About HTBAA
ABOUT THE WEBSITE
How to Become An Artist is a bunch of videos, blogs, photos, and information with three goals:
(1) We want show young artists that there are hundreds of different and amazing jobs doing whatever they love.
(2) We want to give young artists the tools they need to get out there and get their dream job.
(3) We want to change the culture of art by affirming that art is labor and artists are workers.
Becoming an artist involves a lot of boring and sometimes-scary business stuff, so we want to sculpt it into something cool with a bunch of glitter poured on top. It’s 50% informational, 30% motivational, and 20% fun-as-hell. It’s a group project by professional artists who are giving you the advice and help they needed when they were starting out, and it’s all here–for you–for free.
ABOUT THE HOST
Marissa Blaszko is the owner of Kaleidoscope Art & Entertainment, where she hires and trains visual & performing artists in new skills as event entertainers. Opened in July 2013, Kaleidoscope specializes in helping corporate clients reach their marketing goals through event work and focuses on family entertainment. At any given time of year, Kaleidoscope employs between 30-40 part time artists and a four-person office staff. Kaleidoscope’s clients include Alex + Ani, Reebok, Tufts College, MIT, Swiss Army, Foxwoods Casino, and more.
Before opening Kaleidoscope, Marissa began working as an artist in spring 2007 at the age of 17 as a freelance photojournalist and part-time graphic designer; after graduating from Central Connecticut State University with her art degree, Marissa become a full time freelance artist in August 2011 at the age of 21. During her tenure as professional artist, she has worked as a:
- Photographer
- Print & web designer
- Mural painter
- Fine artist
- Face & body painter
- Competitive balloon twister
- Henna & temporary tattoo artist
- Professional pumpkin carver
- Art teacher
- Makeup artist
- Craft studio assistant
- Creative strategiest
- Video editor / assistant
- Magazine layout director
- Art agency owner
- Caricature artist
She lives and works in Hartford, CT with her two pitbulls and boyfriend. Her hobbies include going to the gym, interesting martinis, reading everything, getting tattooed, and punk rock.