I recently wrote an article called “The Myth of the Starving Artist—and what it can teach us about job security.” In it, I discuss how society’s attitude towards art parallels how people feel across industries about their jobs and companies. We’re in a culture that devalues creativity and values pursuing a paycheck over the purpose of what we do to earn that money.
The topic blew up on my social media accounts, and I received responses from artists and non-artists alike. The most common feedback was on how the article challenged people’s existing assumptions on what is considered responsible or valuable to do for pay and with our lives.
Of course, recognizing the problem is only the first step. The responses made me start thinking about how to overcome this crippling mindset and stereotype, and that until we change it, we’ll continue to be at the mercy of what we’re given.
I won’t deny that we face a lot of obstacles. We can’t change the situation we’re dealt. But remember, we’re artists. We’re creative and resourceful, and so I’m writing today to figure out how we can collectively begin to shift the dialogue and culture we’re working in through the actions and decisions we make.
Paradigm Shift #1: Confidence is not a game. It’s a practice.
Your biases will determine not only how you think but also how you act and make decisions. A starving artist is not a confident person. The success of great work depends as much on confidence as talent, and that doesn’t just mean you need a better sales pitch.
Are you the most open-minded to new experiences when you are confident or insecure? If you expect to learn and further your skills as an artist, then you need to have confidence.
I often feel conflicted about campaigns like “support local artists.” I understand the intent, but I also think it perpetuates this idea that small is weak and that people are a charity case. But to create is to believe that you have something inside of you worth sharing. More than support, you need challenge, opportunity, and cultivation to hone your craft and deliver your message in a meaningful way.
So don’t shoot yourself in the foot early on by believing the end game is the empty plate of self-sacrifice. You’ll start to live the image instead of making great art.
Paradigm Shift #2: It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. It does matter how you define yourself. You’re an artist, and creativity is your strength, not a weakness. Use it to your advantage.
Even when I was working a 9-to-5 desk job, I saw myself as an artist. Even when I was working long hours and returning home too tired to think creatively anymore, let alone make art, I viewed what I was doing as a stepping stone to where I wanted to be. First, I was saving money. Second, I treated my job and workplace like art, like things I wanted to change and improve. Creativity, strong observational skills, and the readiness to do hands-on work are all advantages in today’s job market.
My approach as an artist made me unique, so I stood out. My willingness to work hard, try different things, and question the way we did things opened up new opportunities for me, even (or maybe especially) because I worked at a 100-year-old company that was set in its ways. As a result, I gained valuable skills and mentorship that challenged my own assumptions about what work can be. I eliminated the original position I was hired for, which freed me up to take on new roles. I learned about business operations and how to streamline and reduce waste. I learned how to both make and break the rules of a business model that I could later compare to what I now see in the arts industry. Perhaps most importantly, I worked with a lot of people who think very differently than I do, and this taught me to balance being a challenger of the status quo with the goal of finding common ground. Few things are quite as valuable to cultivate in yourself (or as difficult to live up to or as uncommon to find in others) as knowing how to disrupt and also make peace.
In short, doing something other than art changed my thinking, and in the long run made me better as an overall person, and therefore better at art.
I see a lot of artists take jobs that they’re complacent with. They see what they do as just a way to scrape by so they can make their art in the after hours. They don’t question or care about their jobs. You don’t have to do what I did. You do need to find what works for you. Complacency is the enemy of creativity. The moment any of us ceases to question is also the moment we cease to be artists. Art challenges perceptions. When we cease to question, culture stagnates and becomes toxic.
Remember who you are. You’re an artist, in anything you’re doing. It’ll both change the way you look at your day job and make you better as an artist outside of that job.
Paradigm Shift #3: Recognize that you are a leader. Remember, also, that leadership is a practiced skill, and that there are both good and bad leaders.
In anything you do, you’re setting an example. When you lack confidence in your artwork and let others dictate how it is used, you’re not just sabotaging yourself. You’re sabotaging the way others around you think about themselves and about artists. You’re teaching clients that it’s okay to exploit you and other artists that it’s normal to be exploited.
