Links for Lost (and Not-So-Lost!) Souls
Professional resources on self-publishing, acting, legal needs, music, creativity and depression, and much more!
for Actors
Screen Actors Guild
Benefits include contract enforcement, workshops, newsletters, casting showcases, pension/health plans, scholarships
Actors Equity
A union for American actors and stage managers. Benefits include wage/labor agreement negotiations, contract administration/enforcement
The Actors' Fund
In general The Actors' Fund offers many resources for all entertainment professionals. Especially useful is the Artists' Health Insurance Resource Center. Visitors can find resources by state or link to other sites that give health insurance tips and quotes.
for Artists
Survivors Art Foundation
"Dedicated to encourage healing through the arts, Survivors Art Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to empowering trauma survivors with effective expressive outlets via internet art gallery, outreach programs, national exhibitions, publications and development of employment skills."
American Institute of Graphic Arts
Benefits include credit cards, member discounts, publications, health insurance, competitions, conferences, exhibitions
Graphic Artists Guild
Benefits include handbook, health/disability insurance, newsletter, members discount, marketing assistance
American Watercolor Society
Benefits include juried exhibitions, newsletter, promotion, social events
American Society of Portrait Artists
Benefits include journal, awards, library, online portfolios, member discounts, seminars, critique service
The Glass Art Society
Benefits include journal, newsletter, conferences, member discounts
National Sculpture Society
Benefits include newsletter, juried exhibitions, member discounts, journal, health/dental/disability insurance (some restrictions)
Art Calendar: The Business Magazine for Visual Artists
Offers comprehensive listing of professional opportunities for visual artists. Includes juried shows, grant information, and more.
Art Deadline.com
The art world's source for income and exhibition opportunities. A searchable database and magazine that lists local and national juried artist competitions, grants, call for submissions, art jobs, art festivals, residencies, fellowships, and more...
Worldwide Art Resources
This interactive arts gateway will give you access to artists, museums, galleries, high quality art, art history, arts education, antiques, performing arts, classified ads, resume postings, arts chats, arts forums and much more.
National Endowment for the Arts
Arts features, interviews, new work in the Gallery and Writer's Corner. Learn about the exceptional work being done by artists and arts organizations across the country. Choose an Art Form to find resources, links, field reports, and archived features on artists and arts organizations. New online resource of Federal funding available for arts initiatives through national, state and local funding programs.
The Crafts Report
A comprehensive on-line resource for the crafts industry. Here you can review industry statistics, search for the latest wholesale and retail craft shows, chat with craft artists, find craft suppliers, review work by craft artists, receive the latest news about the craft industry, and more.
Art and Craft Shows (dot) Net
A searchable database of thousands of art and crafts shows and other opportunities across North America.
Juried OnLine Arts Festival
A good place to market and sell fine art and crafts to interested collectors.
Festival Network Online
Searchable database of festivals nationwide. Good resource for artists, craftsmen, musicians, dancers, actors, etc.
for Choreographers & Dancers
National Dance Association
Benefits include journal, newsletter, conventions, workshops, choreography evaluation
The American Dance Guild
Benefits include conferences and publications
Commercial
Modern Postcard
Really cheap, really quick, very reliable source for promotional postcards. Good for marketing art openings, concerts, etc...
Copyright
United States Copyright Office
United States Patent and Trademark Office
(from the National Endowment for the Arts)
Creativity
Talent Development Resources
Articles, interviews, quotes, and general info on nurturing the gift of creativity.
Creative Growth and Healing
Articles, links, and books on art and healing. Includes emphasis on journal and memoir writing as well as chronic pain.
The Creativity Portal
"The Creativity Portal encourages the exploration of personal creativity through arts, music, and writing." Includes hundreds of resources with free instruction, articles, tutorials, and projects all designed to educate about a specific art or craft.
Creativity for Life
Just what it says!
Ideas by Creativity Pool
This spot is "the home of future innovation and tomorrow's most (in)famous inventions. The Creativity Pool is basically free and works like the penny cup next to the cash register..."
Tera's Wish
Free monthly newsletter, articles on creativity, art, and life, creativity exercises, interactive bulletin board, great resources, and more
A Window Between Worlds
A Window Between Worlds is a non-profit organization dedicated to using art to help end domestic violence
Depression
The Goldberg Depression Inventory
Take this short quiz to help determine if you might need to see a mental health professional for diagnosis and treatment of clinical depression.
The National Mental Health Association
The National Mental Health Association (NMHA) is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing
all aspects of mental health and mental illness. Look for the comprehensive section on depression and an affiliate directory that enables people to find the NMHA office or affiliate closest to where they live.
Mental Health Resources
Directory of mental health-related websites.
Favorites
Phototag!
Phototag is a take-a-picture-and pass-it-on sort of project. Rick Dietz, a long-time friend of The Lost Soul Companion Project, and Susan Brackney left specially-marked, disposable cameras all over the place for strangers to find. Each camera has an address label and priority mail postage attached so the last person for each camera can just chuck the whole thing in the mail. Photos are developed and posted on the phototag site as cameras are returned.
