshub.com/relief

Eva Avenue shares more songs from bands who’ve had to COVID-cancel shows or tours. If you like what you hear, go to their page and support an artist today! Titles and links below.

Many of us are stuck in isolation, unable to share or promote our work in the ways originally planned like tours, festivals, conferences, etc., so I was thinking it might be of help to offer a way to spread the word digitally about what’s happening with your work.

Filmmaker Alejandro Montoya Marin is in the finishing stages of producing his second feature, Millennium Bugs. It was supposed to screen at SXSW, and Antonio was slated to participate on a panel about independent filmmaking — but a nasty pathogen has thwarted his plans.

If you are new to craft shows, or even if you have been doing it a while, consider these elements to help improve your displays.

“It was kind of surreal and didn’t sink in how crazy and legendary the room was when we were there. It almost doesn’t feel like OMG I was in the same room as Elvis and Johnny Cash; there is some kind of vibe in the room that I can’t describe.”