Here’s an illustration of what I mean. Think about all the time we spend preparing our resumes and CVs for job interviews. Competing in any job market is difficult. With all of this running around, it’s no wonder the job search is so discouraging and administrative costs for businesses are so high. But applying to most jobs, at least, is free. Now let’s look at the barrier of entry for an art opportunity, either for a show, a residency, or a grant. Many of these have application fees. On top of needing a resume, a CV, and a letter of intent, you also need to supply a portfolio (which is proof of all the work you’ve already done, not just what you say you’re capable of like on a resume) and pay a fee for the privilege of getting somebody to judge you, never mind compensate you should they deem your work worthy of being seen.
When I think about the amount of legwork other artists and I have done, it’s insane. Besides making the art itself, we’ve all built our own websites, professionally framed and photographed our artwork, highly researched the topics we’re interested in, tested out all types of materials and mediums, juggled multiple demanding projects, etc. We’re web developers, archivists, academic researchers, philosophers, project managers, and more all wrapped into one being.
And yet the process of getting our artwork in front of the right audiences is extremely difficult and designed at the disadvantage of the artist. In an amazing amount of irony, no other industry requires you to waste quite as much time pitching what you do as the arts. Is it unfair and are there people in the system who are abusing their power? Yes, totally. But the starving artist mindset allows this to perpetuate. Remember what I wrote earlier about confidence? Until artists build confidence and learn to stand up for the value of their work, this isn’t going to change. True, there are lots of things you should say, “Yes,” to, especially considering how much creativity benefits from the collaborative spirit. But artists also need to know when to say, “No,” to exploitations disguised as opportunities.
Which brings me to my final point…
Paradigm Shift #4: To create well, you need to know when to stop creating.
One of the reasons the art world is so upside down is there’s just so much choice. We’re in a culture that pressures us to be busy, to produce more not out of need but rather to validate what we’re doing. Yes, it’s important to create for the sake of exploration and learning, but I shouldn’t need to explain to you the difference in how you feel when you’re creative versus staying busy, and truth be told, there’s a lot of crap out there as a result of the latter. The busier you are, the less time you have to think, and the end of thought is the end of artistry. The thought you put into your work is what makes it more than a pretty shell and gives it substance and power.
Going back to how art impacts your career, the strength of my identity as an artist is both what made me good at my former job and recognize when it was time to leave. It would have been really easy to stay either at that job or on the same career track. But I didn’t forget the big picture of who I am and what made me great at questioning things in the first place.
If I could boil all my reasoning for leaving my former job down to one thing, it’s that I recognized a mismatch between my own values and that of the leadership and work culture. I worked at a printing company, but we had no art on the walls. Our offices and machines were painted brown and grey. I would bring in my favorite books on the history of print to show the artistry of what we were doing, but neither my peers nor managers saw what I see in those books. The company has three work shifts to make the most of our manufacturing productivity. My coworkers were “always busy,” but very few were truly ever curious about the how’s and the why’s of what we were making. The leadership’s strategic goals included reducing lead times and growing the business by 30%. Yes, the leadership was pushing us to be more efficient with our resources, which I approved of, but the purpose wasn’t to open our time up for more curiosity and exploration or to go home and spend time with our families. It was to be able to do more work in less time, and therefore take on more work (anyone ever heard of Jevons paradox?). The company is sales-driven, and while the bottom line is important for all businesses, a business driven by sales is led by the dollar, not by the craft.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with those goals and desires. But I realized that it would be a long time, if it even happens in the span of my career, that the leadership and culture of that company would become one that values art and its role in changing the way we see and live. It wasn’t a place where I could grow anymore, not in the way I needed or would have made the best of what my creativity could do for my colleagues. In the long run, I would have been doing them and myself a disservice by staying to do work that I didn’t believe in.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve noticed something throughout this article, at a certain point, it’s not so much about the art as the people we become because of it. The ability to create great art comes from both a great awareness of yourself and what surrounds you.
What you create has power. How you see yourself will determine the way that power gets used.
