Let's Break The Wheel!! For Reals This Time.

Photo Credit: Katie Awad

An Artist By Any Other Media.

Last summer after I finished up my last show, Play Play, I came across an announcement for another visual art show. It was a group show. Many people doing several different kinds of work were included. Group shows are always interesting at least for that reason alone. I was caught off guard when I saw they were charging a $10 entry fee. Ten dollars? Who pays to get into a visual arts show? There’s no performance right? I checked the announcement again and saw that there wasn’t. Even though I wasn’t planning to go, I was annoyed.

First I was annoyed at the audacity: Charge for a visual arts show ? Pffffffft!! (Imagine me doing this with a dramatic flick of my hand.) Then I was annoyed with myself: why shouldn’t a visual artist charge to see their work? Musicians do. Dancers do. In various places and spaces they even have tip jars present. Why shouldn’t a visual artist charge for the privilege of seeing their work? I commend these artists for not only banding together to show their work, but also asking to be compensated in a way that visual artists aren’t usually. I can admit when I”m wrong. I was.

Though I’m pretty sure it wasn’t necessarily their aim, but they should also be acknowledged for their efforts to break the wheel.

What’s This “Break the Wheel” Nonsense?

''Break the wheel” is a Game of Thrones reference. Though the show has ended there is still so much that has been learned from it! So good! But I digress. Just in case you’re not into GOT I will spare you a long synopsis of the show by saying the phrase is shorthand for changing a broken, ailing, and corrupt system that benefits only a few. Especially if it isn’t working really. I can definitely say that artists not being compensated for their work but still expected to do it for free and with a flourish is not even a real system at all. It’s not just artists that have to work to break the wheel but anyone who loves art and wants to support the artists who make it.

But It’s Not My Fault, Is It? Actually It Is.

The same society that teaches us that artists should be poor, that artists should be starving, and still have 5 jobs to cobble together an income is the same one that tells us there is no reason to compensate an artist for their work. More often than not we pay to see work in museums. I paid to get into individual shows when I attended Art Basel a couple years ago. Why shouldn’t gallery shows or any other type of show where you see work on the walls or sculpture in the room charge entry? I freely admit I had been brainwashed by the same system. I’d participated in the system that said I don’t need to get paid because I love my work. Shouldn’t we all love our work though (a topic for another day!)?

Though it’s scary, I’ve decided that I am changing the way I think about my work. It’s about to get a little crazy probably. But that’s ok right? We are breaking the wheel!!! I want you to join me for the ride.

I Want You, Yes YOU!

I LOVE MY WORK!!!! Sometimes it’s like being in love and I want to shout it from a rooftop. I want everyone to be a part of it. I want my own art tribe. I want to be able to talk to people about my work. Share what I’m up to! All of the facets of my work and know I’m sharing with my crew, people who care!

Patreon (a site that houses the space where you can support me directly) and creating an opportunity for fans of my work to become a member of my tribe is one way I am working to change things. Fans of my work who want to see me finally finish a project I’ve been working on for the past two years can support me directly and mark my progress on various projects. This is a part of me breaking the wheel. This could be the first step for a lot of us. Take a look at my page here. Become a member of my art tribe.

Let’s Do This!

Share Some More. For Real This Time.

Share Some More. For Real This Time.

So, one time, I was talking to this other artist who'd become wonderfully successful. This person did really great work and I was wondering what their secret was other than having great work. It seemed like sourcing funding was a big part of their success. At the time I didn't know much about finding my own funding and such things were foreign to me. As most of us artists have probably said at some point in time to each other longingly: “I wish I’d been taught grant writing in school…”

That Razzamatazz That You Do So Well.

So, I said (to this artist who was also someone I felt was a friend): "How do you do that grant and funding razzamatazz that you do so well?" (Nah, I didn't really say 'razzamatazz' but how can I pass up using that word?) So I asked what I believed was a relatively benign question. I was blown away by their response. Want to know what their response was? Dead air. Blank space. Silence. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Rien. And I quote: “I just look around.” That was all I got. So I pushed a little for more detail and still I got nothing.

