Harmonica strapped to your face, drums connected to your knees, cymbals on your back; if ever there was a person that every entrepreneur can learn from, it’s the one man band. Whilst I’m not specifically advocating roaming the streets playing the kazoo, being multi-skilled in the creative industries is advisable, if not essential. Think Diddy sat back as his royalties stacked up, content with the mark he’d made on music? Hell to the no. Moguls are, by nature, always looking for the next project to add to their portfolio, and as you’re building your career, in whatever genre, here are some extra-curricular ideas to broaden your outlook and employability, and reduce your dependency on others.
Photography: Being handy with a point and shoot is a great outlet for your creativity, and will take your self portraits and company images to the next level. To take your personal branding to the next level, why not document your working days with backstage shots and photo stories, and add them to your blog or online profiles?
Web coding: Don’t know your CSS from your WTF? If you trade or promote online, or just want to update your computer skills, getting up to speed with html will prove to be the gift that just keeps giving.
Photoshop: Even if you don’t have a leaning towards graphic design, Photoshop is an integral part of many creative industries, from the album design of a major artist to the poster for your local craft fair. Taking the time to find your way around this and other design programmes should be a priority, and will allow you to create look books, mood boards, promotional materials… the list is endless.
Take up a new discipline: As many creative roles overlap one another, don’t limit your potential. If you’re a performer of any genre, go to modelling workshops, acting classes, or take up dance. If you’re a good writer, contribute to blogs and publications offering an insider’s take on your own profession. Take a look around at the teams you work with, and ask yourself if you could pick up elements of their jobs. If you’re in a more structured environment, investigate job specifications for positions similar to, but somewhat removed from your own, and go about obtaining the specific skills to undertake those too. View your CV as a never ending spider graph, drawing a new line from an existing skill to a related one that could be achieved, and you’ll soon raise your value in any industry.
Collaborate: Affiliating yourself to projects in other fields is the fastest way to expand your resume and learn on the job. Sponsor events or local talents, run promotions in connection with other brands and so forth.
Spotlight on Roony Keefe, 24, editor and Risky Roadz DVD founder.
Within the UK urban music scene, and specifically the London based genre of grime, Roony Keefe and his DVD series Risky Roadz are a big deal. Having come to grime through it’s predecessor, garage, this multi-talented camera man, editor, photographer and entrepreneur has established one of the best selling DVD series of its kind, becoming stocked by mainstream giants such as HMV, Zaavi and play.com, and being featured by the likes of Radio One and I.D Magazine. With plans for album releases, artist representation and clothing lines amongst some of his imminent plans, Roony is proving the worth of extending an empire whilst generating additional skills and exercising a mogul’s attitude to portfolio building. Be sure to visit www.riskyroadz.com to keep up with his next moves.