So I leave you with this: Will you continue to see yourself as the starving and the disempowered, and let others use your talent to build a world that you can neither believe nor survive in? Or will you choose to believe that you, as an artist, are powerful, with the skills, the mind, and the message for producing great work, the kind of work that makes you a leader of the creative culture we can become?
About Today’s Guest Blogger: Jenie Gao is an artist specializing in woodcuts, ink drawings, and allegorical storytelling. Her work across industries has made her a firm believer in different disciplines working together to inform and help one another. Jenie received her BFA in Printmaking/Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis. Following her studies, Jenie worked in education and nonprofit before going into commercial printing and the pursuit of a career in lean manufacturing: the reduction of waste in business operations. In the past year, Jenie left her job at her former company to pursue her artwork. She spent the beginning of 2015 traveling to pursue two art residencies in Argentina and Chile, and has now returned to Madison with new work and new stories that challenge the way we see ourselves and the world around us, and therefore invite us to make a difference.
Love this article! Just WOW! Thank you for sharing your insights and reminding me of the power of my art. I heard from a business associate recently that it’s her belief that when your business has become hard or too difficult you have lost your WHY. When you loose your why you loose your love and connection with the reason you created your business in the first place and things become meaningless…….remembering this returned me to my easel to focus on my ‘why’ and my desire to create a fulltime art business. Thank you!
Hi, Cheryl! I’m so glad this article resonated with you, and thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. I agree with you that when business (or anything in life, for that matter, e.g. relationships, life goals, etc.) gets hard when you lose your “why,” and maybe the important lesson here is that losing touch with our “why” doesn’t mean that it’s the end, but that we recognize what something is worth to us and what we are willing to work to keep and nurture in our lives. I’m glad you’ve returned to your easel and can get back on track with the passion that got you into art in the first place. Keep in touch! I always love a good conversation and feedback.
I really appreciate your thoughts and know where they are coming from. Following is an additional perspective that may be useful for people who feel down about their art.
I knw many artists who are not transactional by nature. They just express. A good number of them have a key profeession they practice with great passion. One may be Doctor, another a scientist or a waitress and so on. They may love expressing through various art forms. This could be because we humans are multifaceted, facing different personal realities. The idea that each of us are never to repeated, makes it even more complex. What do yo think ?
Das
Hi, Das! Thank you for your comment and shared insight, and yes, I wholeheartedly agree that we are each much more complex. I also know artists who have other professions, as physicians, teachers, managers, etc. Heck, I’m one of them, and I still have a heart for the previous work that I did.
I think one of the challenges of our modern day lifestyles has to do with our “branding.” On the one hand, focus is important to make what we do clear to people. On the other hand, it can create a simplistic way of looking at who we are. A good metaphor I’ve always liked is, “If you become a spouse, do you cease to be a daughter or a son? If not, then why would you think that becoming one thing could automatically make you not something else?” I’ll leave on that note, but I hope our conversation continues!
Excellent information
Thank you! Beautiful website and work, by the way!
Fantastic post! Thank you so much for the info.
Thanks, Maureen! If you ever feel like sharing your thoughts after reading, I’d love to know. I’m always looking for feedback. Take care and happy art-making!
Thank you Jenie, great article.
Thank you, Kajal! I also just checked out your site and I love the sketchbook photos you share in your blog! Really lovely stuff. Keep in touch! 🙂
Jenie addresses many relevant issues with regard to an artist’s private motivation and the practical matter of having to survive while working, and much in this regard that she confronts and engages with is level-headed and sensible. However, I would suggest that there is a little more to the matter than what concerns the private individual’s approach to self-appraisal. What I refer to here is something she skirted but is the more serious matter: it is a cultural, and therefore also a collective malaise.
As I write this it will become clear that the writer is no longer young. In the fifties in the UK when first I attended Art School, a studio occupied by a group of several students would be the norm, for those engaging with any sort of art scene were very much marginal to society as a whole. A spin off benefit of such elitism was the sense of freedom giving scope to diverse varieties of approach to one’s work. To do such a thing with one’s life was not at all considered a worthwhile move, so that those who so committed themselves were only those who were deadly serious about it, not a all a cherished notion of equality, and far too elitist for modern tastes.
