No Plan "B" - We all have some kind of dream for what we want to do in our professional lives. Too often we trade those dreams for the promise of a low-risk backup plan or "Plan B." John shares how to spot and overcome this trap. About John McDavitt Visual Artist/Speaker http://mcdavittdesign.com John is a designer, illustrator, sculptor, muralist, educator and speaker. He studied special effects make-up under Oscar winner, Dick Smith (The Exorcist, Amadeus, The Godfather). That skillset translated to a successful career in toy and product development (Wilton, Huffy, The Bradford Group, Big League Chew, Thomas the Train, Disney, Lamaz), product presentation and marketing. John began his career as a t-shirt airbrush artist and after earning $11,000 in one month at age 20, he decided a career as a creative entrepreneur was the only way to go. Airbrushing led to a decade long consultancy for Badger Airbrush Company. John has created a number of large mural commissions, his most recent for ‘unLOCK: Merging Art & Industry’ in Lockport, IL through the Gaylord Building program, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. John’s speaking presentations encourage artists and entrepreneurs ‘they can do it, too!’ John teaches artists how to design and illustrate as well as how to make the transition to creative professional. He hosts ‘The Breakthrough Creative’ podcast. Follow John on YouTube and Instagram (@muralguy). For more videos about making a living in the creative fields subscribe to our YouTube channel. We will be adding more videos from the 20th Annual SEA Conference sessions as they become available. For more information about SEA visit www.selfemploymentinthearts.com Looking to connect with other like-minded creatives? Join our free SEA Mastermind Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSEAMastermind/

Visual artist and curator, Sergio Gomez, provides a keynote talk about closing the gap - leveraging who you are, what you have, and where you are. The session was taped at the 19th Annual SEA Conference. About Sergio Gomez: Sergio Gomez is a Chicago based visual artist, curator and creative entrepreneur. His artwork has been subject of over 45 solo exhibitions and has participated in over 150 group exhibitions in the US and abroad. In 2018, his work received 4 solo museum shows in Romania, Mexico, and Italy. His work can be found in numerous private and public collections. Sergio is the founder of 33 Contemporary Gallery, faculty at South Suburban College, curator at the Zhou B. Art Center and co-funder of the Art NXT Level coaching program. His weekly Art NXT Level podcast and Breakfast with Sergio video show inspires and educates artists around the world. Web: www.sergiogomezonline.com Instagram: @sergiogomezprojects

Creativity and the Imposter Syndrome: Pushing through fraudulent feelings to embrace your genius Do you have that underlying feeling that you aren't good enough? Or that you are not as smart, talented or creative as people think you are? Truth is, everybody is winging everything - work, school, parenting, relationships, eyeliner...EVERYTHING! But, the Imposter Syndrome is that nagging feeling that despite your achievements, you are a fraud and everyone will find out. You are not a fraud! Your talent, successes and achievements are real. It's time to learn how to own it! This session was presented at the 20th Annual Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) Conference by Camille Jamerson, CDJ & Associates - CEO & Senior Consultant About Camille: www.cdjandassociates.com Camille Jamerson, CEO of CDJ & Associates, is an expert fixer, creative branding mastermind, and business growth strategist! Her experience from numerous C-suite level, high-level positions in Corporate America has honed her eye for perfection and her ear for innovation. She has managed the brands and projects for political figures, public figures, musical artists, authors, and entrepreneurs. Known as the Olivia Pope of the Midwest, Camille is certified as a CEM® (Certified Emergency & Crisis Manager) and she holds 3 executive business certifications from Harvard University. Camille is also a former International Pageant Queen, and award-winning author of 3 books. Just recently Ms. Jamerson became the CEO of a second company, The Camille Company, a high net worth Lifestyle & training brand. Camille is an energetic, lively international speaker that captivates audiences with her examples and humor, but motivates them to action with her wisdom, experience, and knowledge! About SEA: SEA is about helping emerging creatives learn about the business side of the arts by connecting them with the resources, knowledge, and mentors to help them succeed. For 20 years, SEA has held an in-person two-day event focused on making a living in the arts. Over 40 presenters from a variety of creative fields would lead sessions, workshops, small group discussions, and one-on-one mentoring opportunities. During the pandemic, programming is being expanded to virtual formats that will provide an on-going source of support once we are able to return to in-person events. Feel free to join us for our weekly free networking sessions every Wednesday at 11 AM CST. Each week we have a special guest who discusses a specific topic. Check out the schedule and more in our closed Facebook Mentoring group, The SEA Mastermind (free to join). https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSEAMastermind For more information about SEA, visit https://www.selfemploymentinthearts.com

