Art Heroes Radio

Start your band now, learn to play later, a punk rock conversation with Johnny B. Truant

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Art Heroes Review (in production)

You'll notice that Johnny B. Truant's photo is the first guest photo on Art Heroes to have color in it. That's because Johnny's a rebel, a rule breaker and, well, hell, kind of a colorful character. Also because I thought it looked good, but mostly 'cause he's a rebel.

Turns out— being a nonconformist has been the key to his success. It didn't happen overnight, or on the first try, but he did it his way.

Johnny B. Truant is an internet marketing nonconformist and punk rock entrepreneur. Within his first year, he used his own breed of “personality branding” (characterized by transparency, win-win-win thinking, and a healthy dose of disobedience) into a six-figure business.

In addition to running JohnnyBTruant.com and co-creating Question the Rules*: The nonconformist's punk rock, DIY, nuts-and-bolts guide to creating the business and life you really want, starting with what you already have. Johnny is a regular contributor to mega-blogs Copyblogger.com and Problogger.net, as well as to the cult hit small business marketing blog IttyBiz.com.

Connecting art to tradition is how you move forward, a conversation with Mary Anne Davis

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Art Heroes Review (in production)

I met Mary Anne Davis through her blog, way back in 2005, when we were both just starting to find ways to make our blogs represent our art on a global scale. We've had a few opportunities to meet up in person as well, including the panel discussion, Millionaire or Artist? How About both? which we shared with Amrita Chandra and Hugh MacLeod this year at SXSW.

One thing I've always liked about Mary Anne's work is the way she ties her functional art to broader concepts— Mary Anne has a relentless curiosity which she applies to art history, social movements, ecology, globalism and localism, and experimentation with new ideas about art and commerce. She finds simple ways to bring complex ideas into the meaning of her art and her practice of art.

Making fine porcelain dinnerware is the bones of my studio practice. Making dinner expresses my inner thinking. Talking over food is where art occurs. Co-creating a beautiful world where people get along, cook, eat and talk is my idea of great art. Shopping at the farmers market and cooking for friends and family thrills me no end. Serving up delicious food on my own dishes moves a meal into an integrated expression of living at the highest level. That is the ultimate. — Mary Anne Davis

In this episode, we'll discuss her art formal education experience, her ideas about art history and practice as an extended conversation held between all working artists, and her studio and business model.

Master art business basics so you can focus on the fun of art, a conversation with Howard Mann

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Art Heroes Review (in production)

The business side of being an artist can absolutely kill the joy of making art if you're not careful. It doesn't have to— it can even become a creative, fun and challenging extension of your art— but to make your art business successful on your own terms, you need to understand the basics.

Howard Mann is President of Brickyard Partners Inc., the business design and development agency. He's passionate about the basics of business and knows first-hand how getting them right can make or break a business. He uses engaging story-telling skills and quick wit to enlighten and challenge what you thought you knew about business— Every time I talk with Howard, he comes up with an absolutely brilliant idea within the first five minutes. It's always something unexpected, yet it always feels immediately obvious that I should give it a try.

In the last year, Howard has helped me to do two things; the first, you would expect from a business consultant— he's helped me expand my market and grow. But more important was his focus on reconnecting with my purpose so that the business didn't kill the fun or the love I feel for art. Growing just for the sake of growth can often alienate you from the very things that inspired you in the first place.

Announcing Art Heroes Review

	Art Heroes Review, No. 02 How it can suck to succeed and the Bubble Wrap Effect— a conversation with Hugh MacLeod
	$15.00 FREE

I am excited to launch Art Heroes Review, a companion publication to the radio show that completes the vision I had when Art Heroes began. The name Art Heroes Review was carefully chosen to reflect the fact that it is both a serial publication on a regular schedule, as well as a review of the best information contained in each show. Starting with the transcript of the show, each issue is edited for clarity and then boiled down to the very best material. In some cases, I've added new material that was not in the show but should have been, so it's not just a rehash of what you've heard. When you download an issue, you'll actually get two files— the Review and a corrected version of the full transcript as well.

To celebrate the launch, I'm giving away the issue based on Episode No. 02. How it can suck to succeed and the Bubble Wrap Effect— a conversation with Hugh MacLeod. I will be uploading more issues of Art Heroes Review each day this week. Once I get caught up with the backlog of shows, the Review will be published weekly.

Reese Spykerman did an amazing job on the design for the Review, which won't surprise you if you listened to her episode, How to design effective artist websites that get results. We've worked together to present the information from the Art Heroes Radio show in the most useful and useable format possible.