Brand Camp Blog

The great thing about being an artist is, no formal education is required.  Many of us learn by a combination of trial and error, talent, mentoring with those we admire, and taking classes or reading books like a fiend.

The bad thing about being an artist is, no formal education is required.  So if we know someone, somewhere might have the knowledge we need, we can end up paying a king’s ransom to get it.

Some of the photography workshops I’ve attended have been less valuable than, say, reading a chapter of a business book on the fly in Barnes & Noble.  The good ones have made me a smarter business person and a better artist.

So, how do you know which workshops are worth your time and cash?

First, what’s my return on investment?

If you spend $600 to learn to paint better, when will you get that money back?  Can you afford to attend a workshop focusing on creative growth?  How about one focused on helping to build your business?

Having a magical, moonlit experience complete with twice-daily full-body massage and magical elf bodyguards is great if budget is no option.  But the rest of us need to weigh the costs and benefits of attending a workshop.

Is the workshop selling hopes/dreams/promises/unicorns or practical  knowledge?

If the sole purpose of a workshop is to get me revved up about all that hypothetical money I could be making, well…no thank you.  Those fantasies of living on an island sipping pina coladas are FREE if I have them at home, but cost thousands to enjoy at a workshop.

Be sure the workshop website lists clear objectives for the content that will be covered during the workshop.  Further, be sure those objectives are vital to the success of your creative business.

Are the results of the workshop speakers repeatable?

Did the workshop speakers catch a lucky break (having a millionaire father to fund their first few years in business, for example), or did they build their business from scratch? Are they promising to teach you how to sell $250 8×10″ prints (not necessarily repeatable), or are they promising to show you how to price your work confidently for your market (totally repeatable!)?  The former is a strategy that may or may not work for you, but the latter is of the utmost value to your growth as an artist.

Do the workshop speakers practice what they preach?

If the workshop focuses on great branding and high-end design, do the speakers’ websites exhibit these principles?  If a photographer is teaching the basics of off-camera lighting, are they demonstrating this knowledge in their portfolio?  Speakers looking to make a quick buck vary greatly from those who legitimately want to help other artists learn.

That said, I wholeheartedly endorse:

One-Light.

Shootshops.

And the now-defunct Learnfest.