top of page

My Work

Documentary
Narrative
Artist Spotlights
Help and Sales Videos
CVSuite Presents DataEd: Methods of Evaluating the Creative Economy
02:48

CVSuite Presents DataEd: Methods of Evaluating the Creative Economy

Music from premiumbeat.com Music: Bright Ideas by Taizo Audio To read a full transcript of the video, see below: Welcome to DataEd, an exploration into the creative economy and data analysis. In our last videos, we discussed the philosophy of defining the creative economy, and some of the data sources that are available to the field. In this video we will build on what we’ve learned and dive into the methods of evaluating the creative economy. Now that we understand the data sources that make up the building blocks of our creative economy we can begin to evaluate it. There are two established ways to measure an economy: industry performance or comparative value. You can even use a combination of the two. Industry performance is the collection of economic and financial data across a specific industry or set of industries. This is used to convey the size and scale of the industries that make up your creative economy. Descriptive metrics such as earnings, sales, or jobs numbers are the statistical building blocks of your region. Using these metrics you can see patterns such as year over year trends that give context to this data. Success is often measured in how much an economy has grown and historical data is used as a baseline. Visualizing this growth is a key component of performance measurement. Along with historical trends, rate of growth is another descriptor of performance. The graph shows the growth of creative occupations in a region by percent of change. What’s important to understand in this graph is that a downward trendline doesn’t mean a loss in jobs, it means jobs have grown less than the previous years. Only when you dip into negative digits does it indicate a loss in occupations. The second method of evaluating your creative economy is by using comparative values. Comparative values are the comparison of an industry’s economic performance to that of other industries or to the economy as a whole. The easiest way to use the comparative value method is by comparing your region to other regions. The CVSuite’s Creative Vitality Index or (CVI) is a tool that enables analyzing regions by comparative value. The CVI allows regions to be compared with one another against a national average by looking at three specific data points that demonstrate a region’s economic performance: the number of creative jobs, industry sales, and non-profit revenue. Comparing the national average is standard practice, but it can also be valuable to analyze comparisons of similar regions. When you combine a clear definition of your creative economy, properly vetted official data sources, and an understanding of various methods for evaluating your region’s creative economy, you can put together a compelling data driven call to action. DataEd - smart, simple, effective.
CVSuite Presents DataEd: Defining the Creative Economy
02:33

CVSuite Presents DataEd: Defining the Creative Economy

Learn the concepts on the philosophy of defining your creative economy. Music from premiumbeat.com Music: Bright Ideas by Taizo Audio To read a full transcript of the video, see below: Welcome to DataEd, by Creative Vitality Suite. DataEd is an exploration into the creative economy and data analysis. In this series we will introduce concepts on the philosophy of defining the creative economy, learn more about data sources, and dive into the methods of data analysis that will serve as the foundation for understanding the creative economy. Part 1: Defining the Creative Economy- Philosophy The first step in understanding your creative economy is to define it. A universal definition of the creative economy does not exist. There are many different world views and considerations that inform how people set these definitions. Some organizations have included only traditional arts, such as visual and performing arts, in their definitions. Others have included a broader scope such as industries and occupations in the for-profit design fields and even occupations such as software development in technology. When it comes to defining your own creative economy, there are two key approaches one can take. The first is the conceptual model or “macroeconomic” approach. This defines the creative economy according to how creativity generates value across the overall economy. It shows how economic value is derived from direct creative production. Examples are works created by individual artists, intellectual property rights to creative works (for example, publishing), and value added to other goods and services by design and other creative processes. The second approach is industry map ping or the “microeconomic” approach. This defines the creative economy primarily according to the creative industries and their activity within it. This approach uses established theories to determine which industries to include or exclude from the creative economy. The main differences in these two approaches are data sources, industries, and specificity of focus. CVSuite bridges these approaches by capturing, across industries, creative industry activity and creative occupations using reliable data sources. This enables our clients to build their own model of the creative economy while benefiting from robust and comparable data. Conclusion: Put it All Together Understanding how to define your creative economy is just one building block in evaluating your region’s creative economy. Watch our next video in the series, Understanding Data Sources and Classifications, where we will explore various data sources. DataEd - smart, simple, effective.
How to Apply to Calls on CaFÉ | CaFÉ - CallForEntry.org
03:57

