You Want It? Go Create It. And, Stand Up for Yourself.
Pursue Your Passion; Protect Your Time and Reputation
An Editorial by Caro Diaz“There is no success without mistakes. And, boy, have I made them. “First, I worked for ‘exposure.’ I didn’t know anything about basic business principles. I didn’t know the actual value of what I was bringing to the table. Initially, I had no desire to deal with things like accounting, marketing or legal advice and learning when to say ‘no’ to clients. (Ufff! That was the hardest!) “‘Have you ever heard of someone who goes to a lawyer and says, ‘Solve this case for me? If you do an outstanding job, I can refer you to my network. Consider that as a form of payment — an opportunity for exposure.’ Hmmm … I don’t think so.”
This is the first of a two-part editorial from Diaz as part of our “Business of Creativity” series.
Bach and Tupac, Together Again for the First Time
WDAV and Fair Play Music Equity Initiative launch new ‘NoteWorthy’ seriesJoining forces with musicians of an entirely different genre was an act of faith. “We do an interview segment for each concert … and they talk about bringing these worlds together that don’t often mix,” said Will Keible, WDAV’s director of marketing and corporate support. “There is a lot of hope and enthusiasm about where this might lead.”
Worlds collide! In the new “NoteWorthy” series, WDAV Classical Public Radio and Fair Play Music Equity Initiative mix classical with jazz, soul, Latin, rock, hip-hop, pop and R&B – and the results just might rock your world. The concert series begins Wednesday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m (tonight).
Three Charlotte Nonprofits Share the SEEDs of Wisdom
Free Online Session on April 22In lieu of their annual SEED20 event, Social Venture Partners (SVP) created “SEED to Harvest,” a virtual program focused on organizations selected from their first nine classes of nonprofits. Over the past several months, these alumni have partnered with mentors to create short videos to tell their stories. They have also participated in online sessions taught by community leaders. While this online training has been private, the public is invited to register and participate in a final conversation on April 22 at 7 p.m. This session will feature Feeding Charlotte, Present Age Ministries and The Arts Empowerment Project sharing what they’ve learned and how they’ve continued to serve the Charlotte community since graduating from SEED20.
#OHmazing Words of Inspiration from Ohavia PhillipsFor creatives, the act of making can be one of passion, of pride, of compulsion or necessity. Last week, Ohavia Phillips — just voted the “Queen City’s Best Influencer” in Charlotte Magazine — took to social media to remind us that creating can also be an act of healing and personal growth. 
Share Your Voice on Charlotte’s Affordable Creative Space NeedsAs we shared in our video from entrepreneur Barry Greene last week, it’s incredibly hard for creatives to find affordable retail and workspace in Charlotte right now like McColl Center for Art + Innovation, Studio 229, Charlotte Art League, Grindhaus Studios and a few others. Co-working spaces like Hygee, Launch Factory and Advent Co-Working are important, too. But, our creatives need even more affordable workspace. So, we’re asking you:
🔷 What kind of creative space does Charlotte need more of?
🔷 What kind of space are you looking for?
🔷 How much space do you need?
🔷 Where do you need it? What neighborhood?
🔷 What does “affordable” mean to you? Please take a minute and share your thoughts on our Google Voice line at (704) 835-0193. (We may share your answers online.)
VIDEO: Arko Spends Unicorn Day on WBTVHave you ever seen a unicorn? Well, we have. And now, thanks to our media partners at WBTV, you can, too. Last Friday was National Unicorn Day. To prepare, we asked our Instagram followers about their favorite unicorns — local creatives who were actually born in Charlotte, that is. We got some amazing suggestions. One of them was Arko, a street artist and muralist who recently showed his work at LOCAL/STREET installation at the Mint Museum. He is perhaps best known for his creative collaborations with his partner, Owl. Click the button below to watch Arko’s Unicorn Day appearance on QC@3. He shares his story, including how he used creativity to combat alcoholism and why he wears a mask in public. 
3 Biggest Challenges: Nathalie Santa Maria of Leaves from StellaNathalie Santa Maria is a pro at persevering. When Santa Maria’s parents died just shy of her 24th birthday, she developed an acute anxiety disorder. But, she persevered, just as she did last year when COVID shut the world down, just after Santa Maria quit her job to start a communications company and Leaves from Stella, a nonprofit that provides scholarships and a pen-pal program to young adults who have lost a parent or sibling. Last month, Santa Maria got a $1,000 “Bear HUG” microgrant to aid her nonprofit. But, there are still plenty of obstacles to overcome.
With so much public art in South End, you might accidentally overlook the work of more than 25 local creatives waiting for you inside Dilworth Artisan Station (DAS). Much like Camp North End, the building that houses DAS has had a rich life. It’s been a furniture factory and a textile mill. During World War II, soldiers’ cars were stored there. Today, nestled along the light rail line on Kingston Ave., the three-story building is an active art hub where artists create, show and sell their work. The art isn’t just inside the Station. In fact, mural artist Mike Wirth is painting the first of three exterior sides of the building with Arko (see video above) and Drew Newpher. (See an early photo and concept art here.) To help us explore the building, Charlotte photographer, Brooke Brown, stopped by to tour the Station and meet artists Caroline Simas, Evelyn Henson, Kim Gibbs, Bruce Welnack, Bridgette Martin and Eva Crawford. Take a tour of her photos here. DAS is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and plays host to gallery crawls the first Friday and Saturday of the month. Directions: 118 E Kingston Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203 Photo Credit (Above): Brooke Brown Photography
Don’t go ’round hungry. If you missed the last batch of The Biscuit, don’t worry. We’ve kept it warm for you. This batch featured: - An editorial from musician Nathan C. Davis III about being a “sustainable artist.”
- A 5-minute creative sprint featuring urban sketch artist Mike Daikubara
- A look at the new “rainbow animal wall” created by 9 CLT artists at Camp North End
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