Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC) is a ten-year national initiative to improve the conditions for artists working in all disciplines.As a vital and immeasurable component of our cultural and collective identity, artists help us interpret our past, define our present and imagine our future. Working artists make resonant contributions to the daily lives of our communities, not only as creators, but also as entrepreneurs, educators and involved citizens. Representing more than 2 million working adults in 2001 (up from 730,000 in 1970), artists are a vibrant and ever-growing sector of the American workforce. However, artists are typically underpaid in relation to their peers with similar education and skill sets.LINC realizes that the diverse talents artist possess are often under-valued, and their contributions are considered to be inessential or unnecessary by most sectors of our society. As a result, few nation-wide programs exist to provide artists with the resources, authority, and information necessary to pursue their creative work without jeopardizing their basic living conditions. LINC believes that providing artists with a relevant system of support and resources will enhance their creative output, enabling them to make greater and more meaningful contributions to our communities and society as a whole.