What is next?

“We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

—Joseph Campbell 

This week is the final week of my Art Entrepreneurship class. Last week, Dr. Essig asked us a tough question “When you are the decision maker, and you create a start up with your team putting years efforts in it, and finally you have set up a successful enterprise, then, you might face a situation that people want to replace you for the enterprise’s further development. What will you do?” The question is tough but real.

I thought that if an entrepreneur was only money-driven by the first day he/she decided to be an entrepreneur. It might be much easier for him/her. During the “curtain call”, the entrepreneur can take the money that he/she deserves, and have a decent farewell with audiences. However, if an entrepreneur is only money-driven, how can he/she achieve a real successful enterprise?

OFO BIKE-FROM INTERNET

I cannot remember when it is the first day that I see many abandoned sharing bicycles on the campus. The bicycles are from OFO, an enterprise providing sharing bicycle system in Beijing, China. It’s glad to see an enterprise has an international credit, but what is next? In my first blog post, I have noticed that the entrepreneurship trend is everywhere in China few years ago. Thousands of angel investors, government grants, entrepreneurs, new ideas are released into the market. The concept, sharing economy, attracts billions of investments. In 2014, OFO enterprise was built, and it was the first enterprise providing a completed bicycle sharing system by four Peking University graduate students. Then, they take part of the national market. In 2017, Mobike enterprise was built by a technology corporation, the team took another part of national market due to their connections with other national big tech corporations. Then, they are the two big sharing bicycles providers in the nation. But from 2010 till 2018, hundreds of bicycles sharing system providers pop up in the market but ended up with failure. For example, Wukong bike, 3Vbike, and Dingding Bike announced bankruptcy during those years. Furthermore, it raised a trust crisis that they cannot afford the guarantee deposit to their consumers. Many customers just take their loss on themselves since nobody wants to assume a company to a court due to only a hundred bucks loss. Do the CEOs get what they want? Yes, annual salaries, and benefit. Even Mobike, which is still in the market, is sold to another big commercial corporation. If they are seeking for money, selling the enterprise to another big corporation, the corporation will pay for them, or even jumping into stock market, the public will pay for them. The start up teams get what they want if they are money-driven.

A sharing bikes recycle space-photo from internet 

But, the truth is, for many entrepreneurs, money is not the whole story.

Do you remember how many middle nights that you have spent in working in front of your desk? Do you remember the day when you talk with people to test your ideas although you are a person who doesn’t like to spend time taking with people that you are not familiar with? Do you remember your last failure? Even it is hard to admit your failure, but you feel happy because this failure will make a progress of the start up. Do you remember how many days you don’t have a date with human beings, just staying in the studio and establishing your minimum viable product? You have input your passion, commitment, personal emotion, and even your life in your startup and your product. When you are forced to leave the enterprise, you may lose passion, commitment, and your joy. 

Sometimes, for entrepreneurs, an enterprise is and expression of their idea, value, and mission. But don’t be afraid of your future loss before you start your work, life is a dream, don’t plan it, realize it, and see what it will bring us.

Cheers

Dong

Truth or Dare？

Man, when he does not grieve, hardly exist.

——Antonio Porchia

When I am in a party playing the “Truth or Dare” game. I always choose “Dare”. Cause when I choose the “Truth”, I have to consider about the fierce question with dare, and telling the truth bravely. Therefore, choosing “dare” will be much easier.

In my post diary “Finally, Lost in reality” in February, I talked that you would talk with me how great your scuba diving was, while I was talking about the ocean that I saw from the documentary. Finally, I got the Scuba Diving License on March. Yes, the ocean is as beautiful as you have described. In this semester, I have changed a lot. From someone who believes in institutional hierarchy to the one who would like to hear more from multiple artists. From someone who would learn from books to someone who would listen to others.

One day when I was in Sweden, I have met an artist in an art material store. I was new there, and I was choosing the best paint material for my model in a filmmaking project. The shop assistant tried every material from water color till propene. Then, we had a short talk to appreciate her help. Her name is Lotta, a watercolor artist in Sweden. Then, we had a meeting in a cafe. I created a “100 artists” project in Art Map, aiming at helping emerging artists to public their own lives to public.

