Creative, Innovative and Unique

Hello blogging friends. I’m back. A little later than usual but no fear I am here. This has been quite the week, in class especially, but just in life in general. So many things going on, so stuff to do, the end of the term could not come any sooner. But until then I am still here to blog about all my new adventures and learnings from this last week’s class.

So this past week in class we discussed the nonprofit sectors of advocacy and arts and culture. I’ve decided I wanted to focus on the arts and culture discussion for this blog, so here you go.

Arts and culture is one of the smallest parts of the nonprofit sector, but I think one of the sectors that a majority of people take part in, in some way shape or form. Everyone in their life time goes to a museum, sees a play, buys a piece of art, goes to a historical site, etc. By doing this, these everyone is contributing to the success of the arts in the nonprofit sector, because the arts rely heavily, almost entirely, on donations, admissions fees, contributions and very little comes from any other funds. This sector would not survive without the support from everyday people, who have no idea how important/have much of an impact they truly are having on this sector.

One thing that stood out to me in the readings was this idea of the distinction between, “art” and “entertainment”. The book claims that the, “practical difference often lies in what makes money versus what does not.” Entertainment are for-profit, while the arts are nonprofit. Now while this may be true, I honestly believe that entertainment, like movies, concerts, games, CDs, are all art. I personally do not see just a large distinction between “art” and entertainment”. I believe that entertainment is a form of art. Producing art is being creative, innovative, unique, and believe that entertain is all of those things. In order to sing/make a CD you must be creative, have the right beat, be different than the next person. To make a movie, you must as well be creative, innovative, and create a piece of art that others will enjoy just as much as you did putting it together. I think that most things in the world are art and even though some are for-profit and some are nonprofit, this difference does not need to remain or dictate what is art and what is entertainment. Art is what you make it and if you are entertained by it then great and if you are entertained by something and you think that is a piece of art, then that is great too.

It was also very interesting to read and learn how so many “artists” do art because it is what they love to do and what they know how to do, even though they know that they could be making a lot more money doing something else. I think a great thing about this sector is that is truly is the move unique and different sector, than any other that we have learned about. In no other sector, do you really have people doing the work because it is just what they love to do and sometimes it is all they know how. This sector is like a piece of art/entertainment it self; creative, innovative and unique. Until next time….