Could Be Pretty Cool News

Metrics & Mingling 2025 Live Panel

Episode Description Join us for a special live recording from Metrics & Mingling 2025, where audience participation drove the conversation about AI's role in creative entrepreneurship. Through interactive polling, attendees guided discussions about administrative efficiency, creative process boundaries, and maintaining human value in an AI-driven marketplace. This dynamic panel explores how creative professionals are navigating the integration of artificial intelligence while preserving the authenticity and struggle that makes their work meaningful. * Administrative tasks worth delegating to AI vs. keeping human-centered * The role of struggle and context in authentic creative work * Balancing efficiency gains with creative fulfillment * Finding your unique voice and story as a creative professional * The democratization of creative tools and its impact on professional artists * Charging appropriately for human-crafted work in an AI-accessible world * Building sustainable creative careers through intentional tool use * The importance of play and experimentation in maintaining creative edge The Guests * Dr. Anuli Akanegbu - Cultural anthropologist and labor, race, and technology researcher at Data and Society; Host of "Black in Real Life" podcast * EmmoLei Sankofa - Film and TV composer with work featured on Hulu, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime * Alejo Porras - Visual note-taking artist and illustrator; Upcoming host of "Fresh Ideas" podcast On Administrative Efficiency: "What are we saving that time to do? Like, what is the purpose of cutting all these corners and trying to be super fast with things?" - Dr. Anuli Akanegbu On Creative Process: "When we delegate our thinking and creativity to AI, those are the things that intrinsically makes you, you... The struggle is what makes it better." - Alejo Porras On Industry Evolution: "Don't say that you draw, like that's not your differentiator. A lot of people can draw, AI can draw now... We need to know the human behind it." - Alejo Porras On Value Creation: "Sometimes people care more about the story behind the object than the object itself. So if you manage to tell your story, that would be so much more valuable." - Alejo Porras * Dr. Anuli Akanegbu: anuliwashere.com | @anuliwashere | Data and Society research * EmmoLei Sankofa: e-sankofa.com | @emmolei on Instagram * Alejo Porras: Alejo Porras Art on Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn | Fresh Ideas newsletter on Substack * Could Be Pretty Cool is an audio-first think tank for creative industries, using conversations with artists, designers, and innovators as qualitative research about the creative economy. The show captures real-time insights from people living and working in rapidly evolving creative fields. Follow Could Be Pretty Cool: @couldbeprettycool | couldbeprettycool.com | couldbeprettycoolnews.substack.com AI in creative industries, creative entrepreneurship, administrative automation, human creativity value, artistic authenticity, creative process, double consciousness, cultural anthropology, film composition, visual note-taking, creative community, industry evolution, Atlanta creative scene

Can Arts Funding Survive Without Government Support?

Description: Explore the unprecedented shifts in US arts funding and what they mean for creative communities nationwide. Featuring John Carnwath from WolfBrown research and consulting firm on navigating federal cuts, building sustainable funding models, and reimagining how creative ecosystems can thrive through decentralized support systems and community-centered approaches. Key Topics: * Federal cuts to NEA, NEH, and IMLS and their ripple effects on state agencies * The reality of arts funding concentration and inequality * Alternative funding models from micro-grants to market-based sustainability * Lessons from international arts funding approaches * Moving from top-down grant selection to ecosystem-wide support * Local decision-making and community-responsive funding * The role of private foundations and individual donors in filling gaps * Building equity in arts funding distribution Featured Guest: * John Carnwath - Principal at WolfBrown research and consulting firm; Specialist in creative ecosystems, arts funding, cultural policy, and impact evaluation Notable Quotes:"It has to be local based... there's something to be said for the kind of more local, more immediately connected funding feedback loops." - John Carnwath "You reduce inequality by taking away the money from the people who already have it, 'cause that's gonna be easier than getting more money for the people who don't have resources." - John Carnwath "Supporting lots of little things... making it really easy to get funding to do something that's not bureaucratic, that you can quickly turn around." - John Carnwath Connect with our guest: * John Carnwath: LinkedIn and wolfbrown.com Special Announcement:Could Be Pretty Cool News is now a certified B Corporation! Learn more about our mission-driven approach and upcoming creative research initiatives. Follow Could Be Pretty Cool News:@couldbeprettycool | couldbeprettycool.com | couldbeprettycoolnews.substack.com Keywords: arts funding, NEA cuts, creative ecosystems, sustainable funding models, arts policy, cultural funding, creative entrepreneurship, foundation grants, community arts support, arts funding equity

Can Sustainable Creativity Create Circular Systems?

Explore how creative entrepreneurs are building sustainable futures through circular systems that honor both ancestral wisdom and innovative solutions. Featuring Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail on bridging Lakota values with renewable energy technology, and Jonelle Dawkins on creating financial independence through creative reuse. * Traditional ecological knowledge meeting modern sustainability solutions * Creative reuse as economic empowerment for artists * Building circular economies that serve communities * Indigenous entrepreneurship and cultural preservation * Removing barriers to creative independence * Sustainability as environmental, social, and financial interconnectedness * Community-driven renewable energy projects * Creative problem-solving for systemic challenges * Cultural authenticity and certification processes * Multi-disciplinary creative entrepreneurship Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail - Founder of Lakota Women Business (LLC) and Lakota Women Initiative (nonprofit); Member of the Sicangu Lakota tribe; Renewable energy advocate and Indigenous women's empowerment leader Jonelle Dawkins - Executive Director at Scraplanta; Multi-disciplinary creative entrepreneur; Creative reuse movement leader "As Lakota people, we utilize the buffalo for our robes, for our tepees. So a tepee is our home and reaching out to the earth to build a sustainable home is where we're at in the future, especially as climate changes and the earth changes and how do we meet that change as it's coming into the future." - Tamara Stands and Looks Back-Spotted Tail "At Scrap Atlanta, we are taking art supplies from people who no longer need it... instead of us putting it to the landfill and it no longer having a useful life, they can bring it to a creative for reuse center and somebody else who maybe they want to get started in sewing... can use that they make that piece that helps them get that job that helps them build independence." - Jonelle Dawkins * Tamara: https://www.lakotawomenbusinessllc.com/ [http://www.lakotawomenllc.com/]and Lakota Women Initiative * Jonelle: @scrapATL on Instagram, @scrapatlanta on Facebook, and @scrapatl on TikTok * Tucker Creative Reuse Center * Adair Park Creative Reuse Center * Duluth popup location @couldbeprettycool | couldbeprettycool.com | couldbeprettycoolnews.substack.com Sustainable creativity, circular economy, Indigenous entrepreneurship, creative reuse, renewable energy, Lakota culture, community empowerment, creative independence, traditional ecological knowledge, upcycling, social sustainability, financial sustainability, cultural preservation, creative problem-solving

