"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." --Albert Einstein

"MAKE MY AVOCATION MY VOCATION" --ROBERT FROST:
If you've ever thought of making your passion your profession, this class is for you. Just bring your passion, be it creative writing, painting, classical music, photography, hiphop, open source CMS & DRM, or movie production, and during the semester you will research the business structure and technological needs for launching your venture or career. From ecommerce to bricks & mortar art galleries, JD's & DJ's will rock out in new ventures. Diligent students will leave the class with their own record label, photo gallery, digital movie distribution system, or video for their band's new song.

The class looks forward to your group's final presentation on your startup movie/film production company, publishing house, modeling agency, fashion brand, professional photography studio/archive, high-tech hosting/bittorrent distribution venture, music-booking agency, nonprofit foundation for Baroque music, talent-management agency, or indie record label. This class is your chance to live your dream for a semester, and hopefully beyond!

TELL YOUR VENTURE'S STORY:
The class's structure will be based on classical story elements as outlined in Aristotle's Poetics and Joseph Campbell's Hero With a Thousand Faces. The independent projects will be adventures akin to Campbell's "Hero's Journey," wherein students will become protagonists as artists and entrepreneurs attempting to realize their dream by launching a successful venture. Along the way students will encounter antagonists and pitfalls, but these shall be overcome by the end of the semester, when students will present their artistic ventures.

Anyone who has studied Hollywood knows that every blockbuster, from Lord of the Rings, to Star Wars, to The Matrix, is founded upon classical story structures, and the class will be taught in this classical context. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution are the two most fundamental business documents for artists and entrepreneurs, and students will be required to study the pertinent aspects of these classics. From Aristotle's Poetics to the Bill of Rights to 50 Cent's insights regarding the music business, students will be given the tools to venture forth in the contemporary context.

Technology's daily advance is fostering vast opportunities to create sustainable ventures in the arts. This class is just the beginning of the journey. Perhaps some students will venture up to NY or west to LA, or take advantage of the digital high definition (HD) technologies, bittorrent, open source CMS, and DRM to become tomorrow's writers, directors, producers, and record company executives right in Chapel Hill.

Every work of art tells a story, and behind that work of art is another parallel story--the business of its creation, promotion, and distribution. Such are the stories students will tell in Artistic Entrepreneurship & Technology 101.

BLOGGING THE VENTURE'S PROGRESS:
Students will be required to set up a blog which will serve as a log for independent projects, charting progress in pursuit of that distant shore. The blog will link to useful resources/articles regarding the venture, and will become a valuable asset for other groups in the class and beyond.

"GENIUS IS 1% INSPIRATION AND 99% PERSPIRATION" --THOMAS ALVA EDISON:
Artistic Entrepreneurship will be a lot of work, but the kind of exalted work that is rooted in a creative vision. As Edison said, genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and as the class studies the careers of famous artists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs, students will see how much work, how much relentless, unyielding effort was devoted en route to achieving their dreams. A common theme will be just when it seems all is lost, a new day dawns.

The class will be a lot of fun too. The harder one works, the more fun it will be.

TEAMWORK: THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS:
Students will work in self-selecting groups combining creative individuals across all disciplines, including artists, designers, writers, musicians, photographers, and programmers.

ARTS & TECHNOLOGY:
Steven Jobs never programmed, nor designed a microchip, and yet he's responsible for Apple, Pixar, the Macintosh, and the iPod. He lead and still leads hundreds of the best and brightest designers, programmers, and visonaries. Richard Branson never played an instrument nor piloted an airplane, and yet he's responsible for Virgin Airlines, Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, and a ton of other companies. He too leads hundreds of the best and brightest.

All successful artistic ventures require a vision encompassing a wide array of talents, disciplines, and vocations, and this class will emphasize the teamwork that underlies all successful implementations of technology. Programmers and artists will work side-by-side in independent groups.

A theme of the class will be the social aspects of technology.

Modern artistic venture require huge respect for all professions, and students will work in groups combining writers, computer programmers, artists, marketers, business majors, and more.