Blender Kitty
"Your one-stop introduction to the multi-faceted world of Michael Lowell Teague." Michael has contributed to The Lost Soul Companion and The Not-So-Lost Soul Companion and is a long-time friend of The Lost Soul Companion Project.
The 1000 Journals Project.
"One thousand blank journals are traveling from hand to hand throughout the world. Those who find them will add their stories and drawings, and then pass the journal along in an ongoing collaborative art form. This is an experiment, and you are part of it."
Nervousness.org (from Nervous Industries)
Loads of land mail experiments and very interesting people.
explodingdog.com
Go see what Sam's been doing. Words can't describe; it's a really neat project.
20things
"Here's how it works: 20 people make 20 things in 20 days. Each mails their 20 things with a SASE. in return, each gets that SASE back, filled with one of each thing made in the group."
PLANET SARK
SARK is an inspiration and supporter of The Lost Soul Companion Project.
The Halfbakery!
Mmmm... smell those half-baked ideas. Deliciously absurd! Have some time to kill? This'll do it...
The Antisocial Club
"The Antisocial Club was created as a place for all of us to gather, share experiences, find help, laugh at ourselves and have a better understanding of who we are. And do it alone."
Finance & Grants
The Dollar Stretcher
Tips for making your meager earnings last longer and a free newsletter too.
The Craft Emergency Relief Fund
The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) is a non-profit, tax exempt organization which provides immediate support to professional craftspeople facing career threatening emergencies such as fire, theft, illness and natural disaster. Created in 1985, CERF is the only organization of its kind in the United States.
Legal Stuff
Miscellaneous
National Endowment for the Humanities
for Musicians
Just Plain Folks
A community of over 20,000 songwriters, recording artists, music publishers, record labels, performing arts societies, educational institutions, recording studios and engineers, producers, legal professionals, publicists and journalists, publications, music manufacturers and retailers and about every other type of member of the music industry.
Clever Joe's Musician's Resource Center
The Freelance Musicians' Association
Benefits include newsletter, venue database, booking referral program
American Federation of Musicians
Benefits include member discounts, life/medical/liability/accident insurance, PPO/medical savings accounts (some restrictions), job referral programs, banking services
American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP)
Benefits include royalties collection, magazine, showcases, workshops, publications, liability/theft/loss/dental/medical/life/accident insurance, credit union, banking services
Music Video Production Association
Benefits include awards, newsletter, seminars, festivals
Self-publishing (see also—links for Writers)
http://nomediakings.com/YouShouldMain.htm
If you can make a zine, you can make a book. This is a great place to start.
http://www.lcweb.loc.gov/loc/infopub/publish.html
Library of Congress
http://www.pma-online.com/
Publishers Marketing Association
Midwest Book Review
Produces a weekly television program reviewing books, videos, music, and CD-ROMs and publishes five monthly newsletters for libraries. This site also contains an extensive list of A-to-Z links for writers and publishing professionals. Includes copyright information and a URL submission list for publishers.
Suicide
Befrienders International
A directory of suicide support centers in over 40 countries, information on support by e-mail, and translations into eight languages.
Straight talk on suicide for teens.
Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program
Offers an extremely complete list of resources. Visit them!
for Women
DivaTribe
"A community for readers, writers, thinkers, creators...women!"
WomanMade Gallery
WomanMade Gallery is a tax-exempt, not for profit organization which was founded in 1992. Its goal is to support women in the arts by providing opportunities, awareness, and advocacy.
for Writers (see also—Self-publishing)
National Writers Union
Union for freelance writers. Benefits include arbitration, health/dental insurance, job listings, contract advice
American Society of Journalists and Authors
Benefits include referral service, workshops, industry news, market information, members' discounts
The Academy of American Poets
Benefits include discussion groups, member discounts, audio recordings, journal
Writers Guild of America
Membership composed predominantly of screenwriters for the motion picture and broadcast industries. Benefits include legal and arbitration services, agent lists, newsletter
Editorial Freelancers Association
Benefits include newsletter, job listings, legal services, health/dental/disability insurance
The Society of American Travel Writers
Benefits include medical/term life/dental insurance (most states), conventions, newsletter, awards, legal/tax/financial advice, member discounts
Horror Writers Association
Benefits include newsletter, market reports, mentoring, agent lists, awards
Mystery Writers of America
Benefits include newsletter, awards, health insurance, symposia, conferences
The Poetry Society of America
Benefits include competitions, seminars, journal, readings
Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
Benefits include grievance/complaints resolution, publications, agent lists, speakers' bureau, legal fund, library, market reports, awards
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Benefits include national and regional conferences, newsletter, grants, awards
Western Writers of America
For writers of fiction and non fiction dealing with the American West. Benefits include awards, annual convention, journal
SPAWN
Small Publishers, Artists & Writers Network (SPAWN) was formed to "provide education, information, resources and a supportive networking environment for creative individuals and small business owners interested in the publishing process."
www.rejectioncollection.com
"The writers' and artists' on-line source for misery, commiseration and sob stories, featuring real rejection letters and The Reject's Rag, our on-line newsletter"
www.zoetrope.com
Especially for screenwriters