From Lotta

The day when we were meeting, I brought up all of my setups to record her her talking, and ready for publish. When I questioned her that “Oh, you must be a fan of Wassily Kandinsky so that you can combine his theory about construction well in your painting”. She asked me “Who is Wassily Kandinsky?”. It was my first time doubting the institutional knowledge. We are always using our so-called magnificent knowledge to apply to other’s expression. When the dialogue came to the end, she picked up the phone that her husband was calling her. I said to her “Oh, thank you for your interview. I don’t trust in relationship. But from your case that you and your husband is so close to each other so that I may start to believe it again”. She told me that her husband was calling her to be in the bank to talk about the divorce. The last sentence she left was that “Don’t trust in marriage”.

Thousands of artists have their thousands if mournings and happiness. I am glad that I have written down my feelings that day, and thanks to Art Entrepreneurship which turned me back to put artists on the center.

Goodnight

Dong

Doing the right thing or doing things right?

When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks into you.——Nietzsche

pic from internet

Entrepreneurship Philosophy

This class, art entrepreneurship, is like an alarm, warning me every single day that doing the right thing is the most important thing. As my former posts notes, when we are building the website which puts artists on the center, aiming at curating connections for artists. Every time when we make changes, we think back our value propositions.

I am from Shanghai, a place full of plastic dreams. In one night, hundreds of startups get their venture capital, and hundreds of companies announce that they are bankrupted. When I was in Shanghai running my little app, several investors and corporations came to me to discuss possibilities. At that time, I was one of the pioneers who focused on art social media in Chinese market. But I was young dumb and didn’t care much about the app’s possibilities. Now, I appreciate the younger and dumber me that I just happened to catch the right timing in the market, but I didn’t have a clear values about the app at that time. 

Think about that, a young curator who is planning an exhibition, and her key value for this exhibition are 1)social practice, 2) putting artists on the center, 3)engagement. Then, she went to a corporation foundation to seek the financial support. She got feedbacks about 1)what was the gain for their branding? 2)if it was about social practice, they might take the risk of the government side. It is not a good deal overall unless she changes the value propositions, and also puts their social benefit but not the exhibition on the first place. Yes, this is the conversation happened between me and a former corporation partner. Following their rules can help me financially, but following my values can help me do the right thing..

The website progress 

This week, we worked together for our revenues and set up our three year projection. We have researched every number in our projection. I appreciate to our class’s knowledge that 1) every number should be realistic, 2) it’s usual that the first year might not benefit financially. The process is tough, but it helps us control the uncertainties and risks. When we are building the website, the problem is that if we charge more from artists or focus on buyers, honestly, we can have better revenues. But it is against our value propositions, so, “doing the right thing” is one of the main power which helps the website to be what it is today…

From nothing to an enterprise

“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing.” 

–George Bernard Shaw

Pic by Federico Babina

How hard is it to be an entrepreneur? It’s not hard at all. Finding/creating the customer demand, and provide the production which meets the demand, and being innovative in the process. It’s extremely hard, from value proposition until weekly conversations testing your potential customers and partners. During the progress, the team has faced agreements, disagreements, encouragement, and as many possibilities trying as we can.

Our Minimum Viable Product is a website providing the connection for buyers and artists, in other words, curating opportunities for artists. From my former blog posts, you might see my personality pattern from my words. I trust the traditional way in art market, especially in visual art market, such as the art dealer, commercial gallery, and agency.

During last week’s class, we had a discussion about our job in establishing the website, we contributed our personal strengths and passion into the product. Then, we had a meeting in today’s morning with all the preparations and works that we had. During the group meeting, I think back about our former classes in the beginning of the semester, I feel proud of what we are today, and what we are doing. Moreover, I can feel the changes of my former understanding of art market. Looking at our unfinished product, I feel a sense of recognition, and deep connection artists we serve.

It seems like a final evaluation? No, this is far from the end. For now, we are handling the branding and tech thing, which represent to our MVP (Minimum Viable Products). We will test the web with our potential customers after this week’s class. Even though, there are lots of work to do still, but I feel super positive about the progress.

The thing is, I go to the same cafe shop everyday, drink the same type of coffee everyday, drive the same route to my home everyday, think the art in the same way. Doing the project and talking with others every week pulled me out of my comfort zone both physically and mentally. Moreover, I am not only finding possibilities in the project but also finding possibilities on myself.

Keep trying,

Dong

what if we can meet all of your fantasies as your sweet partner

“When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property. “

—-Thomas Jefferson.

Photo from Internet

Zhou Xun, a Chinese film star, once was questioned why did she marry to a guy who was not as famous as she was, she replied that “he could meet all of my fantasies”. That is the sweetest quote that I have ever heard about a relationship.