Do you want to set up a record label? You will build it with cutting edge technology implemented by a CS major. Do you want to set up a non-profit center for classical music? You will research the business structure and write the business plan alongside a business major. Do you want to become an indie movie producer, bypassing Hollywood? You'll work alongside a busines major, a computer programmer, and a marketing/communications major.

BLOGGING REFLECTIONS ON REQUIRED READING:
Students will be required to read trade journals in the area of their passion. Publishing entrepreneurs will read Publisher's Weekly. Rising movie moguls will read The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.

Required reading for this class will include Aristotle's Poetics, iCon: The Biography of Steven Jobs, and Richard Branson's biography Losing My Virginity : How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way.

TELL YOUR VENTURE'S STORY:
During the semester you will tell a story. You are the hero entrepreneur in this journey, and your dreams are the destination.

Passion for the arts and entrepreneurship are the major prerequisites for this course, and we encourage all writers, filmmakers, poets, programmers, and musicians to apply! Within this class English majors will work with Physics majors to create new ventures.

Whatever your passion, Dr. E will guide you in devising a plan for pursuing it as a profession.

The course structure is based upon Aristotle's Poetics and Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces, which have inspired thousands of storytellers including George Lucas in the creation of Star Wars and the Wachowski Brothers in the creation of the Matrix.

Just like Neo and Luke Skywalker, all artists/entrepreneurs must look within for that magic creative inspiration. As the artist/entrepreneur, you are the hero protagonist in this course, and thus the story falls upon your shoulders as we progress through the semester. Success will be defined by the course taking you closer to your dreams in arts and entrepreneurship.

Artistic Entrepreneurship 101 Outline:
(Based on Joseph Campbell's classic Hero With a Thousand Faces)

Structure

The Monomyth is divided into three sections: Departure (sometimes called Separation), Initiation and Return.

This was laid out by Joseph Campbell in the first part of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, "The Adventure of the Hero." His thesis was that all myths follow this structure to at least some extent. To take three examples: the Christ story follows this structure almost exactly, whereas the Odyssey features frequent repetitions of the Initiation section and the Cinderella story follows this structure somewhat more loosely.

Departure deals with the hero venturing forth on his quest. Initiation deals with the hero's various adventures along his or her way. And Return deals with the hero's return home with knowledge and powers he or she has acquired along the way.

Departure (or Separation)

The Call to Adventure

The quest begins with the hero in a state of neurotic anguish. The quest is often announced to the hero by another character who acts as a 'herald'.

In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker, the hero, begins the story in frustration over being unable to leave home. The heralds are the two droids who carry a message from Princess Leia. In The Matrix, the call comes in the form of Morpheus and his followers who encourage the hero, Neo, to question reality. In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf acts as the herald who gives Frodo his mission to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn, in a separate hero's journey, is told by Elrond of his true name and lineage as the Heir of Isildur and rightful heir to the throne of Gondor when he is 20 years of age.

Refusal of the Call

In many stories, the hero initially refuses the call to adventure. When this happens, the hero suffers somehow, and eventually chooses the quest.

In Star Wars, Luke is initially uninterested in helping the Rebel Alliance, preferring to stay on the farm; it is only when his foster parents are killed that he begins the quest. In The Matrix, Neo refuses to take the window washing equipment to escape and is captured by the Agents. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo is reluctant to set out on an adventure. Because of his delay he is nearly captured by the Ringwraiths.

Supernatural Aid

Along the way, the hero often encounters a helper, usually a wise old man, who gives the hero both psychological and physical weapons.

In the Christ story, this role is filled by John the Baptist. In Star Wars, Luke encounters the Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi who presents Luke with a lightsaber and teaches him the Force. In The Lord of the Rings Frodo and Sam Gamgee receive help early in their journey from several figures, notably Tom Bombadil, Bilbo and Gandalf. Hannibal Lecter, in the The Silence of the Lambs gives Agent Starling many psychological weapons.

The Crossing of the First Threshold

The hero eventually must cross into a dark underworld, where he will face evil and darkness, and thereby find true enlightenment. Before this can occur, however, the hero must cross the threshold between his home world and the new world of adventure. Often this involves facing off against and quelling a 'threshold guardian'.