How to Apply to Calls on CaFÉ | CaFÉ - CallForEntry.org

Learn how to find and apply to calls on CaFÉ. Music by bensound.com For full transcript of the audio, see below. Welcome to CaFE! In this help video we will show you how to apply to calls on CaFE. To start, log in to your account with your CaFE username and password. If you’ve never used CaFE, you will need to sign up as a new user. Creating an account is easy and takes just a few minutes. To find open opportunities, click Apply to Calls. You can search the listings with a simple keyword of either the call name, city, or organization. Filter the listings by call type, eligibility, entry fee, state or calls you have previously marked as favorite. You can also sort the listings by the deadline. The search results will show you a brief overview of the call. Select More Info to review the full details about the call. Select Apply Now to begin the application. Before you can begin an application, you must agree to the legal terms of the event. If you do not agree to the terms, you will not be able to move on to the application. Once on the application, you will see two main sections: Form Questions and Choose Work Samples. All required questions will be in bold. Answer all required questions. If uploading a document into the application, you should see the file name to the right of the Choose File button. Keep in mind files must be no larger than 2mb and must be an accepted file type. Click the help icon to see the full list of accepted file types. If you need to exit the application during any point in the process, use the “Save” button to save your application responses. Once you have answered all required questions, you can select work samples to attach to the application under the Choose Work Samples section. All of the work samples that you uploaded to your Portfolio will display at the bottom of the application. If you haven’t uploaded work samples you will need to add them to your Portfolio before you can submit the application. If you need help uploading work samples, please see our video on how to upload work samples or find instructions on our Uploading Media page in the help center. To attach work samples to the application, select either the media thumbnail or checkboxes below each sample. If you need to review your work samples, click the blue text beneath the thumbnail. This will direct you to the media preview where you can see all details associated with your sample. If you do not have the option to modify the details, you may need to archive past applications the work sample was used in. Make sure the number of samples you select matches the numbers listed in the requirements. Once you select a sample, a gray box will surround the work you selected Click Save Application to move on to the next section. On the next page you will see options to checkout, go back to your entry, preview the application and/or reorder samples. The option to allow ≠ reordering samples is determined by the call administrator so it may not appear for all applications. If you do not see the option to reorder samples, this means each sample will be reviewed individually. If you do not see the option to reorder samples, this means each sample will be reviewed individually instead of having all samples grouped together to be reviewed as a body of work. The final step of the application process is checkout. Watch our next video on application check out for assistance with that process. Need more help? Check out our videos and tutorials in the Help Center. Thank you for using CaFE and good luck with your entries!
How to Apply to Events on ZAPP®
03:44