From my understanding, fantasy is based on demands but more insightful than demands, which we talk about every day in our production. In our business section, we talk about how to satisfy artists’ demands everyday.  But, what about we can satisfy to artists’ fantasies?

Do you want to find your peers who share the same idea with you? Do you want to show your works to your audiences? Do you want to seek money to support your dreams? We can satisfy to all of your fantasies!

Photo from Artists-Gigs Group

Transparency policy:

We have a debate about benefit model since the website needs the financial support to provide a better service. Most of the commercial galleries hide their percentage of their collection selling process as possible as they can to protect their information. I think whether nonprofit concept will be the mainstream awareness in the global art market, I want to be loyal to the good features of nonprofit world. Being transparent, telling artists how much percentage that we may take from the service.

So, I questioned a visual artist “what if a website can provide you a working opportunity, however, the website will take a certain percentage of profit from your work”. After a deep conversation, we have an agreement. Which inspires me that the point of this website is building a partnership/relationship with artists. Being totally transparent can build the customer trust. We are partners, so that the website will help artists to get best opportunities because we take the risks together, and we benefit together. After all, the core value in running a business is building a relationship with your customers.

Keep going, no feeling is final.

Dong

Craftsman, Entertainer, and Artist

“I think perfection is ugly. Somewhere in the things humans make, I want to see scars, failure, disorder, distortion. If I can feel those things in works by others, then I like them.”

—Yohji Yamamoto

“匠人精神/Craftsman Spirit” Photo from Internet

When I was in Los Angeles, I interviewed a young dreamer who claimed herself as an artist.

“I quit my job and life in Florida to chase my dream in Los Angeles. I am a musician.”

“Then, what do you play?”

“Guitar”

“How long have you practiced guitar?”

“three months.”

Suddenly, I felt we might have some different understandings of the term “Artist”.

Comparative literature  

In both Chinese and Japanese, there is a term “匠人精神/Craftsman Spirit”. We can see many great craftsmen, working in a field for a whole life, but they do not claim themselves as “artist” but “craftsman”. They contribute time, patience, extreme high aesthetic standard to their creation, and spend their whole life in creating in their filed. We call them crafts masters. The reason why people do not call them artists is that they do not involve a variety of fields and thoughts in their works. In other words, their creation is too perfect. I think art need coincidence, spirit, and deep thoughts but not as beautiful as a decoration.

The term “artist” in Chinese is formed by two words “艺术/art” and “家/master”. From my perspective, an artist should be well trained in skill, then, after a long-term training, he/she can involve thoughts/concepts in his/her creations, then, they are artists. The thoughts and concepts need an incredible strong knowledge base, such as philosophy, aesthetic understanding, literature, history, and value.

For those who are well trained but haven’t contribute much of their thoughts in their works, we called them painter/entertainer but not yet “artist”.

Let’s take a step back. Some audiences will argue that those so-called artists such as Kazimir Malevich, his paintings are suprematism, everyone can paint like that. But, suprematism revolution is the production after Malevich’s thousands of failed trials in abstract painting. Audience can distinguish the abstract masters’ paintings with others from the rhythm, color, and construction.

Black Suprematistic Square, 1915 by Kazimir Malevich.

production draft 

After we are in the same page of those terms “craftsmen”, “entertainer”, and “artist”. We decide to use a website as a platform to provide our service.

Step 1. members need to unload their profile in the website, also their expected payments in their creation. Step 2. the website will categorize their skills through their profile and self evaluation. Step 3. this website is providing working opportunities based on their expectation and skills.

We will not only provide one time opportunity, but also connections. However, there is conflict of interests in providing connections to our clients. We are still working on how to keep our clients’ loyalty and also help them to build long-term development.

Feedback 

Visual Artist Y: I would like to pay for the membership fees.I want to see what my peers are doing. But when it comes to me, I may not need the service that you provide, cause I already have selling channels in commercial gallery. I paid more attention to the long-term investment. Such as, what gallery I collaborate with and who collects my arts. Also, if it’s in a restaurant or a Cafe, I need the commitment that they will pay for my work, but not just exhibit there.

Choreographer S (I think she can be categorized into dancer and young artist group): I will pay for this website annual membership since I need more opportunities to stronger my earlier career. I am not that critical in where to perform. I need audiences and support in my career.

Keep Going

Dong

How difficult it is to get your first customer?