Keep in mind, I didn’t ask this other artist to write a grant for me or hop onto Google and search on my behalf. None of that. I simply wanted a little direction. A smidgen of assistance. See, I had no idea where to start. Up to that point I’d felt that I was floating out in the middle of the great huge ocean that is being a ‘professional artist’. Deciding that you are going to be a professional artist is a frightening enough choice, but to then have a friend ignore a plea (a really desperate one) for help. I was heartbroken…and I was also confused.

Friend or Fear?

Why would my friend not want to help me? As pitiful as it sounds, that is exactly what I asked myself. Just add tears (I’m really sensitive.). It took me a little while to figure it out, but eventually I did. Sadly, after that initial experience, I ran into other artists who exuded the same sentiment: fear. The fear that there isn’t enough to go around is pervasive within the arts community. It stops us from sharing with other artists. There won’t be enough money. Someone is going to take my spot at the show. The judges might think their work is better than mine. I don’t need the competition. All excuses. Fear is an ugly, horrible, corrosive beast (check out my other posting What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid). Don’t get me wrong; I understand where the fear comes from. It can be tough to be an artist and earn a living; not to mention lots and lots of work. Every break you get helps. And I agree that resources are finite. I’m also not saying that my work is so fabulous that it strikes fear into the hearts of other artists, I’m just saying this person would’ve been afraid to share their experience and golden information with anyone.

All The Cool Kids Are Sharing.

If you decide not to help a fellow artist here's what you miss:

• You miss the opportunity to mentor someone.
• You miss the opportunity from stopping someone from going through the same pain and anguish you had to go through to learn your lesson.
• You miss the opportunity to create a sense of community among artists.
• You miss out on the opportunity to be nice and helpful.

So share. Then share some more. I’m not saying become a Wiki for someone trying to bleed you dry of all your knowledge. Sharing should be a two-way street. Just don’t be afraid to help someone obviously in need. You will feel better when you share even just a little bit. Promise.

I'd be interested to hear what you think.

What Are You Waiting For?

As artists it seems like we are always waiting for something... for someone to buy our work, for someone to recognize our talent, for someone to give us the job we've always wanted. To be the independent thinkers that we are, it sure seems like we do a lot of waiting for others to give us what we believe we deserve. Furthermore, the people we are waiting on tend to be corporate entities and organizations (in general not purveyors of independent thinking and creativity) holding our futures in their hands...or do they?

For a long time after being out of school I looked and looked for a job in Graphic Design. I looked in Jacksonville. I looked in Philadelphia. I looked in San Francisco. I was looking for other jobs too and had worked other jobs, but what I wanted was a job doing what I loved: being an artist. I'm not sure why it took me three cities and several years to understand that when no one is offering what you want, even if you've really worked for it, maybe you have to create it for yourself.

How does one get something that only another person can give them if they don't want to give it to you? Good question. I'm not talking about them though, I'm talking about you. Create the opportunities you want for yourself. 

How do you create opportunities for yourself? Here's a couple suggestions:

1. Waiting on a job? Create your own. If you didn't know, there are freelancing and contracting sites for artists as well. It's not all Monster and CareerBuilder out there. Carbonmade is one example but there are many portfolio hosting sites that also make your work accessible to those looking for artists for temporary or contract assignments.

2. Want to build your rep? Offer to work for free (for a trial period) or volunteer. I know it seems counterintuitive, but providing your services and to a non-profit or an organization that needs them might put you in the right place at the right time. If you are offering a trial period for your services make sure you are proactive and specify an end date. In both of these types of situations don't forget to protect your work and ask for testimonials and/or letters of recommendation in exchange for the work.

3. Want to participate in a show/exhibition? Organize your own. Sitting around waiting for the perfect time, opportunity, and people to align so that you can be in a show is sometimes like waiting for a unicorn to appear. I know I make it sound super easy... because actually it is. It is just a large amount of work and organization. I've done it. I looked for other artists to show my work with and they disappeared or just didn't follow through. I ended up doing the show alone. But it was great. Stressful and a whole lot of things went wrong, but it's one thing I've done where things weren't anywhere near perfect and I was still very proud of the experience I gained.

I've just given you three examples, But there are many situations in which you can create your own opportunities. You just have to look for the way out of what you feel is a room in which you are trapped, there's usually a simple way to solve your problem--usually it just involves making your own exit.