Does your Mission Match Your Market?: "I've grown because I've grown." Annie Hackett shares how her artistic business has doubled in the last 6 years because she has grown personally and expanded her mission to make a difference to a greater audience. She has made it her mission to match her market but retain the values that she has always felt were important. (This session was recorded live at the 20th Annual Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) Conference) About Annie: Annie Hackett is a passionate speaker who shares her entrepreneurial journey from dancer to educator to business owner with other small business professionals. She is a certified coach for “More Than Just Great Dancing,” a licensed dance studio affiliation program that impacts over 75,000 dance students around the globe each week. Her dance and music school, the Kenosha Academy of Performing Arts, founded in 2006, has been featured in Dance Magazine and Dance Teacher Magazine. The school’s growth to over 700 students, thriving through economic ups and downs alike, is a testament to Annie’s entrepreneurial savviness. She is the founder of the dance program at Carthage College (Kenosha WI) and has been a frequent guest teacher at Columbia College and Roosevelt University (Chicago, IL). In her over 30 years as a dance educator Annie’s students have been accepted into prestigious dance programs with professional dance companies and universities. Annie has performed and choreographed internationally. Her choreography has been seen at professional theaters across the US. Onstage she has performed in productions at theaters across the United States, Europe, and on cruise ships, and she is a member of the Actor’s Equity Association. Annie’s mission is to create awareness that there are viable career options in the arts. About SEA: SEA's mission is to provide educational resources to help aspiring artists gain the entrepreneurial knowledge, skills, and connected needed to establish and maintain a career as an independent artist. More information can be found at https://www.selfemploymentinthearts.com and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/selfemploymentinthearts/ Looking to connect with other creatives? Join our free facebook group, the SEA Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSEAMastermind/

The Pursuit of Happiness presented by Denise Laurin-Donatelle at the 20th Annual SEA Conference. Through stories and analogies, Denise shares how to: keep your passion high, overcome negative messages internal and external in the form of criticism, balance family, work and self, and find a purpose and live a life with meaning. Denise Laurin-Donatelle is an artist, educator and art historian. As founder of Living Creatively, she guides students to attain artistic aspirations through mentoring and skill-building. Denise began her studies at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago and earned a B.A. in Studio Art and Art History, and an M.A. in Art History from Northern Illinois University. Denise also studied at the American Academy and The New York Academy of Art. Her media include oil, graphite, charcoal, and pastels. She has taught many college courses including Portfolio and Design. Her favorite art history subjects are Ancient and Non-Western. She Lived in New York City from 2009-2014 where she taught art at a private school. While there, she held workshops at MoMA during 2013. Prior to establishing Living Creatively, Denise founded a successful design practice, serving clients from many sectors of business. She won national recognition for her work and was named Woman of the Year by Women in Design/Chicago. For more videos and resources about making a living in the creative fields, visit www.selfemploymentinthearts.com. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get updates on the latest videos. Looking to connect with like-minded creatives? Join our FREE Facebook group - the SEA Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSEAMastermind/

Sustaining the Swing. Finding your true center in the perpetual pendulum of work and life. “Emily Weber's analogy of the "Perpetual Pendulum" is a real life example of what has been going on in my life for quite some time, but was never able to identify it. I am appreciative of Emily for being able to put this into a perspective so that I am able to "sustain the swing" by recognizing and handling situations accordingly as they come up. This a fantastic image for visual learners like myself to be able to stay grounded in my true center.” - Amanda Arnold About Emily: Born creative, Emily found her passion for dance at the young age of two, in small town rural Illinois. Overcoming physical limitations at a young age, she realized the fruits of her labor and the truth that hard work, applied consistently over a period of time, fosters massive improvement. The work ethic learned in the dance studio is the same work ethic that has helped her and her husband Brian build a family of companies including their multi-location performing arts center, real estate investment company and wholesale retail company. She has committed her life to serving others by passing on her philosophy that personal growth and accountability are the greatest gifts we can give to ourselves and our world. As a pioneer of change herself, Emily has taken her experiences to intentionally influence leaders, entrepreneurs, families, and students from a variety of backgrounds and in locations around the world. Emily gives credit to her mom, Jackie, for teaching her that you can do anything you put your mind to and that every person you meet matters. She gives credit to the arts for the great impact it has had on her life and credit to God for saving hers. Because of these influences, Emily works to pay it forward with their family mission to give every child access to the arts. If Emily is not at the studio, she can be found in one of her two favorite places in the world-sitting on the porch listening to her husband Brian sing with their four children: Nikki- Their passionate pursuer Brinlee- Their intuitive strategist Haven- Their creative artist Gevyn- Their busy builder The other is sharing life in Cite Soleil, Haiti. Emily believes we are given this life to share it and is thankful for each and every opportunity given to her to do so. To read more about Emily’s story visit www.emilyshares.com. Since 2000, the Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) Conference has been connecting emerging creatives to the resources, skills, and mentors to help them succeed at what they love to do. The focus is on the business of arts with the majority of the content being delivered by creative professionals. The event is held the end of February in the Chicago area. For more details about SEA, visit www.selfemploymentinthearts.com. SEA is housed at North Central College in Naperville, IL and funded through grants from The Coleman Foundation of Chicago, The John E. and Jeanne T. Hughes Charitable Foundation, and The Illinois Arts Council. Additional support is provided by Millikin University, Guident Business Solutions, DePaul University, University of Missouri Kansas City, Beloit College, Illinois State University, Blick Art Materials, Band for Today, Blooming Color, and Ace Metal.