In Star Wars, the threshold is Mos Eisley, a spaceport that acts as a doorway between Luke's home planet and the wider universe; Luke must avoid capture by the threshold guardians, the imperial stormtroopers. In The Matrix, Neo takes the "red pill". In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo finally accepts his mission in Rivendell and crosses the threshold once he leaves there. Also in Rivendell, Aragorn meets Boromir who tells of the plight that Gondor is now in while at the same time confronting those present for not aiding Gondor; Aragorn sees that he must now save Gondor and claim the kingship. In The Odyssey, Odysseus must pass the island of the Sirens. In The Silence of the Lambs, Agent Starling must enter not only Lecter's hospital, guarded by the semen-flinging guardian, but also the second threshold of the sealed storage facility Lecter directs her to.

The Belly of the Whale

Having defeated the threshold guardian, the hero finds himself in a place of darkness where he begins his true adventure, perhaps discovering his true purpose. This 'belly of the whale' may be an ambiguous place of dream-like forms. The name for this stage of the monomyth is based upon the story of Jonah.

In Star Wars, it is the Death Star, in which Luke is engulfed and in which he learns how to be a hero. In The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship pases through the abandoned mines of Moria. In The Matrix, Neo finds himself waking up in a bio-electric cell where he is one of the humans being harvested by the machines. In The Silence of the Lambs, Starling finds the serial killer Buffalo Bill's first victim within the dark, womblike storage facility.

Initiation

The Road of Trials

Once in the underworld, the hero is repeatedly challenged with mental and physical obstacles that must be overcome. Often these take the form of a test, by which the hero improves his skills and proves his worth.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke undergoes his training with Yoda. Aragorn, after the loss of Gandalf in Moria, must now take the position of leader of the Fellowship, and struggles to lead them as well as Gandalf wanted to. In The Silence of the Lambs, Starling must deal with sexism and her own fear while investigating Buffalo Bill.

The Meeting with the Goddess

After overcoming the Road of Trials, the hero often encounters a goddess-like woman: beautiful, queenlike or motherly. This is a grand reward for the hero.

In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo takes Trinity as a lover. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo meets Galadriel, who shows him the future. Aragorn also meets Galadriel, who counsels him on his future actions. In The Silence of the Lambs, Buffalo Bill kidnaps a senator's daughter and the female senator initially appears as a benevolent, matriarchal force.

Temptation

However, the Goddess may also negate the hero's progress through lust or greed. This may distract the hero from his ultimate goal and plunge him back into darkness.

In The Matrix Reloaded, Persephone attempts to seduce Neo. In The Odyssey, the temptress is the nymph Calypso. In Star Wars, there is tension between Luke and Han Solo over their love for Princess Leia. Luke is also tempted by the dark side itself, as demonstrated by his vision in the cave on Dagobah. In The Lord of the Rings Frodo is tempted to give the Ring to Galadriel and forsake his mission. In the Christ story, Satan takes this role (though he would traditionally be considered a temptor, rather than a temptress). In The Silence of the Lambs, the offer of a reduced sentence for Hannibal Lecter, supposedely authorized by the senator, is revealed as a trick.

Atonement with the Father

The hero may encounter a father-like figure of patriarchal authority. 'Father' and 'son' are often pitted against each other for mastery of the universe. To understand the father, and ultimately himself, the hero must reconcile with this ultimate authority figure.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke confronts Darth Vader and learns that he is his father; in Return of the Jedi, he is reconciled with the reformed Vader. In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo meets The Architect, a program who identifies himself as the father of the Matrix. In The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn must face the legacy of his ancestor Isildur, by rising above the darkness where he failed. Aragorn directly faces this legacy most clearly when he decides to ride the Paths of the Dead and gain the allegiance of the Army of the Dead, a feat which only the true Heir of Isildur can perform. In The Silence of the Lambs, Starling comes to terms with the death of her father through Hannibal Lecter.

