Monday, May 12, 2008

The Business Of The Well-Fed Artist

If I could chime in on what Im over and done with as an artist, Im through with the term starving artist and am ready to replace that with well-fed artist. A couple of days ago I spoke with a prospective client of mine who was a painter, and within 30 seconds I had heard all the stereotypes of the starving artist.

I have no money.
I cant start anything right now.
I have to go through some turmoil first.

After hearing this, I have to admit I wanted to slap him but I also knew to respect his wishes as to how he wants to live his life. Still that last statement bothered me the most. And I dont know about you, but the last time I checked there were two sides to lifegood and bad. And if art imitates it, then why must the turmoil always come first? Couldnt it be the other way around? Furthermore while some individuals are fortunate enough to have just too much abundance and blessings in their lives, why cant that befall upon the artist?

What Im seeing is that a majority of artists continue to buy into their own self-fulfilling prophecythat they need to suffer in order to produce good works. But what we fail to recognize is that this so-called suffering doesnt have to be the kind where you live out of your car and hustle for auditions to get that big break. Sure it makes for a great biography but what about the good works that we seem to be so tunnel-visioned on but cant create and share? Let me divulge on a little secret.

Suffering is no other than life itself. Its simply being able to live your life and to appreciate the ups, downs, and everything in between. Do you think the corporate executive even at a highly reputable company doesnt feel defeat and disorder from time-to-time? Think again. That executive possibly goes through just as much if not even more turmoil than starving artists, but just doesnt express it through a medium like oil and canvas. Instead they may take it out on the golf ball or jot it down in their personal diaries.

However its expressed theres still a difference between you and them I must address. Theyre well-fed and youre not. But you know what? You can be well-fed too. You can get a good-paying job to keep yourself well-nourished while you express your art, except youre not doing it to the golf ball. You can also learn slowly how to invest your earnings to build up a good wealth account to supplement costs associated to improving your craft. Falling back on the clich that either life imitates art or art imitates life (In my book its both.), youve got to live life in order to create the art that imitates it. Starve yourself and your art conveys starvation. Feed yourself with real life experience and not only will your art be filled with meaning, youll be a well-fed artist as well.

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Confucianism

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