Below are summaries of every entry associated with the category [My arts center]. Don't forget that most of these are assigned to both a general category and a more specific subcategory as well; choosing one of the subcategories will shorten the list of entries you get returned.

June 24, 2006 | It's open. My arts center is finally open.

Well, the day has finally arrived; after two years of plans and trash-talking, my new arts organization is ready to sink or swim on its own. Today, read all about it; and how even the best-laid plans still don't stop you from running to the bathroom with dry heaves at least once a day, when you're a new small-business owner. | view entire entry

April 24, 2006 | Okay, so the real reason I'm scaling back this journal.
Okay, so my readers (brilliant as always) have been guessing more and more at why I so suddenly decided to scale back this journal; I did indeed have an "incident" in real-life Chicago recently concerning a reader, that left me rather shaken and spooked. Today, the details, and some thoughts on how this is going to affect both my current and future online life. Plus: Finally, the details of my arts center's upcoming wiki, "The CCLaP Guide to Being a Self-Sustaining Artist." | view entire entry

April 10, 2006 | I'm thinking of scaling back this journal.
Okay, so because of a growing amount of responsibilites in other areas of my life, I'm indeed thinking about cutting back on the amount of entries written here. Today, the entire story of why. Plus: lots of new details considering "Archimedes," the alternative-reality-game "hyperfiction" project I'm creating this summer. Warning: much nerdiness ahead! | view entire entry

March 27, 2006 | I have some new announcements concerning my arts center.
Three major new announcements today concerning my new arts center, the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography. First, our October guest for "The CCLaP Sessions" is official - it's Time Out: Chicago Books Editor Jonathan Messinger; second, a new online document is ready, detailing CCLaP's upcoming online activities; and finally, our first book project is official, a collection of funny, horrific drug memoirs called "Contact High." | view entire entry

March 24, 2006 | The future of the arts - an opposing viewpoint.
Well, no suprise here - my declaration on Wednesday, that most artistic non-profits will be dead in the next 30 years, has generated quite a bit of dissent from the non-profit community! Today, an extended essay by my friend Jude Baker, a profesional non-profit executive, arguing the points I made earlier this week. | view entire entry

March 23, 2006 | I've been thinking about Jesus recently.
I've been making my way recently through my "read this stuff" box here at home, and in particular a series of lectures by Jewish intellectuals, concerning Christian-Jewish relations. It's had me thinking a lot recently about the subject of Jesus - if he was a real man, what kind of man he might've been, why the Christians and Jews had such a falling-out over him in the first place. Today, my thoughts. Plus: I think I've finally sold my mom on the idea of my arts center, thank God; and, hopefully it'll finally sink in with a bunch of new people today - that I'm holding a reader fundraiser right now. Only $195 to go! | view entire entry

March 22, 2006 | That's right, I said that artistic non-profits are dying.
No, you didn't hear me wrong yesterday; I'm predicting the permanent death of almost all artistic non-profits by 20 or 30 years from now. Today, some detailed thoughts on why, and what will replace this structure in the future. Plus: I don't think that newspaper who interviewed me is going to run the article, so I might as well talk about it now; plus good news on the reader fundraiser for a new Intel Mini - $405 now raised! Only $195 to go! | view entire entry

March 20, 2006 | Regarding micropayments and "micro-economies."
A comics friend and I recently got on a topic that I've been discussing with others since the 1980s - of "micropayments," or charging just a tiny amount of money for a tiny amount of creative content (one comic strip, for example, or one poem). Today, some thoughts on why so far no one has been able to successfully implement such a thing...well, that is, except for the videogame "Second Life." More on how they're able to do it, and how artistic organizations could mimic the structure in real life if they wanted. Plus: some screenshots from the upcoming new brochure for my own arts center; plus great news to report about the Mini fundraiser - $360 now raised! | view entire entry

March 16, 2006 | A mysterious hero from my past suddenly re-surfaces.
This website has always been the cause of a lot of great random emails, and why look at the one I just got yesterday; from novelist Kristin McCloy, author of a book I was really in love with in my early twenties, who just found out recently that I had been in love with the book back then. Today, some thoughts on her book, why it meant as much to me back then as it did, and how my arts center might possibly be able to help her out this coming winter. Plus: Big news with my reader fundraiser for the new Mini - $250 raised in the last two days! | view entire entry

March 15, 2006 | Good Lord - more about Second Life!
Good Lord - my fifth day in a row of entries about the alternative-reality videogame "Second Life!" But hey, what can I say - I have yet more things to say about it! Including: an update on my reader fundraiser ($50 raised, $450 to go); more about land ownership, how to build objects, and how this all naturally affects zoning, without there having to be any laws about it; I've started talking with more Linden employees; and more on the serious, academic experiments that can be run within Second Life as well, especially by traditional academic organizations (at a steep price discount too, no less). | view entire entry

March 13, 2006 | Field report: My first weekend in Second Life.
Well, it's official; I finally was able to log into the alternative-reality game "Second Life" for the first time on Friday, and ended up spending the whole damn weekend playing (and taking screenshots). Today, part 1 of my ridiculously long report, explaining everything I saw. | view entire entry

