Creative Business Champion - Shelley Pisani

A Q&A with Shelley Pisani, Creative Business Champion

?As the founder of three successful companies, Shelley Pisani is both a skilled artsworker and an artist in her own right. With 28 years of experience in the industry – from studio artist to gallery director to curator – Shelley has played a key role in the arts scene of central Queensland. Now a Creative Business Champion, Shelley mentors and guides local artists, providing expertise, knowledge, guidance and access to networks.

?We sat down with Shelley to learn more about her pathway into entrepreneurship, and her advice for those wanting a mutli-faceted career like her own.

?Q. Shelley, your formal training is in visual arts, education and arts management. What do you think these courses taught you that you still use to this day?

?Each of these qualifications taught me something different. My visual arts training was really about skill development and learning to look. Studying education gave me the concept of developing methodology, planning and scheduling as well as the confidence to speak publicly.

?My Master in Arts and Entertainment Management was very practical. Some of the assignments I was able to put into place through my position of employment at the time at the Bundaberg Arts Centre (now Bundaberg Regional Galleries) including the development of the national touring exhibition “Boom Baby Boom”. Each course provided different experiences that enabled my growth as an artist and artsworker.

?Q. Would you recommend formal education as a pathway into the career you chose? What made you do your Masters?

?Formal education is certainly not everything. I know plenty of artists and artsworkers who are where they are through industry experience and putting in the hard yards. I enjoyed my studies and often wish I could go back and study fine arts with a more mature head on my shoulders to take advantage of the access to knowledge and equipment that you don’t get outside of a university art studio.

?To get into a career as an artsworker these days, I would definitely say starting out with an artform-based degree is a great step up the ladder into industry employment. Post-graduate studies are often needed once you find that speciality area you’d like to pursue in your career. I ended up going down the gallery and museum track and my Masters studies gave me the additional industry insight, skill base, networks and recognition to step up to the position of Gallery Coordinator in the midst of my studies. It also gave me a broader world view of the potential for self-employment, which is where I have spent most of my time since.

?Q. You have founded three companies – what have you learned about starting something from scratch?

?None of it is handed to you on a platter. You need to put in the planning and ground work in order to build something sustainable. Having a business plan, knowing your specific services and products you want to offer and who wants and needs those is vital.

?Your networks are so important in this industry. Attending conferences, forums and networking events as well as getting involved as a member of the right organisations can really open the doors of possibility.

?Finding “your people” is also important. I have trusted friends and colleagues that I can run ideas passed to get valuable feedback and different perspectives.

?Q. How do the different companies ‘fill your cup’ collectively?

?The Ideas Distillery focuses on delivering multi-artform projects and working with government and arts organisations to help deliver on priorities and planning. I also offer mentoring to artists through this business, which has been focused on the RASN Creative Business Champions program this year. I find each of these things very rewarding – facilitating connections and opportunities that help others to grow in their practice.

?Makers’ Shopfront has evolved out of the two-year project I managed called CQ Shopfront that worked with 527 visual artists, makers and artsworkers from Central Queensland to build their entrepreneurial capacity, including business planning and product development. This eventuated after years of observation and conversation with industry and artists where a clear need was identified. This project provided proof of concept to develop the new business model that now offers a range of programs including co-hosting programs with regional communities, an online business course and an ongoing support network membership for continued connection to professional development.

?Ink Block Designs is my arts and design practice. After delivering CQ Shopfront I thought I needed to put my money where my mouth was. I have just participated in my first exhibition since having a ceramic studio in Brisbane in the 1990s and have launched a range of products being sold at the local gallery shop. Coincidentally, I am participating in a group exhibition next year with two other artists I studied visual arts with. We graduated 30 years ago next year and are developing an exhibition around the theme of “filling our cup”.

?My three businesses keep me busy but give me a balance of the joy I get from building other artists up to achieve their potential and getting to be creative with both projects and my visual arts practice.

?Q. What would you say to someone who wants a career like yours?

?You need to be able to tap into that creative entrepreneurial mindset. Look at the why when you get a knock back in funding or in the development of a project. Does it need a different spin or strategy? Or was it really not relevant for its target community? Be resilient, adaptive and agile and you will find the rewards.

?But don’t let it burn you out. I see that happen so often and have been on that journey a few times. Make sure you find the things that give you balance and the opportunity to wind down in between the big moments.

?Q. You are based in Bundaberg – what are the unique challenges and benefits of regional entrepreneurship?

?Being regional is not a disadvantage. In actual fact, I feel like more than ever it is an advantage. I have managed to be employed or self-employed successfully in the arts, based in Bundaberg, for 25 of the 28 years I have been in the creative industries.

?That is not to say it isn’t without its challenges. Being a regional artsworker means you can sometimes be the “big fish in a small pond” rather than facing the much higher level of competition that my colleagues do in South-East Queensland. Whilst there is less competition, there is also the element of educating communities about the fact that this is a real profession. It can lead to a bit of “tall poppy syndrome” when you take on a role that others sometimes do voluntarily. Earlier in my career that was a big issue. But regional communities and the understanding of creative industries has evolved.

?Now in a world where we are emerging from a pandemic, living regionally is highly desired and people have embraced the technology we need to break down the regional/urban divide. There is a lot of opportunity still out there for regionally based practitioners. It is just finding your niche.

?Q. As a Creative Business Champion for RASN, what do you do?

?My area of focus has been on supporting artists with career and business development. This program has really enabled quality time with participants to build up the knowledge and connections they require alongside the confidence to plan and deliver on ideas that drive them and are connected to their core values as a creative. Sometimes it has been as simple as uncovering what they don’t want to do in order to focus on their passions. For others, they have developed full projects, applied for funding or taken their business in a new direction. I can’t wait to see where all the amazing people I have connected with go with their practices and projects.

?RASN is proud to work with Shelley as a Creative Business Champion, and is grateful for all the support and mentoring she provides to our local artists.