Timothy "Ill Poetic" Gmeiner

“An Idiot’s Guide to Anarchy” Independent Artist Entrepreneurship Workshop and Curriculum (2019-present)

by Timothy “Ill Poetic” Gmeiner (curriculum co-developed by San Diego City College Commercial Music Dept. Chair Bob Kostlan)

As an artist who often lacked the knowledge and resources to attain my own goals, I believe once a young artist is inspired to create, access to the proper resources and education is necessary. This curriculum is designed to give them the tools to succeed at that.

Current Status: In 2019, I began guest lecturing at various San Diego, CA colleges, national festivals and centers based in under-resourced communities on the subject of artist entrepreneurship. These lectures and workshops act as my first step towards a fully expansive curriculum geared to help provide both college students and under-resourced youth with an overview of the tenants, resources and options that exist in creating a sustainable and tangible self-governed career in the anarchic creative field. This curriculum has been accredited in the state of California, and as of Spring 2023, is being taught at San Diego City College.

Logistics: Inspired by my own creative journey and hurdles in self-employment, this course is purposed to give students theoretical and practical applications to build a unique and fulfilling career as a self-employed music artist. Topics range from theoretical subjects such as nurturing the creative process, goal-setting and building creative discipline to practical applications, such as exploring specific outlets of revenue streams, financial planning and steps toward self-ownership. By the end of this introductory course, students will acquire the resources and understanding of how to build a fulfilling creative life of self-employment and align this with the growth of their artistry. View an outline of the curriculum (work in progress) below:

Educator Statement / Relation to Theme: I plan to further develop this curriculum alongside my own creative goals within the audio/visual field in a way that allows me to continue threading my own career experience within the course material. I am doing this because I believe young artists are at their highest potential for fulfillment when they are allowed deep focus and uninterrupted access to their creative process. I believe the primary tenets of self-employment and entrepreneurship allow for a deeper and more empowered access to the creative process and yield results that benefit not only these young artists, but us as a community. Read more theory behind the curriculum below:

Additional Experience: Developed and presented lectures for UCSD’s Music Department: MUS5 - Music in Sound and Time and MUS19 - Blacktronika.