RJ Singleton ensures Tallahassee artists are seen and heard through his nonprofit, Creat.ors Multimedia Group Inc.
Singleton will host two packed days of The Creat.ors Summit: A Marketing Clinic for Entrepreneurs on June 27 & 28. The summit aims to educate participants on improving their marketing, identifying their brand, and strengthening community collaboration.
Promoting creativity
As audience members bearing witness to music, paintings, theater, or more, we often do not see the moving parts afoot that will bring us face-to-face with the art itself. Is art still art if no one sees it?
Artists need external support to strategize ways to publicize their art by bringing it face-to-face with the public.
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It takes a marketing mastermind, better known as the producer/promoter for such events, to truly make it shine. Local business owner Roberto “RJ” Singleton has found his niche in being the person with the personality and artistic sensibility to create content and media.
Art has always been a way of life for Singleton, who grew up in Tallahassee drawing and sewing. Ever the student of life, Singleton learned by observation. “I was fascinated by the impact that human behavior has on everything,” says Singleton. “As for my art form, I train by trial and error, reaching out to local mentors and exploring new ideas presented by industry leaders.”
Singleton went on to earn his certificate in Adobe Photoshop, which led to his interest in video and content creation. Singleton believes that what he does as a marketer is an art form, as he continuously asks himself how to engage audiences while respecting the consumer experience.
“I would consider myself a creative marketer, emphasizing artistry and expression at the forefront of what I do on the promotional side,” Singleton said. He has expanded this idea to go beyond himself and into the community.
Building skills and collaboration
Over the years, Singleton has developed a sincere passion for creativity and collaboration. So much so that he started Creat.ors Multimedia Group Inc (aka Creat.ors). His nonprofit organization is dedicated to creating content, increasing engagement in an artist promoting their work, and educating artists through gatherings that build experiences shared throughout the Tallahassee community.
Singleton’s ultimate goal is collaborating with talented individuals to support their desires to create, dream big, and make it! In establishing Creat.ors, he and other organization members have combined their resources to advance creative projects in a fearless and encouraging environment.
One of the scariest parts of being an artist is putting your work out to the public. Will people love it or laugh at it? This fear can be debilitating and interfere with the critical step of sharing one’s art. Singleton has a solution: The Creat.ors Summit.
“I just wanted to have a content-creation, marketing festival, bringing industry leaders to my hometown. Not for football or FAMU homecoming, but for the advancement of creative professionals and business owners,” says Singleton.
“We didn’t have anything like this here, so I curated The Creat.ors Summit, an annual event dedicated to the personal and professional development of creative business owners.”
Singleton credits his wife, Chelcia Singleton, and the treasurer of the Creat.ors’ Board of Directors (BOD) for encouraging and supporting his vision. He also salutes the involvement of community members like Creat.ors’ BOD Vice president Munyette Moore and secretary Demetrius McCray. In addition, he receives support from the President of the Capital City Chamber of Commerce, Katrina Tuggerson, along with local marketing consultants Christina Lynch and Erica Singleton.
The Creat.ors Summit
RJ Singleton wants to ensure every working artist in Tallahassee can understand art marketing. It is to connect emotionally with your audience, create compelling narratives, and make your brand as an artist memorable. It is also essential to understand who is interested in one’s artwork to understand what resonates with them and how to engage effectively.
Singleton strives to help artists enhance their visibility because art marketing in the modern digital landscape can lead to more success. For that reason, Singleton will host two packed days of The Creat.ors Summit: A Marketing Clinic for Entrepreneurs on June 27 & 28. The summit aims to educate participants on improving their marketing, identifying their brand, and strengthening community collaboration.
The future for Singleton and Creat.ors looks bright. In one year, he hopes to operate Creat.ors full-time, allowing him more time to develop programming like The Creat.ors Summit.
“In three years, The Creat.ors Summit will be notably the largest marketing, content-creation festival… in North Florida, bringing big names to Tallahassee,” declares Singleton. “Personally, I hope to be a well-known speaker, invited on stages across the world to share my insights and knowledge on relevant topics, and expanding my business throughout the United States.”
Singleton’s ambitions are big and bold, and he will undoubtedly do whatever he sets his mind to. Until then, Tallahassee artists are grateful to have a marketing advocate in Singleton and support in what Creat.ors offers.
If you go
What: The Creat.ors Summit
When: 4-7 p.m. June 27; 7-9 p.m. June 28
Where: 505 W. Georgia St.
Cost: $10 – $35 per ticket; youth 8-17 are free; tickets: creatorstlh.org
Contact: 800-980-1483 | genesisexpo@gmail.com; visit creatorstlh.org
Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts. COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).
