Art as Business: Evaluation III

It’s been one and a half month since I wrote “Evaluation II” and I must admit that I don’t really remember how I had planned to continue ... but it was supposed to be about teaching art …

"To be a teacher is my greatest work of art." Joseph Beuyes

When having motivated students I really enjoy teaching and find it a constant challenge to improve pedagogically. An extra plus with teaching is that you learn more by doing it.

I haven’t really focused on getting more workshops or guest teaching, but I must say that I have improved my incomes this way anyway. Teaching art has become a small income which I can more or less count on. I’m on a regularly basis giving workshops at KKV (artist-run workshops) for fellow artists and I guest teach at Formakademin in Lidköping. The workshops at KKV are arranged through KKV – but in reality administrated and marketed by myself. I have also to sell in the guest teaching every term. But lately I’ve also been asked to do some teaching/pedagogical work: the two creative school projects and the teaching at the course Art for Public Spaces.

A good decision
Half a year ago I took the decision not to take any more teaching jobs with lousy salary; so I stopped teaching classes for amateurs. Not being tied up two days a week made it possible for me to accept other projects that came along (like the mural project with school children) – so the decision paid off. I am an excellent teacher/pedagogue with a lot of experience and I should of course be paid accordingly!

This spring I taught/gave workshops 13 full days + 15 hours divided on 5 weeks. (Then of course there were preparations.) I’m aiming for something similar for autumn, but will try to double my incomes from teaching art in spring 2011. I don’t want to do too much teaching in autumn as I have two separate exhibitions coming up in October and November.

Oh, I wasn't very motivated to write this post (so it didn't become super entertaining), but felt I didn't want to leave things unfinished. The summer nights are bright and I long for a proper vacation... (just two more weeks before it will happen!)