Can AI and Human Artistry Coexist?

In this inaugural episode of The Young Creator Electorate, host Sabbath Canady explores one of the most pressing questions facing young creators today: what does the rise of artificial intelligence mean for the future of human creativity? Theatre artist and recent college graduate Nicholas Gilomen takes center stage with a powerful monologue that captures the complex relationship between AI technology and working artists. Speaking directly to an AI voice, Nicholas wrestles with questions that keep many creators up at night: Will AI replace human performers? How do we protect artistic authenticity in an age of deepfakes? And what happens when corporations prioritize cost-cutting over the humanity behind the art? Through his personal lens as an aspiring voice actor navigating ongoing industry strikes, Nicholas examines how AI impacts everything from background performers to major productions, and why the loss of entry-level opportunities could reshape entire creative industries. The conversation that follows digs deeper into issues of digital privacy, stolen likenesses, and the urgent need for regulation in our rapidly evolving technological landscape. This episode doesn't offer easy answers, but it amplifies the thoughtful, nuanced perspectives of Gen Z creators who refuse to be passive observers in conversations that will shape their artistic futures. From the ethics of AI training data to the importance of maintaining human connection in art, these young voices are asking the hard questions that matter most. Featuring: Nicholas Gilomen (Theatre Artist) and Sabbath Canady (Host, Spelman College) Produced by: Could Be Pretty Cool News in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting Student Voices Collective

Navigating Change: From Fractional Production to Georgia's Arts Divide

Description Explore how creative entrepreneurs are navigating industry transitions and building sustainable futures through two distinct perspectives. Featuring Dani Dufresne on reshaping creative production with a fractional model beyond traditional agency structures, followed by Kacie Luaders' thoughtful examination of Georgia's creative ecosystem highlighting the stark contrast between struggling nonprofit arts organizations and expanding commercial entertainment ventures in Atlanta. Key Topics * Evolving from traditional agency models to flexible, fractional production * Building sustainable creative businesses during industry shifts * Navigating business formation and contracts as creative entrepreneurs * Creating supportive networks for creative professionals * Balancing creative work with personal responsibilities * The divide between nonprofit and for-profit creative sectors in Georgia * Georgia's ranking in state arts funding and its impact on cultural organizations * The expansion of commercial entertainment ventures in Atlanta * Creating symbiotic relationships between different parts of the creative economy Featured Segments * Interview: Dani Dufresne - CEO and Executive Producer of The Auxiliary Co. ; Pioneer of the "fractional executive producer" model in creative production * Commentary: "Atlanta Arts: A Tale of Two Sectors" - Kacie Luaders explores the contrasting realities of Georgia's nonprofit arts organizations facing funding cuts while commercial entertainment ventures in Atlanta expand with substantial backing Notable Quotes "I don't ever wanna get in the way of making my agency feeling uncomfortable because like we're putting our work out as ours. So then we actually crafted that as our new, like p or really as our biggest communication. This is not our work. So that opens up our reel and you see all the different kinds of things that we've done, but it's not. We do your work, we get your vision made." - Dani Dufresne "No one will give a shit about your business as much as you do. No employee you ever hire will care as much as you do." - Dani Dufresne "If it feels too produced, people are gonna know... they're gonna see it." - Dani Dufresne "Georgia ranks 50th in the nation for state arts funding, investing only 14 cents per capita on the arts. That puts us at the very bottom nationwide when it comes to public support for arts and culture, highlighting a systemic underinvestment in the nonprofit creative sector." - Kacie Luaders "The question isn't just 'How can nonprofits become more sustainable?' but rather 'How can we create a cultural landscape where both commercial and mission-driven arts thrive together?' This requires seeing beyond the false dichotomy of business versus art and recognizing the inherent interdependence of Atlanta's creative sectors." - Kacie Luaders Connect with our guest * The Auxiliary Co [https://www.theauxiliaryco.com/about] * LinkedIn: Dani Dufresne [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danidufresne/] Recent News Mentioned * National Endowment for the Arts grant withdrawals affecting Georgia arts organizations (over $500,000 in funding) * Live Nation's new 5,300-capacity music venue at Centennial Yards ($5 billion downtown development) Follow Could Be Pretty Cool News * @couldbeprettycool [https://www.instagram.com/couldbeprettycool/] * couldbeprettycool.com [https://couldbeprettycool.com/] Keywords Creative entrepreneurship, fractional production model, advertising production, creative agency adaptation, industry transitions, sustainable creative careers, Georgia nonprofit arts funding, Atlanta commercial entertainment ventures, arts advocacy, cultural ecosystem, Atlanta arts landscape, creative business models