Hi Everyone,
Many of you joined ArtBridgeCanada because you believe in the value of connection, mentorship, and creativity as forces for good.
What we’d like to share now is how those same values can open a new professional and financial opportunity - one that allows Advisors to earn income, share experience, and strengthen the Canadian arts community at the same time.
The Story Behind ArtBridgeCanada
In 2024, our ARABELLA Creative Pathways survey and Café conversations asked artists across Canada what they most needed.
Their answers were remarkably consistent:
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Real connection, not just “networking.”
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Career and business support grounded in lived experience.
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Platforms built around community, not algorithms.
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Recognition that disappointment, trust, and resilience are part of every creative life.
To respond, we established ArtBridgeCanada - a national, not-for-profit organization that combines professional development, emotional well-being, and mentorship for artists and creative professionals.
A Note on Background and Credentials
Over more than 15 years as Publisher and CEO of ARABELLA magazine, I had the privilege of working directly with hundreds of Canadian artists, curators, galleries, and collectors.
Those experiences revealed both the brilliance and vulnerability of creative lives - insights that I later expanded through my work in education, counselling, and executive coaching, helping individuals and organizations navigate transition, resilience, and renewal.
This combination of artistic understanding and psychological insight now shapes everything we’ve built - from our recently completed book Before the Anger to the companion workbook Surviving Disappointment and the Peer Mentoring Circles program that brings these ideas into practice.
Peer Mentoring Circles: A Professional Opportunity for Advisors
The Peer Mentoring Circles program offers small-group mentorship (6–8 participants) led by trained Advisors using tools from Surviving Disappointment.
Each Circle blends guided discussion, reflection, and project accountability - helping artists find direction, confidence, and renewed creative energy.
For Advisors, this is more than a volunteer role. It’s a flexible, income-generating opportunity to:
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Build a paid mentoring practice drawing on your experience as an artist, educator, curator, or creative professional.
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Host Circles locally or online, with scheduling that fits your availability and income goals.
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Earn facilitation fees or honoraria, either through ArtBridgeCanada programs or direct participant engagement.
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Use our Peer Circles Guide, tools, and Forum to support your work and reach participants.
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Join funded opportunities as ArtBridgeCanada expands its national partnerships and sponsorship base.
We envision a model where Advisors can supplement their income meaningfully - whether through one or two Circles per year or by developing a sustained mentoring practice that grows alongside their creative work.
Why This Matters
Artists - and Advisors - are looking for new, sustainable ways to balance creativity and livelihood.
Peer Mentoring Circles offer both: a purpose-driven practice that aligns with your values and a credible income stream built on trust, community, and professional integrity.
You already have the expertise.
ArtBridgeCanada provides the platform, materials, and national visibility to help that expertise flourish - personally, professionally, and financially.
Next Steps
We are now inviting Advisors to:
1. Review pre-publication copies of Before the Anger, Surviving Disappointment, and the Peer Mentoring Circles Facilitator Guide.
2. Join a small advisory group to shape pilot mentoring opportunities and compensation models.
If this resonates with you, please reply to this message - and we’ll include you in the early review and planning process. Attached is an Opportunity Brief and Projected Advisor Revenue for more details.
Together, we can build a model of mentorship that supports not only artists, but those who guide them.
With appreciation,
Brian
Brian Usher, Ph.D.
Founder & Executive Director
https://artbridgecanada.ca/A_Peer_Circles/Opportunity_Brief.pdf
https://artbridgecanada.ca/A_Peer_Circles/Projected_Advisor_Revenue.pdf