February 28, 2006 | Once that ball starts rolling...
Well, even more official announcements for CCLaP, this new arts center of mine opening this September; I have our first official show to announce, and someone's donated us a free website as well. Today, some thoughts on why things seem to be coming together so quickly these days, after two years of hardly anything happening at all; and why, by the way, I think those first two years were still necessary. Plus: five simple ways you too can help the Chicago Center for Literature an Photography, sometimes for free, sometimes by donating crap in your basement. | view entire entry

February 27, 2006 | And the name of my new arts center is...
Why, it's the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, in fact (or CCLaP for short), which I can now announce because the website's URL is finally secured. Today, the full explanation of where this name came from, and why it was chosen. Plus: two new 'jasonpettus' tags in the blogosphere, and two new audio comments! Too bad they both recorded them in a way so that I can't share them!; Google, won't you please build the "Google Crossword Helper?;" and a little help is needed regarding whether I'm doing something wrong with iTunes. | view entire entry

February 09, 2006 | No, seriously, the last about my new arts center.
No, I mean it, today I will finally finish up the plans for the new "lite" version of my arts center; one that will generate substantially less money, that is, but also be ready to open as soon as this September. Today: How much money that's going to take. | view entire entry

February 08, 2006 | Who is Nikki Patin, and why should you care?
Today, part 3 of this week's talk about the new "lite" version of my upcoming arts center; one that will generate significantly less money, that is, but will be open for business as early as this Septmeber. Specifically, more on Nikki Patin, my new Director of Live Events; and more on our Membership and Fellowship programs. | view entire entry

February 07, 2006 | More about my arts center, the "lite" version.
Part 2 of the details of the new "lite" version of my upcoming arts center; that is, a version that will generate substantially less revenue, but that will be ready to open as soon as this September. Today, all about our upcoming website. | view entire entry

February 06, 2006 | Introducing my arts center - the "lite" version.
I've been getting so much email about it since first casually mentioning it on Friday, that I thought I'd address it head-on today: Yes, it's most likely that a "lite" version of my arts center will be open for business as soon as this September. Today, the first details of why this is. | view entire entry

January 20, 2006 | I was dreaming of the arts center again.
I admit it, I drifted off and had a dream again about my arts center: about how cool it'd be if it was open right now, so I could book this interesting series of columnists at the Chicago Tribune. Today, thoughts on why it's so important to sometimes have these dreams, even while maintaining a sense of reality about it all. | view entire entry

January 02, 2006 | Happy 2006!
Happy new year! And guess what, I've actually made a New Year's resolution and everything: to finally implement a full and detailed version of the "Getting Things Done" time-management system in my life, which I've been using on a limited basis for about a year now. Today, thoughts on how this is done, and what it's going to mean, not only for my life but for yours. Plus: dreams of 'merry prankster' style computer viruses; and "learning about artists changes artists." | view entire entry

August 12, 2005 | [randommedia]: Field report from the Chicago Small Business Expo, UIC Pavilion
An episode of my podcast [randommedia], this one a field report from the Chicago Small Business Expo, being held in the UIC Pavilion. | view entire entry

August 04, 2005 | Yeah, but where are the singing waiters?
Today's my 11th anniversary of moving to Chicago. In today's journal, some thoughts about that last decade and a year, and what's coming ahead in my life. | view entire entry

July 18, 2005 | Regarding CRM, SEO, and other MBA BS.
Every day that I learn a little more about business, it seems, is another day I learn yet something else useless about business. Today, two good examples of what I'm talking about, as well as one that might not actually be useless after all. Plus: A few thoughts on being a gifted child, and what it means for my future arts center. | view entire entry

July 15, 2005 | Fuck you! I'm a rebel!
Today, yet more stories about GALLERIA, the student art gallery and I started and ran in college; specifically, about how we dealt with artist "rebels," both those with legitimate complaints and those deliberately trying to start a fight in order to get more publicity. | view entire entry

July 14, 2005 | More tales of GALLERIA.
Today, more stories about GALLERIA, the student art gallery I started and ran in college; specifically, how I managed to get a bunch of rave-attending, acid-dropping, anti-authoritarian art-school students to actually be pretty good office workers. It's not as hard as you might think! | view entire entry

July 13, 2005 | Oh, did I not mention GALLERIA?
Yesterday I casually mentioned GALLERIA, a student art gallery I started and ran in college, and was promptly reminded by readers that most people have no idea what I'm talking about. So today, a gentle introduction to that rarest of things in the world - the undergraduate art gallery that actually became an accidental mainstream success. | view entire entry

June 30, 2005 | But what about the artists, Jason? WHAT ABOUT THE ARTISTS?
Today, yet more details from the business plan of this new arts center I'm trying to open in Chicago right now; specifically, how I'm planning on keeping a bunch of drunken petulant 27-year-old poets happy with what we do. It's easier than you think! | view entire entry

June 29, 2005 | More on the business issues The Obvious People just don't get.
Today, more details of the business plan for this arts center I'm trying to open here in Chicago right now; specifically, how I'm planning on delivering an authentic underground artistic experience to our paying customers, most of whom will not be artists themselves. | view entire entry

June 28, 2005 | I do what I can, and that's all I can do.
Today, some updates on how the plan is going for this arts center in Chicago I'm trying to open these days. In a nutshell - some frustrations, some successes, but in general with a slow forward momentum. Plus, a few thoughts on why my business plan is going to succeed, no matter what The Obvious People might think. | view entire entry