If that ethos is compared with today, everyone is ‘told’ they are an artist by social engineers whose priority, rather than the advance of artworks, is the increasing dominance of a political cause, (excessive Liberalism), serving the optimistic idealism of ‘equality’. Although this has nothing or little to do with art, it does serve to multiply exponentially those who come to believe they have something of the kind to offer, so that now pursuing an art ‘career’ is fashionable, and instead of the dozen or so applying for art schools we have thousands of ‘believers’. But that is not all. Pursuing a ‘career’, and pursuing ones work aims -for an artist -are not necessarily either equivalent or even the same thing.
Art schools, perceived as little more than a breeding ground for near-do-wells and bohemians, have been disenfranchised in this country, their buildings abandoned or reallocated, and the treasured notion of being tutored by professional painters and sculptors who could pass on many hard earned skills, abandoned. Now the aspiring art student must attend the academic institutions of ‘faculty of arts’ in universities, where there is much talk and posturing, clean walls and floors, no tools or studio practice, and a dogmatic agenda that places ‘originality and relevance’ over and above ‘excellence and expertise’. A clinical ethos such as one might expect of a university.
True artists will always be free in their submission only to one cause- not fame or celebrity, not a career, not pieces of paper from universities, but to that of whether that colour can possibly be right, whether in saturation it is discordant with the image intended, whether a composite form is distractingly discordant to the whole, (as well exemplified in the Angel of the North), not the political agenda of Liberalism in all things -to do as one likes privately or publicly so call it art ‘because I say it is’, or to be ‘relevant’ to a ‘handout dogma’ by revered establishment figures of any description: nothing, as Sickert put it, that follows a ‘finicky programme of social pieties’, and again as he says, quite rightly, defining art as ‘what I do’- in essence a rigid and confining agenda of a politicised mind.
Hi, Terry, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, both what worked and didn’t work for you in this post. I appreciate it. I agree with you that this is only one dimension of the dilemma that artists face, in a culture that doesn’t really value art and creativity. You might have noticed that this post links to my original one about the starving artist myth and what it teaches us about job security: http://learningtosee.jenie.org/the-myth-of-the-starving-artist-and-what-it-can-teach-us-about-job-security/
That first post doesn’t get into what’s happening in academia right now or into art history, but it introduces the initial concept, and it’s one I’m eager to dig deeper into and explore as my artistic career evolves. There’s no way to make one blog post represent every facet of the “starving artist” archetype. But I very much agree and believe that what we’re facing is more than just a professional problem; it’s a cultural problem.
Of course, I’m sure you also know that one of the challenges as a creative person is that while you understand the many, complex parts of a problem, you still need to distill what you know in a way that helps you make great work.
Similarly, it’s important for something like a blog post to have a very clear focus to make it successful at what it’s supposed to do. The purpose here is deliver a meaningful, impactful message in a way that is accessible to a lot of people. Additionally, The Abundant Artist audience is here to provide a service and information that’s specifically aimed at helping and teaching artists, and I wanted to keep that in mind when sharing my writing here.
But everything you brought up is important, and I hope I do it justice in the entirety of the work that I do. I cannot explain everything in one piece as an artist, but I hope I can make each thing I do meaningful for the people who see and interact with it. On that note, I also trust my readers to come up with their own ideas and questions when they read my writing. My writing is not a conclusion, but the start of new thoughts for others, so thank you for sharing yours.
this says it well –
“…Besides making the art itself, we’ve all built our own websites, professionally framed and photographed our artwork, highly researched the topics we’re interested in, tested out all types of materials and mediums, juggled multiple demanding projects, etc. We’re web developers, archivists, academic researchers, philosophers, project managers, and more all wrapped into one being….”
we need to be superhuman to be artists!
. . . .and falling SHORT of that, one questions the feasibility of their endeavors , as well as the viability! I’ll NEVER give up, but I often wonder if I’ll ever reach my full potential because I am just ONE person and have no assistance whatsoever in the actual tasks required to get where I’m going. It’s very frustrating & overwhelming. I’m certain I’m not alone in that feeling !