How to Apply to Events on ZAPP®

Learn how to search for and apply to shows using the ZAPP® service. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Life of Riley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) For full transcript of the audio, see below. Welcome to ZAPP, where artists and art festivals connect! In this help video, we will show you how to apply to events on ZAPP. To start, log in to your account with your ZAPP username and password. If you’ve never used ZAPP, you will need to sign up as a new user. Creating an account is easy and takes just a few minutes. To find shows that are accepting applications, select Apply to Shows by opening the menu or clicking the link at the top of the page. You can search the listings with a simple keyword or filter by event month, deadline month, event type, state or region. The search results will show you a brief overview of the event. Click either the event name or More Event Info to see the event’s full description. When you’re ready to begin the application, click the Apply to This Show button found at both the bottom and top of the page. Agree to the legal terms of the event. If you wish, you may also print the agreement. If you do not agree to the terms, you will not be able to move on to the application. Select your medium category from the list provided by the show. All required questions will be in bold. Answer all required questions. In the statement of technique section you can either type in your statement or you can insert a saved one. Click Insert Statement and choose the statement you wish to insert. Once added you can edit your statement, as needed. If you are unsure how to create saved statements, please see our Managing Statements of Techniques video. If you need to exit the application during any point in the process, use the “Save and Continue” button to save your application responses. Once you have answered all required questions, you can select images to attach to the application. All of the images that you have uploaded to your Portfolio will display at the bottom of the application. If you haven’t uploaded images you will need to add them to your Portfolio before you can complete your application. If you need help uploading images, please see our video on how to upload images or find instructions on our Image Preparation page in the help center. Before you attach images, you may want to see what you submitted to this event in the past. You can click the image submission history button to see the images and artist statement for each past application to this event. Click the arrows to scroll through all applications. To attach images to the application, select either the thumbnail or checkboxes under the images. After you select an image there will be a number in the top right corner. This is the order in which jurors will view your work. You can see the exact order of the images by visiting the Selected Samples section. To change the order click either the thumbnail or checkbox underneath to deselect your image and reselect in your desired order. Make sure the number of images you select matches the numbers listed in the requirements. Once you have attached images, Select the “Save and Preview” button at the bottom of the page to save the application and continue on to the preview page. The preview page allows you to preview the application, preview your images as a juror (available only on a desktop computer), return to the application to make changes and/or continue to the Checkout. The final step of the application process is checkout. Watch our next video on the application check out and submit your application today! Need more help? Check out our videos and tutorials in the Help Center. Thank you for using ZAPP and good luck with your show season!
How to Purchase Booths on ZAPP®
03:22

How to Purchase Booths on ZAPP®

Have you been invited to a show using ZAPP® and now you need to purchase a booth? Watch this brief video and learn how to easily make a booth purchase in the ZAPP® system. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Life of Riley" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...) For full transcript of the audio, see below. Welcome to ZAPP, where artists and art festivals connect! Congratulations on your invitation! In this video we will show you how to use ZAPP to buy booths and other related products. Be sure that you are logged in to your ZAPP account. There are three ways to get to the ZAPP Shop. You can either click Purchases below the Event Name, select the My Cart button in the top right corner, or open the menu and click ZAPP Shop. If you’re not ready to purchase a booth but you want to let the event know you plan to attend, you can accept the invitation on your My ZAPPlications page. This will allow you to purchase your booth at a later date. Below the event you have been invited to, click Accept or Reject Invitation. If you accept the invitation, you will see a Purchases button that will direct you to the ZAPP Shop. If you reject the invitation, your status will change to Declined. On the left side of the ZAPP Shop, you will see products that are available for purchase. These can be booths, electricity packages, tent rentals, or other items. If you have been invited to a show but do not see booths listed,the show may not sell their booths through ZAPP. Double check your email invitation from the show or contact them for instructions. Notice that there are 5 steps that you will move through to complete your purchase. At any point in the process, you can click on the headings to jump to that section. Once the product is added to your cart, click the orange Next Step button to move to the next section. Make sure that your quantity, fee, and product are all correct. Then, select the orange Next Step button. In step 3, you can apply a discount or coupon. If you have a coupon code, type the code in the Coupon Code box and press the “Apply” button. You will then see the discount has been applied. Select the orange Next Step button to proceed. In step 4, you can choose your payment type. If the event allows all payment types, you will see a drop-down menu. Choose your payment type from the drop-down menu and then click the green button matching your payment preference. If you select Check, you will need to enter your check number and then mail your check to the address listed in the email sent to you with your receipt. Please note that not all shows accept check payments. If you pay by Credit Card or PayPal, ZAPP will store this payment type so you can use it the next time you checkout an item. If you do see a saved method of payment, select the card or account to pay with it again. If you wish to pay with a different card or PayPal account, click Choose Another Way to Pay . If you select Credit Card, you will need to enter the name on the card, your credit card number without spaces or hyphens, your expiration date, CVV and ZIP Code. If you select PayPal, a window will appear that will allow you to log-in to your PayPal account where you can fill out the appropriate information. Once you have finished filling out the required information, hit the Submit button to complete your purchase.A receipt will also be sent to the email address associated with your ZAPP account. After purchasing a booth, your application will be moved automatically to the Confirmed status, which you can see on the My ZAPPlications page. Need more help? Check out our videos and tutorials in the Help Center. Thank you for using ZAPP and good luck with your show season!
CVSuite Presents DataEd: Understanding Data Sources and Classifications
03:41

