How Arts Promote Our Economy

    When most people think of the arts, they imagine the end product, the beautiful painting, a wonderful piece of music, or an award-winning performance in the theater. But arts groups bring broader value to our communities. The economic impact of the arts is often overlooked and badly judged.

    The arts create jobs that help develop the economy. Any given performance takes a tour bus full of artists, technical experts, managers, musicians, or writers to create an appealing piece of art. These people earn a living wage for their professional knowledge and skills.

    Another group of folks is needed to help market the event. "If you build it they will come" is a misleading belief. Painters, digital media experts, photographers, booking agents and promoters are hired to sell tickets and promote the event. According to the Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition, arts agencies employ more than 10,000 people as full-or part-time employees or independent contractors.

    A successful arts neighborhoods creates a ripple effect（连锁反应）throughout a community. In 2005, when the Bishop Arts Theatre was donated to our town, the location was considered a poor area of town. After investing more than $1 million in reconstructing the building, we began producing a full season of theater performances, jazz concerts, and year-round arts education programs in 2008. Nearly 40 percent of jazz lovers live outside of the Dallas city limits and drive or fly in to enjoy an evening in the Bishop Arts District.

    No doubt the theater has contributed to the area's development and economic growth. Today, there are galleries, studios, restaurants and newly built work spaces where neighbors share experiences, where there is renewed life and energy. In this way, arts and culture also serve as a public good.

    Teco Theatrical Productions Inc. made use of Bloomberg's investment of $35,000 to get nearly $400,000 in public and private sector support during the two-year period. Further, Dallas arts and arts-based businesses produce $298 for every dollar the city spends on arts programming and facilities. In Philadelphia, a metro area smaller than Dallas, the arts have an economic impact of almost $3 million and support 44,000 jobs, 80 percent of which actually lie outside the arts industry, including accountants, marketers, construction workers, hotel managers, printers, and other kinds of art workers.

    The arts are efficient economic drivers and when they are supported, the entire small-business community benefits.

    It is wrong to assume arts groups cannot make a profit. But in order to stay in business, arts groups must produce returns. If you are a student studying the arts, chances are you have been ill-advised to have a plan B. But those who truly understand the economic impact and can work to change the patterns can create a wide range of career possibilities.

Happiness begins from appreciation

    If you are feeling that life just cannot be any worse for you, it can be challenging to think positive. When stressed, depressed, upset or otherwise in a negative state of mind because you are aware that misfortune keeps occurring, it is important to shift those negative thoughts to something positive. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    It is often very hard to think positive when so many things are negative, but be sure that someone, somewhere is worse off than you. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If you start with one small, positive thing and appreciate it during the course of your day, you will begin to move into a more positive situation and people will start showing up in your life. With appreciation, you will find that over time, you will change your outlook and choose to be happy, regardless of the events around you. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Begin and end each day with a “Thank you for this wonderful, glorious day!”

    When you see the rise of gas prices, say “I am so glad to have a vehicle in which to get around.”

    When your boss is too hard on you, say “I am grateful for my job as I know that many don't have one.”

    If you are having health problems, be grateful for what does work: “I really do appreciate it that my eyes see, my ears hear, my mouth tastes, my legs walk, my arms lift and my mind thinks and everything else works.”

    Write down what you're grateful for each day. In moments when you're feeling really down, read loud what you wrote previously. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you practice this regularly, you will find your list getting longer and longer.

    The key is to move yourself into a positive thought and keep it there long enough to make it a moment of appreciation. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. This will certainly help uplift your spirits.

B. If not, you will only attract more misfortune.

C. It is of great importance to learn to be grateful.

D. The more you appreciate, the happier you'll be.

E. If you have made some achievements in your career.

F. Here are a few common examples for you to practice.

G. You can choose to think differently by beginning with the smallest of steps.

                         Improve your memory

    Some people often complain about their poor memory. Actually there are several ways to keep your memory sharp. This article will show you some simple tips.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}. When you say these things, you begin to plant the thought in your mind and it may become true. Tell yourself you can remember anything as long as you put your mind to the task. You will see an improvement in your memory.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. If you have trouble remembering phone numbers or other blocks of numbers, it can be really helpful to try this method. If you remember them in smaller groups, like two or three digits(数字), it will also be much easier to remember the number.

    Be sure to see a doctor if you really are losing your memory. A poor memory can be a sign that you are in low spirits.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}.

    Playing games also helps improve your memory. Any type of games that involves(涉及) remembering things is wonderful.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}. Try and remember it when you have nothing better to do. A useful tip for anyone interested in games is to often work on solving word puzzles and similar types of games. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Not only will your memory probably improve, you will also have a great deal of fun.

