Networking

Billy McCall interviews Charissa Lucille about closing, then reopening Wasted Ink Zine Distro: “I have emotional whiplash from feeling so down — and then feeling so extremely excited and hopeful. So many community members stepped in and helped.”

We thought it would be helpful to periodically summarize what’s out there to calm the storm of information that seems to be swirling around us. So here is a resource list focusing on mental health, wellness and financial assistance to help soften the impact of COVID on all our lives. 

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.

The opportunities listed below are pulled from our Facebook Group page and tend to be flexible and/or remote, though we will include some from our home state of New Mexico.

We believe we can leverage our social capital to inspire allies to support our vision for a future where the lives of Native women are no longer at risk and we have no more stolen sisters.

John Fugelsang is in Albuquerque to perform “Unpresidented: The true story of a comedian trying to raise a toddler while his country was electing one” and we were lucky enough to get him into the Pyragraph LIVE studio (a.k.a. my office) to talk about comedy, politics, religion, and how he’s pulled all those elements and more into his unique creative career. 

Trust me, filling a ticketed show is hard work. Getting 30 people out to a gig on a Friday night in a large metropolitan city is like pulling teeth! That’s why bands split bills. If you’re at a place where you can fill the room, you probably could use a booking agent.

If your inbox is overflowing with booking requests and media opportunities, and you simply cannot handle the workload on your own, you need a manager.

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.

We artists and writers can’t afford to passively watch all the things we care about burn to the ground. Rather, we should be proactive in ensuring that the arts have a place to flourish and thrive in every town and community in the US.

Can’t get to the mic? Can’t make it out to shows? You still wanna be a comic? Well then, my friend, it’s time to pitch in and help out the comedy community.

I’m a musician trying to decide how much I can afford to spend on instruments, renting a practice space, going on tour, and the rest. Sometimes it gives me anxiety and causes stress between me and my partner. How much is too much to spend on my art?

The music industry is not going to end, of course. In fact, I feel positive that it could become the biggest it’s ever been. The demand for music is high. So what needs to be done to get there and how can musicians like me survive in the changing times?

Creatives all over the country are looking for ways to activate their communities. If you’re in a similar position, one thing you can do to act now is to put on an event that benefits a cause you care about. I talked with four comedy producers that did just that.

In Albuquerque, two Artists’ Town Hall meetings in the past month have had packed houses, full of the city’s deep well of creatives urgently looking for ways to make a difference in a world of angsty uncertainty. 100+ artists gathered December 12 to work together to identify routes for community and individual action.