Hi, Angela and Justin!
Haha, yes, it does seem like we need to be superhuman sometimes! But hang in there, you’re not alone. Doing everything on your own has its pros and cons. What helps me when I feel overwhelmed is the idea that it’s *also* really exciting to understand each aspect of my business. I think I both care about my own work more as a result and also become more appreciative of what it takes to run big organizations, where so much is taken care of without any one person recognizing it.
Also, when I think about all the skillsets I’ve gained in addition to making the art itself, I feel like a champ, and like one in a community of other champions. It feels good to be in the league of people who do whatever it takes to get great work done, and I hope you feel that way, too. 🙂
Bra-F-ing-vo Jenie!!!
(Yes, my working class background comes to the fore)
But as artist, writer, creative savant, I salute thee!!
Lincoln
Haha, thanks!! And I’ll take it as a compliment that I got a swear word in there. I’ve been known to be a bit of a sailor myself sometimes, and so I salute thee as well. 🙂
Absolutely uplifting and motivating.. Love this and appreciate it so much!!! Life’s experiences, views and perspective shifting worthy!!
Thank you so much for this.
Hi, Janis! Thank you for the comment. I just checked out your work, and it looks like you do a lot to inspire others with your work, as well! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Keep in touch and all the best to you!
Jenie – I see you as a very wise person through this post ! YOur insights are profound ! You’ve got me thinking & reassessing who I am & what I’m doing, as well as HOW I am doing it !
I have shared this information / post on my FB page & to a couple of my favorite mentors. I feel you deserve to be honored for such a significant contribution to our industry ! I see opportunity in this for you ! You may want to consider writing a book ! . . . I’d certainly buy it & I think most others here would too ! We are responsible to change the world we live in & make it a better place for our having existed! For you – MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ! WELL DONE !
Wow, Justin, thank you for the high compliments! Your words mean a lot to me, and I’m honored and appreciative that you’ve taken the time both to write and share this with others. And in general, yes, I’m really happy that my writing strikes a chord with people. I definitely plan to keep doing it and a book may very well be on the horizon. 🙂
Thanks again, and keep in touch. I also just liked your Facebook page. Your paintings are gorgeous.
Very thought provoking. I am well advanced in a profession that is challenging, interesting and rewarding but increasingly feel that it’s time for a change . I would love to abandon this career and devote the next decade to full time art. What stops me? The thought that my career super fund is going to fund my retirement years and if I change course the safety net of my old age will be that much smaller. Meanwhile I feel that I could really improve dramatically as an artist if only I gave up that day job and devoted more hours to art. This article comes at a critical time of decision making for me. I’m interested to see what choice I make!
Thanks for your insights.
Lindy
Hi, Lindy! Thank you for sharing your story as well. It means a lot to me that this article strikes a chord with you. I can see how your decision is a tough one, especially if you are in a rewarding career. I believe you’ll know what’s best for you, and when. If it helps you, it’s always been good for me to remember that life rewards smart risk-takers. That decisions don’t have to be absolute, and small actions are as or more important than big ones. That having fear is okay, normal, and even beneficial; more importantly, fear is the beginning, not the end. Finally, if you’re having a hard time deciding, it’s probably because you’re deciding between two good things. Rarely are decisions hard when one of the choices is terrible. 😉
I’ll leave you with that. Feel free to get in touch…I’d love to know what you decide to do next. 🙂
Brilliant and thoughtful article Jenie! thanks for sharing your perspective. Coleen
Thanks, Coleen! I’d love to know your thoughts and feedback as well, if you’re open to sharing. Thanks for reading. 🙂
What a fabulous, thoughtful article! Thank you so much for your candid thoughts. It is so true that we must work from the inside out, that is inner confidence which is only gained by self-knowledge and our being conscious of our purpose, education gained through experience and research about your subject, being knowledgeable about what you are creating. All of these build a solid foundation as to who we are. Glad about what you said about the platitude of supporting a starving or local artist. I certainly wouldn’t think much of myself as an artist if people were just handing me money simply because they felt sorry for me and really placed no value on my abilities or what I bring to the table. That is degrading. I would rather earn my paycheck because someone values my creative insights and what I do; it is much more rewarding and certainly a confidence builder. I hope to see more articles from you, Jenie. Thank you.