CVSuite Presents DataEd: Understanding Data Sources and Classifications

Learn the concepts on the philosophy of defining your creative economy. Music from premiumbeat.com Music: Bright Ideas by Taizo Audio To read a full transcript of the video, see below: Welcome to DataEd, an exploration into the creative economy and data analysis. In our last video, we discussed the philosophy of defining the creative economy. Now, we will explore the data sources that serve as the foundation for understanding the creative economy. No matter which approach you choose, each requires looking at a variety of data sources. It is important to balance how specific or broad the scope of your research is by focusing on a number of official data sources. The federal government provides some of the most reliable economic data available, which is all housed in the CVSuite tool. This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and more before it is cleaned and combined to make meaningful discoveries. The cleaning process involves multiple steps including, the removal of: personal identifiable information, duplicate information, or irrelevant data. The federal sources have cleaning methodologies, but there are also third party data providers such as CVSuite or our partner Emsi that further process the data into actionable information for specific user needs. These data sources provide CVSuite with the common building blocks of the creative economy, categorized into creative industries and occupations. Industries are defined by the North American Industry Classification System, or NAICS for short. NAICS uses codes to define industries and classify businesses by the type of economic activity they engage in. NAICS codes are between 2 and 6 digits. There are 23 main 2-digit industries and for each main industry there are also sub sectors represented by more specific categories, each represented by an additional digit. Occupations are defined by the Standard Occupational Classification, referred to as SOC codes. The SOC standard is designed to cover all occupations in which work is performed for pay or profit. SOC codes are also broken into a 6 digit hierarchy, with the first 2 digits being major occupation groups and additional digits representing a more specific sub group. When analyzing the creative economy, it is important to distinguish industries from occupations. Industries are comprised of businesses that add value to the creative economy, but may employ supplementary “non-creative” jobs such as accountants or business administrators. While, occupations are the creative jobs that people are employed in. It is also important to understand how non-profit organizations fit into the bigger picture. Non-profits are defined by the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities or NTEE. These codes start with a letter representing the major group a non-profit belongs to and then can include up to 4 more digits. Each digit represents a specific subgroup. Creative nonprofit analysis relies mostly on the major Group A- Arts, Culture, and Humanities. Now you have an understanding of how to clearly define your creative economy and how to vet official data sources - sp what’s next? Watch our next video to help you dive deeper and understand the various methods of evaluating the creative economy. DataEd - smart, simple, effective.
Learn More About Creative Vitality™ Suite | CVSuite - Creative Economy Data Tool
03:16

