I posted tip 7 on Sunday morning. While it was the night before tax day and seemingly a good day to talk about money, Easter Sunday may not have been the best day to open that discussion. Should I have waited until Monday morning? As soon as my post went live, I went to my parents whereContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #8 Get yourself out there and advocate collectively”
Author Archives: Jennifer Ridgway | Yard Dramas
TAs Thriving: Tip #7 Establish a business bank account and pay yourself a weekly or monthly salary
Ah – tax day! As an independent contractor, it gets complicated but… Let’s talk money! I don’t want to be a millionaireI just want my proper shareWe need money! (We need money!)Talkin’ about money, money, money! (Talkin’ about money, money, money!)I don’t need that wealth or fameI just want enough to play the gameWe needContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #7 Establish a business bank account and pay yourself a weekly or monthly salary”
TAs Thriving: Tip #6 Annually explore the 990s of arts organizations in your region
To change the system, and receive what we are valued, is hard work. Don’t give up. This is an act of self-love. 6. Annually explore the 990s of arts organizations in your region. A 990 isn’t a complete picture of an organization’s financial records, but it is a starting place in your assessment of whatContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #6 Annually explore the 990s of arts organizations in your region”
TAs Thriving: Tip #5 Account for all work hours at one pay rate
In her acclaimed version of Otis Redding’s original, Aretha Franklin famously sang: R-E-S-P-E-C-TTake care, TCB What is taking care of business as a business leader, and as a Teaching Artist? From 30,000 feet, creating looks like art. From ground level, it’s a to-do list. Ben Arment 5. Account for all work hours at one payContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #5 Account for all work hours at one pay rate”
TAs Thriving: Tip #4 Communicate your rates and offer a professional discount
We all are struggling. And yes, even organizations struggle. But committing to resolving pay equity as a social justice issue is a challenge we can win. As we tackle it, despite the challenges, we are saying, I’ll take care of you. My dear, sweet, working Teaching Artists, Let them talk about us. People sometimes do.Continue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #4 Communicate your rates and offer a professional discount”
TAs Thriving: Tip #3 Use the Teaching Artists Guild’s TA Pay Calculator to set your rates
This tip would be on a Jeopardy Championship Game for Teaching Artists! The category is The Business of Teaching Artistry: This platform is widely used to set pay rates, ensuring pay equity and sustainability. Answer: What is the Teaching Artists Guild’s TA Pay Calculator? 3. Use the Teaching Artists Guild’s TA Pay Calculator to setContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #3 Use the Teaching Artists Guild’s TA Pay Calculator to set your rates”
TAs Thriving: Tip #2 Ask questions of your partners and clients
Asking questions of your partners and clients changes the dynamic and gives TAs individual and collective power that they can use to stabilize their lives further! So let’s start with a few questions: What questions do you ask clients and partners? If you haven’t asked a question, why not? How do you refer to theContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #2 Ask questions of your partners and clients”
TAs Thriving: Tip #1 Join an accountability network
Before I dive into explaining tip 1, listen to Nina! Nina’s version of Here Comes the Sun seemed fitting to this morning’s posting. Daybreak! It’s the first Monday of April (TAMA’s TA Cafe day!) during the week of the first-ever national Teaching Artist Conference! My soul is happy! Knowing you are part of a communityContinue reading “TAs Thriving: Tip #1 Join an accountability network”
Tips to Reset So We Can Thrive
I worry about the health and sustainability of the field of teaching artistry and its capacity to allow all of us to thrive. We love our work. It’s important work. But while some of us are doing fairly well in the field, having both recognition and financial security, many struggle. During the pandemic, many colleaguesContinue reading “Tips to Reset So We Can Thrive”
Come home, teaching artist!
There have always been times where I, as a teaching artist, have felt disconnected from colleagues and separated from policies. I accepted it as the quirks of the business of teaching artistry. I remained hopeful and employed my imagination – true to the nature of an artist. And so, I sought out teaching artist networksContinue reading “Come home, teaching artist!”