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them”

——Steve Jobs

photo from Internet

During my short stay in Los Angeles, I had a casual talk with a young playwright in a lobby. Unintentionally, I recommended(sold) a book to her successfully through our casual talk. She didn’t get a professional play writing training before, but she was so passionate that she left her home to Los Angeles to realize her artistic dream. After we found out that we shared a same interest in film, our topic focused on storytelling (awareness). When I mentioned the relation between the plot and character, she seemed to be interested in the knowledge in playwriting filed (interest). Then, I explained to her more about the book, Story, and how great Robert Mckee (the author of this book) was in training young playwrights (consideration). She added my Instagram, took the notes of the book and told me that she would like to buy one to read.

First of all, I didn’t mean to recommend/sell Robert Mckee’s book to her. However, when I think back of our whole conversation, the truth is that I have sold a book in a casual talk. I think personal connection/recommendation can be our first step to get our customers.

This unpredictable coincidence raises my interest in comparing different methods in getting our first group of customers.

A platform/app which provides the exposure opportunity for you in professional world, and engagement opportunity for you and your audience:

Will you be interested in the platform/app when you see it on social media?

Visual Artist Y: How can I know that this app will function as it describes? How much do I have to pay for using this app?

Scriptwriter J: Yes, I will give it a try.

Will you be interested in the platform/app when someone you know recommends it to you?

Visual Artist Y: Depends on the person who recommends to me. If it is recommended by some peer artists that I trust, I will consider about it. Still depends on the cost, if you recommend this app to me, I can afford no more than 150 USD for the total expense.

Scriptwriter J: Yes, if people around me recommend it to me, I’ll try it.

I think for this week’s class, we’d better figure out who is the user and who is the buyer for the product. Both of social media and personal connection work, but it seems customer’s decision will be influenced by the price.

Cheers

Dong

Vanity Fair

“What is food to one man is bitter poison to others.”

–Lucretius

Picture from La La Land

Last week, we were required to “get out of the building”, to talk with artists, having a deeper conversation with them about their problems and their pains. In order to build the archetypes, I talked with a young screenwriter, a young visual artist, and a young designer. Why do I use the term “young” to describe them? Because many “mature” artists already have their positions in art economy. After those conversations, I felt a little overwhelmed emotionally.

Basically, the young screenwriter’s problem is the stable rules in film industry, which are made by some big corporations. Young writers have to follow the rules in the industry, if they want to sell their works. For example, the data shows a specific role/ story structure/ plot, which is popular in the film industry recently, you’d better involve those probable successful elements in your work, which will be more convincible for your buyers. The young visual artist mentions that the biggest problem for her is the authority in her contemporary art community, which is under the control by a small group. The young designer’s problem is more about his work and his community.

Picture from La La Land

“Los Angeles, a city of plastic fears and dreams…”

I have traveled to many places, the most special feature in Los Angeles is that everyone clams himself/herself as an artist. I have no idea how many actors/actress, musicians, writers, painters I have met during my short stay. Most of them have a part-time or a full time job, as a driver, waiter/waitress, seller, etc. Ironically, the 90th Oscar was held yesterday on Hollywood Blvd, the street was blocked by police officers and security guards. It was my first time to witness the deep gap in the city. The blocked street was a “Vanity Fair”, and outside of the blocked street was totally another world.

Going back to the feeling of overwhelmed emotionally, it is not their pains which make me feel overwhelmed. It is when I witness their pains, however, I doubt myself if I can really make a change…

Good luck

Dong

Putting artists at the center of arts economy

“We all die. The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.”

— Chuck Palahniuk 

In Theodor W. Adorno’s theory, he separated Art from Cultural Industry. Art is unique, precious and created by artists. Meanwhile, Cultural Industry is formed by people who serve for artists and exchange art works for other economic returns.

Willian Powhida’s Mapping Patterns in the Arts Economy puts artists on the center

People often misunderstand the core role in Arts Economy, they usually place the authority and financial capital at the center of Arts Economy. For example, people understand an artist through what prizes the artist has won; what museums he/she has exhibited his/her works; Who is his/her art agency; Do big name galleries love him/she; what art fairs the artist has attended; Who is the reviewer for the artist’s work. All of these elements formed into people’s recognition to this artist. In 2017, I had a trip to the San Diego Museum of Art with a friend. My friend pulled me into a room where the Alexander Calder’s sculptures were, and she told me how popular Calder’s works were in art market/auction houses. However, she didn’t have any personal connections with the works or the artists, her recognition towards Alexander Calder was from art market. E. H. Gombrich mentions that how can we judge an art work is bad or good? Basically, it depends on your feeling as an audience. Not only the people in the Arts Economy circle should put artists at the center, but also audiences should do it.