A. Take a right attitude.

B. Remember numbers in small groups.

C. Stop telling yourself you have a weak memory.

D. If you don't know your condition, you cannot treat it!

E. If you don't like games, you can go over a list of “to do things”.

F. If so, treating it could be the key to getting your memory back.

G. Such games use the same skills needed to remember facts and help keep the mind sharp.

    I was ten when I first sat with my grandmother behind the cashier (收银台) in her general store. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} I quickly learned the importance of treating customers politely and saying "thank you. "

    At first I was paid in candy. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} I worked every day after school, and during the summer and on weekends and holidays from 8 a. m. to 7 p. m. My father helped me set up a bank account. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    By the time I was 12, my grandmother thought I had done such a good job that she promoted me to selling cosmetics (化妆品). I developed the ability to look customers directly in the eye. Even though I was just a kid, women would ask me such things as "What color do you think I should wear?" I took a real interest in their questions and was able to translate what they wanted into makeup (化妆) ideas. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    The job taught me a valuable lesson: to be a successful salesperson, you didn't need to be a Rocket scientist—you needed to be a great listener. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Expect they are no longer women purchasing cosmetics from me; instead, they are kids who tell me which toys they would like to see designed and developed.

A. Later I received 50 cents an hour.

B. Before long, she let me sit there by myself.

C. I ended my selling a record amount of cosmetics.

D. Today I still carry that lesson with me: I listen to customers.

E. My grandma's trust taught me how to handle responsibility.

F. Soon I found myself looking more beautiful than ever before.

G. Watching my money grow was more rewarding than anything I could have bought.

    If you shower before bed, you've probably wondered whether sleeping with damp hair is a problem. Maybe you've heard it could make you sick, or that it can damage your hair or skin.

    What's the truth? Let's address the "it can make you sick" myth first. "{#blank#}1{#/blank#}" says Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine. While this idea persists, Schaffner says it was long ago disproved. It's true that you're much more likely to catch a common cold during the winter months. But this has to do with the ways respiratory (呼吸的) viruses spread, he says.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Illness-causing bacteria and viruses don't appear naturally, and so you're not going to make yourself ill by getting your pillow a little damp at night, Schaffner says. But there is a possible exception. Some research has shown that pillows—especially those made with synthetic materials—can contain asthma- or allergy-triggering molds (哮喘或致敏菌) and fungus, which tend to do well in damp environments, and so do dust mites, says Dr. Payel Gupta, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

    Gupta says there's no evidence that people who sleep with wet hair experience more allergy or asthma symptoms. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} But if you wake up with a stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, breathing problems or other allergy or asthma symptoms—or even if you don't—you should wash your pillow cases and sheets in hot water at least once a week to reduce your exposure to any potential irritants (刺激物).

    When it comes to the health of your hair and skin, there may be a few other reasons to worry about wet hair. "Generally, it's thought not to be good for hair to sleep with it wet," says Dr. George Cotsarelis, a professor of dermatology (皮肤病学), "{#blank#}4{#/blank#}"

    It's also worth noting that almost anything you do to your hair—from brushing and blow-drying it to coloring it or exposing it to the sun—can damage it.

A. Hence, any concerns about wet hair are theoretical.

B. In some cases, wet hair may actually be a helpful sleep aid.

C. Over time, it can lead to breakages, as well as a loss of shine.

D. There may be some mild risks associated with going to bed with wet hair.

E. Another wet-hair rumor (谣传) is the idea that harmful bacteria will colonize your pillow.

F. This idea seems to fit into the old bit of custom that getting yourself chilled and wet will cause you to come down with a cold.

    Can just one person make a difference? You bet! In a community every person counts, and getting involved is not difficult. Take stock of your own talents and interests. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Don't wait for someone else to act first. Take the initiative! Once you see what you can accomplish, you'll want to keep going.

    Here are just a few ways to make a difference in your community. How many more ways can you come up with?

    Clean up the community. People often throw litter in places where there is already litter. And the problem only becomes worse until someone gets fed up and does something. Could your neighborhood use a cleanup? Neighborhood cleanups are often sponsored by local businesses or schools. But if your community doesn't have a cleanup program, get together with friends to organize one. You could pick up garbage in a larger area twice a year, or you could clean a smaller area every few months. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Include the isolated. Do you know anyone who is housebound? Almost all neighborhoods have a few people who have to stay at their homes. These people are often elderly and unable to leave their homes to perform simple tasks. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} By letting them "borrow" your legs and eyes, you can make them feel included. You can run errands for them like shopping or paying bills. They might like you to read to them if their eyesight is failing. Governments provide some of the services these people need, but programs cannot give them friendship; that's what communities are for!

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Reading clubs are popular all over Europe and North America. Members might read at home to prepare for discussion, or they might read aloud to each other and talk about what they just read. Either way, a book or article can spark lively discussion and this often challenges people to take action.

A. Cleaning your community will have a positive effect on others in society.

B. They find a need or an issue you really care about.

C. But they belong to the community, too.

D. Living in a clean neighborhood will be its own reward.

E. Don't hesitate to take part in the community's activity.

F. Round up some readers.