Welcome to the artist’s Courtyard! In this community, you’ll find smart, generous, and talented creative business owners.
The heart of this community is you. And in here, we want to have wide-ranging discussions on tough topics. But to achieve that, we all need to be on the same page.
Focus on sharing knowledge, not doling out advice.
There are plenty of places online where we can dole out our expert opinions. Instead, we want to foster an environment where healthy debate is encouraged and everyone is celebrated for sharing their questions, stories, and perspectives.
Your “mistakes”, lessons learned and hard-won knowledge are the currency of this community. And by sharing them with us, you offer opportunities for others to learn (and avoid common or even less common minefields).
Our goal is to tackle big questions and work together to discover all of the potential answers. Because there are dozens of possible right answers and the one that’s right for you and your business, isn’t necessarily right for someone else’s business.
Conflict and discomfort shouldn’t be pushed under the rug.
We all come from different backgrounds, worldviews, ideas, styles, and viewpoints. We have a wide variety of personalities and ways of dealing with conflict. And this means we all understand things differently and we won’t always agree.
There are times you’ll be right and times you’ll be wrong. Be open to the idea that sometimes you’ll be both at the same time.
When you experience discomfort or discover you are wrong, welcome it (even though it can be hard). Because discomfort is a key component of learning and growth. Be willing to sit with that discomfort, reflect on the situation, and learn, and then share your new knowledge with the group.
Always assume the tone is direct and helpful
If you are in the position of helping someone discover something new about the legal side of their business, remember that tone is hard to convey via text. And that the person reading it might misinterpret your tone, not because you are being mean or harsh, but because it’s not the answer they want to hear. When helping them, separate the person from the situation, and offer specific suggestions that will help them resolve the situation.
If you are in the position of learning something new about the legal side of your business, please remember that it’s unlikely you are being criticized or attacked, instead always assume that the tone is direct and helpful. The information is not being shared to demean you or to put you down, but to help you grow and learn as a business owner.
Commit to diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism
One of my business values is seeking out a wide variety of perspectives. A diversity of views, experiences, and people power creativity. (And yes, this equals discomfort at times.) It’s all of our jobs to encourage community members to speak up and share their experiences.
My goal is to create a community where diversity, inclusivity, equality, and anti-racism are core elements of its design.
If you encounter barriers, please let me know immediately. And together we’ll determine if I need to make an adjustment in the design or how we can work around a platform or design limitation.
If you have suggestions, feedback, or ideas on how I can improve the community, please let me know.
To make it clear, don’t be a jerk
It should go without saying after reading the above, but to be clear, the following behaviors are not tolerated:
- violence or threats of violence
- posting or threatening to post member’s personal information
- personal attacks (insulting, demeaning, belittling)
- racist or derogatory language
- unwelcome sexual attention or contact
- sustained disruption of events, meetings, and community threads
If you believe you are experiencing any of these behaviors or think that someone else is, please let me know so I can investigate.
Have questions?
If you see a post that you don’t think complies with these guidelines, message me! I’ll step in, investigate, and contact the member privately or remove the post.