Balancing Acts: Crafting a Hybrid Academic and Artistic Portfolio

When we are wanting to create a portfolio, we want to be creating something that highlights not only your accomplishments but also your personality. This is hard to do. Early on in my early career, I dreamt of teaching at a University, but at the same time being able to pursue my creative pursuits freely. It had always been a type of juggling act in being able to share the world my interests in academia, but also my creative pursuits. Look at some things you will want to consider when creating a portfolio that highlights these seemingly opposite aspects of what it means to be a hybrid academic and artist.

1. Make a list of things that you are passionate about. This one was hard for me to do because my list was long, and I keep adding to it because everything interests me.  When you have that list, it is important to prioritize and highlight a couple of things that you already have done (this can be in the form of papers, live recordings, recent publications, or exhibitions) that you feel confident sharing publicly.  
2. Get professionally done headshots that highlight what you do. If you’re a musician, you can get photos with your instrument. If you’re a painter, you can get photos done in your studio. If you’re based in Montreal, check out Tam Photography, an excellent photographer who is an expert in taking artist headshots.
3. Write a solid biography that captures both your academic and creative interests. It’s important to embrace these parts of who you are. A well-crafted biography can sometimes be a challenge. We offer a variety of services at The Modern Artist Project that specifically tailor and highlight your passions and accomplishments.
4. Make sure that you are clear about what you want to share. Highlight your best papers and your most recent recordings to put on your website where they can be easily found. You can also create an academia.edu profile and have that be connected to your website.
5. Open different accounts that allow you to share your research and creative pursuits. This will allow you to connect with other artists and creatives that have similar interests as you, but also with other academics that have similar research backgrounds. You can share your artistic creations (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud) and academic contributions (LinkedIn, Academic.edu, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, ORCID Platform).

The final piece of advice that I would give is to embrace this part of you as a hybrid academic and creative. Leonard Bernstein, one of my heroes from childhood, was known for his work as a conductor, composer, and pianist; he was also an academic and educator through his Young Person’s Concerts. To build audiences was to engage them in not only providing the most beautiful performances but also being able to share with them, in a language that they can understand, why music is important to have in our lives. If you want to learn more about finding ways to develop your hybrid academic & artistic portfolio, schedule a free consultation today at The Modern Artist Project!

Kristine Dizon

CEO & Founder
The Modern Artist Project