Hi, Susan, thank you for reading and taking the time to respond! I appreciate it, and I agree with you on being conscious of our purpose, and our need as artists to connect what we earn with the value and good it creates. If you’re interested in my writing, I do have a blog at http://learningtosee.jenie.org and you can subscribe to know when I write something new. I’d love to hear from you again on future articles as I always learn from people’s feedback. It helps me be a better artist and writer. Keep in touch. 🙂
P.S. I just checked out your site, and I love your paintings of places especially! You’ve got a great handle on your technique. I can tell you have invested a lot of care and love in it.
I was actually just talking about this with an artist yesterday and them bam! Here’s an article that really dives into some of those important things. What I think is especially interesting to me is not that society views artists as starving but that artists view their own future careers as being ones of struggle and pain. Most artists I talk to say that they know it’s really hard to make money as an artist. And I stop them and say “you know this? How do you know this?” And they’re a bit surprised and have trouble explaining. It’s because artists themselves aren’t challenging society’s view. And it keeps them stuck. If they’re assuming it will be a struggle to make just $30,000 a year, then there is hardly a chance they could achieve a higher income from their art. They are striving for something low and they’re unlikely to ever get higher unless they change their own perception of what’s possible. It might be an important piece of the puzzle also, perhaps another one of Jenie’s paradigm shifts?, for successful artists to come out of the shadows. And not just to be named, but also to tell people how they got there. There are very few artists who are willing (or able?) to tell new artists how they made their career into what it is now. Sure plenty of people teach art business – Cory and myself included – but artists also need to see successful artists out there publicly and not just know that they are successful but see that they are human too and went through the process of building their career too and that it is possible. Sorry to write a novel! This post just had my brain buzzing!
Hi, Laura! Thanks for your in-depth response. I think you’re spot on about artists not challenging society’s view. It’s ironic, actually, that those with the creative power to change the way people see are often the ones in our current culture who can’t see a way out, or maybe even choose to suffer.
Obviously, there’s a lot more to it than that, but like with any business, the art business requires hustle and the willingness to overcome obstacles. Thanks for taking the time to explain your thinking after reading. I like knowing that what I write isn’t conclusive, but a prompt for others to ask more questions. That means I’m on the right track!
Keep in touch! I have my own blog as well (http://learningtosee.jenie.org) and I’d love to keep this conversation going. I just checked out your site and I’d say we’re on the same wavelength about art, business, and the possibilities people have when they’re open to seeing them.
Wow, this article hits the mark. Thank you for sharing your thoughts Jennie, I am going to take this on board as my career progresses.
First, I like Genie’s article and thoughtfulness about what it means being an artist and how we can carry that creative artist mindset into all aspects of our lives. But I also want to respond to Laura who said above “How do you know this” to artists who say “it is really hard to make money as an artist”. Let me refer to a recent survey in RedDotBlog where some 1200 artists responded and evaluated their art activity in 2015. This is just about the only survey I have seen of this kind. First and foremost, 68% of the artists reported incomes below $25,000 and 44% under $10,000. And 42% said they have another job or career besides being an artist. Other factors are that most respondents live in urban cities, balance direct sales with gallery sales, and are painters who paint landscapes or abstracts. But if you want to read this for yourself and draw your own conclusions then just Google in RedDotBlog and look at the latest post with the survey. This supports for me what I have always thought in my 50 years as an artist that it is hard to make money as an artist, and that many artists earn a living by having another job or profession besides art making and selling. I know I did this, teaching art at a University for 30 years, and mostly loving it, while also being an exhibiting artist but also not selling a whole lot of my art. And now this goes back to Genie’s article in which she so eloquently encourages artists to value themselves as creative artists in whatever they do, and in whatever they use as a means to earn a living. Maybe what is needed is for artists to modify the way they look at their lives and being an artist and their frantic activity to sell their art. Maybe there can be less emphasis on selling art as a primary source for earning a living and a wider search for other creative solutions for producing income. And then disengaging from the demands for earning a living more attention can go towards the art one makes and the pleasure and satisfaction derived from living life as a creative artist. As I approach the latter end of my years I find myself much more interested in looking at the work I have created over the years, what I have learned, and am not much interested in what I did to earn money to survive during my lifetime.