In E. H. Gombrich’s The Story of Art, he notes, “There really is no such thing as Art. There are only artists”. Which means, “art has no timeless standards of value or beauty”(Claudia Moscovici). Think about Impressionism revolution, a group of pioneers want to break the former aesthetic, pursuing the real representation of nature/reality. Within the Impressionism influence, Post-Impressionism is a group of people who are against the pure representation of nature. They think that personal expression is more important than just copying the reality. Today, you can see Impressionism and Post-Impressionism artists’ works hanging on the wall and being parts of art history. So, what is the topic of contemporary art? With no doubt, it is social practice in contemporary world. In Helguera’s words, “social practice is an art medium that focuses on engagement through human interaction and social discourse”.

Photo from Guggenheim Museum

Ironically, I was a protester against Ai Weiwei, because I thought his role was more like a social critic than an pure artist presenting high standard aesthetic works; Also, I was pretty optimistic with the Guggenheim Museum’s 2017 exhibition, China after 1989: Theater of the World, which involves key artists, “whose provocations aim to forge reality free from ideology, to establish the individual apart from the collective”(Alexandra Munroe). I thought artists had done an enough job in social practice. Until today, my liberal dream is in pieces…

Never enough…

Dong

Adorno, T. W., & Rabinbach, A. G. (1975). “Culture industry reconsidered.” New German Critique, (6), 12-19.

Claudia Moscovici, https://www.literaturadeazi.ro/rubrici/artistic-legacies/art-history-part-i-e-h-gombrich-and-the-story-of-art-10502

Helguera, Pablo (2012). Education for Socially Engaged Art. New York: Jorge Pinto Books. p. 22.

https://www.guggenheim.org/press-release/guggenheim-presents-art-and-china-after-1989-theater-of-the-world-opening-october-6-2017

A Successful Failure

“If you can see your path laid out in front of you step by step, you know it’s not your path. Your own path you make with every step you take. That’s why it’s your path.”

——Joseph Campbell

Photo from internet

Well, if you can see your customers value in your notebook written by your, after spending days and nights sitting in the library alone. Unfortunately, it’s not your customers’ value. The reason of this failure is neither you are not smart enough nor you don’t think hard enough. Your customers’ value only exists after you raise your hypotheses, and test them with your real customers.

I withdrew 3 value propositions that we, as a group, thought would be applied to artists. What if a platform can provide: 1) design/ branding/ marketing services; 2) physical spaces for artists’ presentation; 3) collect data/informations for artists, such as other artists’ work. Are you willing to pay for it?

“Talk less, smile more, don’t let them know what you’re against and what you’re for”

In order to get fair feedbacks, we’d better not influence interviewees’ natural thoughts. Don’t influence them with our subjective opinions, encourage them to speak for themselves.

Photo by: Yago Partal” Zoo Portraits”

A visual designer,

1. I am a branding designer. (With lots of “?????” and a big “NO”).
2. Yes. Both for my financial need and exposure need.
3. Yes. If I can get the data, I can learn more. More importantly, I can show the report to my clients, asking for a more fair payment.

Photo by: Yago Partal” Zoo Portraits”

A young public/installation artist, who is not active in art market.

1. Yes. I think it will be super helpful for both pure artists and commercial artists. (I didn’t ask for his definitions of “pure” and “commercial” artists. Cause it might lead this conversation to another topic, and also, disagreements.)
2. Yes. For me, I think more exhibition opportunities will help me to reach out more audiences.
3. No. I already have many accesses to get informations. I don’t need more from chaos.

Photo by: Yago Partal” Zoo Portraits”

An easel painting artist, who is active in both international and national art markets.

1. No. The only thing I trust is my painting, which can represent me. That is my brand.
2. No. I have more than enough opportunities. I don’t need more ways to promote myself.
3. No. I already have my art circle. I need time to paint alone, but not wasting time in other things.

Those are only 3 artists’ feedbacks that I have interviewed about the value propositions. I appreciate their honesty, even though, those reactions are far away from my prediction. However, it is the reality…

Cheers

Dong

Lesson3, 4, 5 from Udacity. https://www.udacity.com/