Our paths in life often start with a dream, but they can’t end there. “A lot of times we just sit in the dream without putting the infrastructure in place so that the dream can be realized,” says Aaron Dworkin, author, performance artist and professor of arts leadership and entrepreneurship at University of Michigan.
Aaron is this week’s guest on the Make Meaning podcast and has built an impressive, multi-faceted career using his talents, passion and unique sense of identity. As founder of the Sphinx Organization, he is dedicated to promoting diversity in the arts. As a professor and author, Aaron passes on practical wisdom to others in his new book, The Entrepreneurial Artist – Lessons from Highly Successful Creatives. Listen as Aaron reads an excerpt from his book and discusses with Lynne how to “architect a life” and build a sustainable career from artistic expression here:
Aaron Dworkin was President Obama’s first appointment to the National Council on the Arts. He was also appointed by Michigan’s Governor Rick Snyder to the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs. He is known nationally and locally as a driving force in arts leadership and entrepreneurship with a dedication to social entrepreneurship in his work, founding the Sphinx Organization, and in his writing. He has produced two CDs, an independent film, a visual digital art project, and has authored several books in a variety of genres. He is currently touring a new spoken word and orchestral performance entitled “American Rhapsody.”
In this episode, Lynne and Aaron discuss:
- Being prepared for opportunities
- Aaron’s path to social entrepreneurship
- Defining and controlling our own identity
- The power of diversity in the arts, historically and now
- Architecting a life and building a successful career around a passion
Links and Resources
- Classical composers of color: William Grant Still, Roque Cordero, Joseph Bologne de Saint-Georges
- Sphinx Competition and Sphinx Connect
- Entrepreneurial artists: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeff Daniels, Marin Alsop
- Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane
- Composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
- “Teaching Artists and Designers to be Creative Entrepreneurs”
Other episodes of Make Meaning you will enjoy:
- Episode 42 – Building Detroit with April Jones Boyle
- Episode 14- An Artful Path with Heather Leavitt
- Episode 4 – Vivid Humanity with Amy Augustin
Coming up March 9 on the next episode of Make Meaning:
The Trend of Podcasting with Clay Carnill, podcast producer and sound engineer of the Make Meaning podcast. In this episode, Lynne Golodner turns the microphone back to Clay to share his insights on the storytelling power of podcasting, why podcasts are so popular, and the connections and opportunities that arise in the Golden Era of Podcasting.
