About Leadership:

The Artist Leadership Network (a.k.a. ALN) believes that developing leaders among ourselves as women and as artists is integral to our success. There are several points to make about our model of leadership versus existing models. The first is the very concept of leadership and how it relates to our ideas of ourselves. For without leadership in our communities, we have little chance of challenging the societal structures that we live in and are struggling to survive in. Somewhere, as women, we were sold on the idea that leadership is a dirty word and that women in leadership are probably power hungry, untrustworthy and/or merely perpetuating the patriarchal hierarchy (which some of us may have been actively trying to dismantle!). As a result there is a pattern in which women leaders are often isolated, left out on a limb, expected to be perfect and/or attacked. We believe that this is due to our own built-up disappointment and past hurts around leadership.

There are a lot of reasons that we need leaders who are women and artists. We need leaders to keep track of the big picture for our groups and communities. A creative, well-supported, clear thinking woman leader is able to keep a group going and moving forward, and to help maintain good communication among group members. She can model taking charge of her life, making clear decisions, and holding up important ideas to think about.

Individually, we need to remember that we have the ability to be free in our choices, to be in command and to take charge of our lives. We have the complete freedom to decide anything we want to, anytime we want. Supporting a leader doesn't mean that we give up our own thinking. By fully supporting a leader, we can learn how to maintain our own direction with help of other supportive women. As long as we believe in our own and each others' goodness, intelligence, ability to be aware, and freedom of choice, we have the complete power to take on the challenge of leadership in our own lives and in the very structure of our communities.

In ALN, our working definition of leadership includes taking charge of our own lives, taking responsibility, keeping track of the big picture and making sure that everything we are in contact with goes well. There are many ways to take on leadership. One may be taking charge of your time, your career, your family, even your health. Another may be making sure there is good leadership by supporting other women to do their clearest thinking and best work. Our model of leadership is that every leader, assistant, organizer or member never has to lead in isolation.

One of the marvelous things about leading is that you find yourself going out and doing all the things you are going out encouraging others to do. Leading other women has given me the impetus to advocate for myself as well. ~Helen Klebelsadel

About paying the leaders:
Historically, women have been assigned roles in this society that are not paid. In ALN, we are committed to paying women for their thinking and leadership.

Each group has a leader and its members pay their leader for their commitment to the group and keeping track of the ideas and expectations of Artist Leadership Network for Women. Suggested payments are on a sliding scale of between $60-150 for each set of four meetings. 10% of all money collected from groups, workshops and gatherings goes to the ALN National Fund. This fund is used for the administrative costs (including the ALN website & the ALN blog) and leadership development.

In addition, each member of ALN is asked to pay yearly dues of $10 to $20, also on a sliding scale. (Note - this entitles each of us to have an Artist Page on our website, and to post to the ALN blog.)

Your financial commitment says that you value yourself as an artist and that the time and energy of your leader is valuable.