Apotheosis

The Hero's Ego is disintegrated in a breakthrough expansion of consciousness. Quite frequently their idea of reality is changed, they may find themselves able to do new things or able to see a larger point of view, allowing them to sacrifice themselves.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke sacrifices himself rather than turn to the dark side. In The Matrix Reloaded, Neo destroys several Sentinels in the real world using only his mind. Aragorn gains command of the immortal Army of the Dead, making his forces undefeatable. In The Silence of the Lambs after atonement, Starling gains knowledge from Lecter and must challenge Buffalo Bill on her own.

The Ultimate Boon

Having reconciled with the father and achieved personal enlightenment, the hero's psychological forces are again balanced. His new found knowledge, or boon, also has potential to benefit society.

In the Christ story, Jesus surrenders himself to the Romans, setting in motion his ultimate fate of crucifixion. In The Lord of the Rings, all of the hobbits gain wisdom and experience during their journey which allows them to easily set things right in the Shire on their return. By calling upon his heritage as the Heir of Isildur to take command of the Army of the Dead, Aragorn is now more in tune with his true nature and purpose as rightful heir to the throne of Gondor than ever before. In The Silence of the Lambs Starling graduates into an agent, her psychological forces balanced despite Lecter's escape.

Return

Refusal of the Return

Having found bliss and enlightenment in the underworld, the hero may not want to return with the boon.

In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin resists Padme's pleas to run away.

The Magic Flight

A mad dash is made by the hero to return with the prize.

In the Christ story, Jesus carries his cross to Golgotha. In The Matrix Revolutions, Neo takes a ship to the Machine City. In The Lord of the Rings Frodo and Sam are rescued from the slopes of Mt. Doom by Gandalf and the Eagles (which is also a "Rescue from Without"). Aragorn, after exiting the Paths of the Dead with his new invincible Shadow Army, must now make a mad dash across Gondor in a race against time to liberate the coast from an invasion of Corsairs, then lead the Southern army of Gondor north to save Minas Tirith from destruction, all in only six days.

Rescue from Without

The hero may need to be rescued from without by humanity.

In the Christ story, Judas betrays Jesus to the Romans. In The Matrix Revolutions, Trinity, Morpheus, and Seraph must rescue Neo from his imprisonment in the train station. In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo is ultimately unable to destroy the Ring without Gollum's unwilling help.

The Crossing of the Return Threshold

Before the hero can return to the real world, he must confront another threshold guardian. The first threshold was a symbolic death; this is now a symbolic rebirth.

In The Matrix Revolutions, Neo again confronts Smith. In Return of the Jedi, Luke again confronts Darth Vader. In The Lord of the Rings, the final threshold for the hobbits re-entering the Shire is guarded by Saruman and his Ruffians. For Aragorn, this means making a final confrontation with Sauron's forces in a suicidal attack on his massive army at the Black Gate.

Master of Two Worlds

Once the final threshold is crossed, the hero is now free to move back and forth between the two worlds at will. He has mastered the conflicting psychological forces of the mind.

In Return of the Jedi, Luke becomes a Jedi. In the Christ story, Jesus is resurrected. In The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is crowned King of Gondor and Arnor, and has defeated Mordor (later re-destributing its conquered lands to the former slaves that tilled the fields in its southern regions). Aragorn then marries Arwen, daughter of his father-figure Elrond, uniting the worlds of Elf and Man. Finally, Aragorn finds a new sapling of the White Tree of Gondor, and Gandalf informs him that he is now leaving Middle-earth now that Sauron is defeated: Gandalf now officially "passes the torch" of responsiblity for protecting Middle-earth and its peoples from himself on to Aragon and his descendants.

Freedom to Live

With the journey now complete, the hero has found true freedom, and can turn his efforts to helping or teaching humanity.

In The Lord of the Rings, the hobbits become prominent citizens of the Shire with the wisdom they have gained. Aragorn reigns as King for many decades and ushers in a new age of peace and the rebuilding of Middle Earth. He then starts a family with Arwen, his Queen.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

Contact Dr. Elliot McGucken