Wow Stan, you covered several points that I have been thinking about too, especially the idea of shifting my life away from the “frantic activity to sell my art”. I feel like I’ve lost something of my original vision in an effort to make sales and this troubles me. I would dearly love to find a different solution for getting income that would allow me to focus more on creating the art itself. Thanks for sharing your observations about what you have learned from your experience as teacher and a life-long artist.
Hi, Stan:
First, thank you for sharing the statistics reported by RedDotBlog. I think those are really valuable numbers to know and that the insights you’ve shared are spot on. I’ve wondered much the same thing myself. I like to make challenging, even subversive work, but the stuff that’s the “easiest” to sell is usually decorative. There’s nothing wrong with making art for art’s sake and I do think there’s a place for things like landscape and abstract work. Having said that, knowing that I have this set of skills to be able to craft an image and a message, I feel both the compulsion and the social responsibility to use my art to challenge conventional norms.
I don’t believe the only ways to fund the arts are either through grants or through commodifying the work. Having said that, how do you sell the art you want to make without losing your original vision, as Tina has mentioned?
I’m still figuring this out like the rest of us. I believe it’s going to in part be knowing the message of your work and who your audience is. That’s basic selling. And I believe it’s *also* going to be artists standing up for the value of their work. Right now, I still consult in business part time while I build my art business. My consulting is so I can have the flexibility to pursue art opportunities without it needing to be the only thing supporting me right now, so I can stay true to the vision of the work. And I approach my art business as I do my consulting; if someone can’t hire me for what I know the work to be worth, then I don’t take the job. It can be hard to say no, but it’s better that than being resentful. It’s a tricky balance and it’s not a straight or easy road, but then very little that’s worthwhile in life comes easily.
Thanks again for the comment and feedback. I like the direction of your thinking and knowing that there are lots of us who are on this same wavelength. That is encouraging and makes me believe that paradigm shifts are possible. 🙂
Bravo. This article is spot on. Thank you Jenie Gao, and Cory for allowing us enjoy such a brilliant and insightful writer and artist!
Read this with great interest as a life long professional artist and I’ll also share it with my two artistic creative daughters who have master’s degrees. My youngest daughter is a published author of feminist horror stories and a teacher/activities director and my oldest daughter has a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and a master’s degree in Environmental Sustainability! I’m sure my oldest daughter will relate entirely to this great article as she also works for a non-profit organization , has been a professional musician on the side and has also had her own design business on the side designing hair accessories. She also has an associate degree in fashion design. I myself worked as a professional fashion illustrator in NYC in the late 1960s/early 1970s and have worked also as a professional floral designer. I now have my own art business selling prints, posters and postcards of my illustrations and paintings. It’s much different working as a professional staff artist for a leading corporation than it is having one’s own art business. I’m now in my late 60s, have MS and am partially blind in one eye while finishing up raising my 16 year old granddaughter whose mother, my middle daughter is brain injured so I deal with many different challenges every day as well as being recently widowed after being married for almost 42 years. I would say though that the first place to start changing the “Starving Artist Syndrome” SAS is in the art schools and colleges to begin with. Maybe it’s different today, but I think every art school/college should teach Art Business 101 esp. in today’s world which is much different and harder to get a job in the arts! I’ve taken a marketing course in recent years and the leader of that course is a very successful illustrator/designer who also teaches art marketing at the Rhode Island School of Design, his alma mater. When I was just out of art school/university I would go on interviews, open up my portfolio and get hired on the spot! I barely had to open up my mouth as my art spoke for itself and this was NYC!! I was 19 when I first worked as a professional fashion artist for a major corporation in 1968! Today they make it much harder and applicants have to practically go through the Spanish Inquisition to get hired, drug tests, FB accounts, credit card accts. etc. I know I could generate far more business with my art