Comments on: No way to make a living? http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/2009/03/05/no-way-to-make-a-living/ Just another Walker Blogs weblog Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:36:23 -0600 walker_blogs hourly 1 By: coyote http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/2009/03/05/no-way-to-make-a-living/comment-page-1/#comment-269 coyote Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:10:35 +0000 http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/?p=191#comment-269 Gosh ain't it tough to "make art" while balancing a "life". The sad thing is that we assume that we make ART. The reality is that everyone only practices the "craft" that is the base of ART. It is only after our "works based on craft" stand out from the thousands of other efforts that we can look back at ourselves as "Artists". There is no sense on wasting a second on resenting our decisions, actions, miss-turns or loses-you just need to keep on doing it. The tragically STUPID of believing in the "art life" is that is a hugh history of what an Artist must-enslave himself to his craft and leave behind and apart from his person the WORK. Stop whining-work, work,work coyote in sweat Gosh ain’t it tough to “make art” while balancing a “life”. The sad thing is that we assume that we make ART. The reality is that everyone only practices the “craft” that is the base of ART. It is only after our “works based on craft” stand out from the thousands of other efforts that we can look back at ourselves as “Artists”.

There is no sense on wasting a second on resenting our decisions, actions, miss-turns or loses-you just need to keep on doing it. The tragically STUPID of believing in the “art life” is that is a hugh history of what an Artist must-enslave himself to his craft and leave behind and apart from his person the WORK.

Stop whining-work, work,work

coyote in sweat

]]> By: Jack Daryl Becker http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/2009/03/05/no-way-to-make-a-living/comment-page-1/#comment-261 Jack Daryl Becker Fri, 06 Mar 2009 21:10:11 +0000 http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/?p=191#comment-261 I waited until I was 57 years old to get a day job and after 7 years of doing the day job thing, I just had to go back to being an unemployed studio writer/artist. The job was easy and had lots of art scene recognition and the pay was good. After a life time of struggling in the studio, this was a darn good deal. Or was it? Gosh, one sure can't gripe about having all their bills paid - so there is that. The rest of the story however, is one of caution because the trade off for artists is considerable. If you are an actual producing writer or some other kind of artist, you give up your productive time by having a real day - or night job. You also give up your productive energy, because it gets used up in the day job thing. You end up trying to be creative and productive in your off time. That means you have to hope like crazy that those creative strokes of genius that you already know tend to come at the most unusual times, will suddenly develope a schedule. Your schedule. That probably won't happen. On top of that, day jobs tire everyone out. That's why they invented couch potatoes. And even if you have enough energy left after a day of working a job to stay awake, let's face it - you need a life. Friends. A family. Social time. Well guess what - if, after working 8 hours, five days a week, you come home and lock yourself in your studio so you can catch up on lost creativity, your friends and family may call the cops. So you see, there's things to consider. But the biggest consideration of all, in my opinion, is the survival skill factor. As productive artists, we learn all kinds of survival skills to keep our little boats floating. Everything from budgeting, to time management, to marketing, to networking, to deadlines, to presentation, to competition, to - well, you know what I mean, but here's the deal. When you walk into that day job committment, you effectively take yourself out of the art market as a contender. You might still use some of those skills in a day job kind of way but honestly, who cares? All those survival skills that made it possible for you to keep making art or writing in between gigs? They get rusty fast - and while you're busy making a steady buck, the market changes. You change too. I know some folks will say "Don't be ridiculous, Becker. I'm still a major contender even though I spend 8 hours a day in a cubicle answering dumb emails and the rest of my time trying to be creative. Besides, I have to make a living." OK. No Problem. I waited until I was 57 years old to get a day job and after 7 years of doing the day job thing, I just had to go back to being an unemployed studio writer/artist. The job was easy and had lots of art scene recognition and the pay was good. After a life time of struggling in the studio, this was a darn good deal. Or was it? Gosh, one sure can’t gripe about having all their bills paid – so there is that. The rest of the story however, is one of caution because the trade off for artists is considerable. If you are an actual producing writer or some other kind of artist, you give up your productive time by having a real day – or night job. You also give up your productive energy, because it gets used up in the day job thing. You end up trying to be creative and productive in your off time. That means you have to hope like crazy that those creative strokes of genius that you already know tend to come at the most unusual times, will suddenly develope a schedule. Your schedule. That probably won’t happen. On top of that, day jobs tire everyone out. That’s why they invented couch potatoes. And even if you have enough energy left after a day of working a job to stay awake, let’s face it – you need a life. Friends. A family. Social time. Well guess what – if, after working 8 hours, five days a week, you come home and lock yourself in your studio so you can catch up on lost creativity, your friends and family may call the cops. So you see, there’s things to consider. But the biggest consideration of all, in my opinion, is the survival skill factor. As productive artists, we learn all kinds of survival skills to keep our little boats floating. Everything from budgeting, to time management, to marketing, to networking, to deadlines, to presentation, to competition, to – well, you know what I mean, but here’s the deal. When you walk into that day job committment, you effectively take yourself out of the art market as a contender. You might still use some of those skills in a day job kind of way but honestly, who cares? All those survival skills that made it possible for you to keep making art or writing in between gigs? They get rusty fast – and while you’re busy making a steady buck, the market changes. You change too. I know some folks will say “Don’t be ridiculous, Becker. I’m still a major contender even though I spend 8 hours a day in a cubicle answering dumb emails and the rest of my time trying to be creative. Besides, I have to make a living.” OK. No Problem.

]]> By: Mary http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/2009/03/05/no-way-to-make-a-living/comment-page-1/#comment-260 Mary Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:58:45 +0000 http://blogs.walkerart.org/mnartists/?p=191#comment-260 I did quit my day job, and I'm so glad I did. But being an independent writer means you're running a small business. I'm piecing together a writing career that's part creative and part business writing, so some better-paying projects finance the lower-paying (more enjoyable) ones. That balance feels creatively sustainable to me. At least at first, the self-promotion part of the job is pretty constant. I'm my own marketer, finance person, client recruiter, administrative assistant.... What's good about that is that when I land a cool project, I really worked to get it, and there's a sense of accomplishment there. And if I were writing what's assigned ALL the time I think it would flatten my creative energy. But it's also hard because, well, it's a sales job. You have to sell your ideas and your work in a saturated market. And to me, sales sucks. Regardlss, it is rewarding, and liberating, and has its ups and downs like every job, I think. I did quit my day job, and I’m so glad I did. But being an independent writer means you’re running a small business. I’m piecing together a writing career that’s part creative and part business writing, so some better-paying projects finance the lower-paying (more enjoyable) ones. That balance feels creatively sustainable to me.

At least at first, the self-promotion part of the job is pretty constant. I’m my own marketer, finance person, client recruiter, administrative assistant…. What’s good about that is that when I land a cool project, I really worked to get it, and there’s a sense of accomplishment there. And if I were writing what’s assigned ALL the time I think it would flatten my creative energy. But it’s also hard because, well, it’s a sales job. You have to sell your ideas and your work in a saturated market. And to me, sales sucks. Regardlss, it is rewarding, and liberating, and has its ups and downs like every job, I think.

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