Learn More About Creative Vitality™ Suite | CVSuite - Creative Economy Data Tool

https://cvsuite.org/ Music: "Cheery Monday" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ We developed the Creative Vitality™ Suite to make it easy for organizations working within the creative economy space to access data, explore data, and most important, use creative economy data to demonstrate their impact, now, and in the future. To sign up for a demo of CVSuite™, contact us at cvsuite@westaf.org. Welcome to the Creative Vitality Suite! The CVSuite is an interactive tool that allows arts administrators, economic developers and city planners to explore and report on creative economic activity and the impact of the creative economy in their region. The Creative Vitality Suite includes both nonprofit and for-profit data in a wide variety of geographic breakdowns. The tool includes race and ethnicity data, earnings, job counts, and nonprofit revenues––everything needed to demonstrate the importance and impact of a vibrant creative sector within an overall economy. As users of the tool, you only need to define a specific region by selecting either a state, metropolitan statistical area (MSA), county, ZIP Code or cluster of ZIP Codes. You can also create custom regions and cities by copying and pasting a cluster of ZIP Codes directly into the tool. The Creative Vitality Suite is updated annually with the most current creative economy data available. In addition to accessing and analyzing the current data, you can view data from previous years and identify trends. Using this data, you will be as up-to-date as anyone in the business! The CVSuite uses reliable data from reputable sources. This is not advocacy data but highly accurate research-level data. Currently, there are 99 industry (NAICs) codes and 85 occupation (SOC) codes to select from within the CVSuite. This feature allows users to define an area’s creative economy in exactly the same way a state or local economic development office does and to use the tool for broad or narrow custom analysis. The CVSuite also covers the full spectrum of employment types, from full-time workers, such as those measured by state labor departments to self-employed workers and proprietors, such as artists who do not report their art revenue as primary income. One of the most exciting things about the Creative Vitality Suite is its flexibility. Users can access and analyze the data in many ways. In the Data Sets section, users can explore occupation, industry, nonprofit revenues and demographic data for a region. Race and ethnicity data is the newest addition to the tool and is available by region population, occupation jobs and industry jobs. As a user of the tool, you have access to Excel downloads that provide an opportunity for deeper analysis of each data set. This kind of detail gives users the ability to tell a highly credible data-driven story to people who often ask for such detail, such as economic development departments and elected officials! Finally, the CVSuite makes understanding a region’s creative economy easier than ever! The Snapshot Report highlights key findings for a selected region in an easy-to-understand, downloadable, single-page report. The Snapshot Report can be pulled at any point and reflects the most current state of a region. Easily compare your region to peer or aspirational regions with the Creative Vitality Index (CVI). The Creative Vitality Index (CVI) is an index that provides a value for the relative economic health of a region’s creative economy when compared to the national average, and/or a state average. Index values greater than one represent greater creative activity. The CVI functionality allows users to easily observe year-over-year creative economy performance in a selected region. Start exploring your creative economy today! Contact the CVSuite team at cvsuite@westaf.org to get started with your subscription or sign up for our free demo!
A Jury Demonstration for ZAPP® Jurors
01:51

A Jury Demonstration for ZAPP® Jurors

Watch how jurors on ZAPP® can access the site, review images and input scores. See below for full transcript. Welcome to ZAPP! In this video we will show you how to jury applications using ZAPPlication. First, go to admin.zapplication.org and login using the username and password that the show administrator provided. If you have not been assigned a username and password, please contact the administrator of your event. Once logged in select the event from the drop-down list and hit go. You will be directed to a page with a drop-down menu where you can select a medium category. You will also see an option to review images, score, and score the remaining artists. By selecting a category from the drop-down list, only artists within that category will appear. To review the jury images before scoring, click the Review Images button. A new window will appear where you can see all of the images submitted by the artist and any information that was made visible from the application by the administrator. Depending on the show settings, you may see the artists’ body of work slide before moving on to individual images. To see information about the artwork and information on the application, move your mouse to the middle of the image and click on the white “i.” To move on to the next image, move your mouse to the right side of the window and click on the white arrow button. If you wish to review the images in full-screen mode, select the icon in the bottom right hand corner. When you are ready to score the applicants, click the Score! button. This is similar to the review page, except you will see a scorecard at the end of each applicant’s body of work. On the scorecard, you see the artist’s body of work and a place to submit scores and comments. Be sure to hit the “Save this Score” button to ensure that your scores are saved. If you select score remaining artists, you will see images for any artist that has not been scored. Again, you will see all of their images, followed by the scorecard. It may be helpful to click the Score Remaining Artists button after you are finished scoring each category to ensure that you didn’t miss any applications. You will know that you are finished jurying when all artists have scores next to their application ID. Good luck with your jurying! For more specific questions, please contact the administrator of the show you are jurying for. Thank you for using ZAPP®!

Natalie Villa | Filmmaker

2025

bottom of page