business than I currently do. My late husband was a top notch salesman and he got my art into 20 different stores here locally. Today I don’t have that option as I don’t drive, but I have gotten my art into a couple of places as after the Deep Recession and because of his illness I was not able to keep up my accounts with those 20 different stores. A few of them have even gone out of business as there is a large turnover because of high rents in my area which is a summer beach resort. Initially, I felt I had a better chance of earning a living as a commercial artist as opposed to being a fine artist. I still think it’s harder to be a fine artist. I live in an area that is famous for it’s artists, theaters, and art galleries! Today, an art gallery takes 70 percent of an artist’s profit from the sale of a painting around here and leaves the artist with 30 percent!! Not enough, and we wonder why there are still “starving artists” around! And art supplies are more expensive these days esp. oil paints and why I go with acrylics instead and because they also dry faster and can be cleaned up with water! I saw a huge painting in an art gallery around here that was going for $29,000 and I immediately wondered if that artist was ever going to see a profit for that painting because most people don’t have the room for that size painting and unless one is very wealthy they’re not going to pay that much money for a painting even though very beautiful, tucked away in some small art gallery at a seaside resort! Had it been in an art gallery in a major city like NYC I wouldn’t have given that a second thought! So where one places their artwork and how it’s displayed is equally important! Right now I don’t generate much business from my website and considering my current circumstances I don’t mind going slow and easy because any kind of stress exacerbates MS! I feel I’ve succeeded in my own right and I’m also a composer who has had my work performed locally and am in the process of getting my work out still so creativity is a life long ongoing process for me with peaks and valleys just like any other artist! Takes a lot of dedication and commitment just like any relationship and one’s art is a relationship with oneself as well as with others! BTW, my art business name is not only that I drew art but it was my late mother’s maiden name and my nom de plume so to speak! The creation of my business card and logo is interesting too as well as kind of spiritual in nature. It shows me with only half of my face with my right eye showing. It’s a self-portrait of me standing with the sea in the background with a lighthouse in the distance and I’m holding a bunch of paint brushes. My right eye that is showing is the eye that I can see out of, but my hidden left eye is the eye that is partially blind and I designed this BEFORE I went partially blind. My tag line is also “An eye for color”!
Remarkable article as well as “The Myth about the Starving Artist and What it can Teach us about Job Security.” So insightful. You’re a great philosopher! Outstanding post. 🙂
This post and all of the responses have been so thought provoking.
I’m especially intrigued by the thoughts and perspectives of the seasoned artists who have the benefit of wisdom gathered from a lifetime working as an artist.
I’m at midlife and sometimes consider myself “successful” just for not giving up on my artwork. I think I’ve lowered the bar, so that I can preserve enthusiasm for my work in the face of a culture that appears to support the idea of art making but not investing their dollars in the actual art.
I’m hopeful that the Internet is opening opportunities for artists to bring thier work directly to viewers but I’m cautious about the public “liking” art but not supporting it. I also, wonder if it’s “art marketing skills” not genuine art skills and deep human expression that will determine who feasts and who starves in this brave new art world.
I feel burdened by all the marketing skills and financial investment needed to push my career forward. I agree so much with your thoughts about an art system that charges artists to show thier work.
I believe the real worth of art making or not making, will only be know at the final breath. If you are an artist in your blood…it’s a risk to do either.
This is a great view of being creative and calling yourself an artist. I have felt discouraged on many occasion by people’s views on this subject. Hearing something positive really inspires me to keep going on this journey. Thank you so much for writing and sharing!
~ Sofie
Excellent article; thank you! It was like written for me due to my inner struggle. Other people seem to have much more confidence about my future as an artist than me. It’s time to change that. I’m now (and finally) taking the steps to pursue my career as a full-time and successful artist, and the first step was quitting my regular, non-creative job. A leap of faith? Yes, but you don’t need to see the end of the road; just get on it and move forward.