No one better understands rejection than an actor! In her interactive and entertaining keynote, Alison will share how she used her study of advanced body language to persist confidently in the theater when most of her colleagues were choosing to leave the business. She will give body language tips to better stand your ground as an artist when you are being undervalued, and ways to uncover hidden talents or alternative avenues to keep being a creative while building profitability. Alison Henderson is one of 26 consultants worldwide in the field of subconscious behavior observation called Movement Pattern Analysis. As founder and lead consultant at Moving Image Consulting, she coaches business and thought leaders to improve communication and collaboration by learning to "Read the Room." Alison is also an expert at helping her clients find their authentic communication by matching their words to their actions. Alison has trained diverse audiences from the Women's Bar Association of Illinois to CPAs to the Military Processing Entrance Command! She has spoken at conferences around the United States and Europe and is writing a new book on the body brain connection for ultimate confident and visionary leadership! Read the fundamentals behind Alison’s work in her first book, "Reducing the Drama in Business Relationships" available on Amazon.com. Learn more at www.movingimageconsulting.com. This session was filmed at the 20th Annual Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) Conference which was held February 22nd and 23rd, 2020 at Columbia College in Chicago. SEA holds an annual conference the end of February each year as well as having a website and social media sites full of resources. Our focus is on helping emerging creatives connect to the resources and mentors they need to succeed. Learn more at www.selfemploymentinthearts.com. And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel to access more useful videos! Looking for a way to stay connected with emerging and creative professionals? Join our FREE closed Facebook group the SEA Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheSEAMastermind/

Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) Closing Keynote presentation by Darlene Jackson (DJ Lady D): Mission Possible - A Guide to Maintaining Image and Brand (Regardless of What Your Bank Account Says) Darlene Jackson aka DJ Lady D, is hailed as “Chicago’s House Music Queen” by Chicago Magazine and is a respected figure in Chicago’s creative community, a member of the Screen Actors Guild, and a voting member of NARAS (The Grammy’s). Jackson has toured North America, Europe, Asia and Russia as an international DJ, producer, remixer, and in 2004 became a music publisher when she launched her independent record label and marketing brand, D’lectable. Well known for charismatic musical sets, her appearances at SXSW, Lollapalooza and for fan-filled, influencer, charity and celebrity events such as for Dave Chapelle, Queen Latifah and more, have solidified her trailblazing career. She first acted professionally in “The Marva Collins Story” (with Cicely Tyson and Morgan Freeman) and as a renowned DJ has been a featured subject in numerous print, television and film media including the music documentaries Girl, The Godfather of Disco, and Slipcue. Her story also is captured in the books, Do You Remember House by Micah Salkind, How To DJ Right by Frank Broughton, and Disco Demolition: The Night Disco Died by Dave Hoekstra. As a host, producer, writer, and researcher, Jackson has worked with various media outlets including the Chicago Tribune, URB, Discoid, Chicago Public Media, Vocalo.org, NPR and BBC radio. You can currently hear Jackson on the radio the last Friday of every month on Vocalo.org 91.1 FM-Chicago. She also obtained her Master’s Degree in Health Communication from Northwestern University and currently advises students and designs and curates programs as a Creative Industry Liaison for The Career Center at Columbia College Chicago. For more information about DJ Lady D, visit her website: djladydchicago.com For more videos focused on making a living with your art / creative skills: Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9aoJFk0m-MP3p9taz_ffxw?view_as=subscriber

Keynote by visual artist and designer, Juan de Lascurian at the 19th Annual Self-Employment in the Arts (SEA) Conference at 2112 Chicago. From Living at a Youth Hostel and working out of a Starbuck's to his brand selling over $1,000,000 in licensed products, Juan's story is about overcoming obstacles, having faith, and dreaming big. Juan de Lascurain is an artist-designer from Mexico City. He travels the world painting and exhibiting his work as well as commercializing his brand Dream Big. He is also a sought after speaker about entrepreneurship, design, and inspiration. Learn more about Juan at https://dreambigworld.com For more videos and resources about making a living in the arts, visit https://www.selfemploymentinthearts.com #MakingALivingInTheArts #Artist #Freelance #Creative