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January 8th, 2015 - 01:30 PM
When I was applying for colleges, my parents, who knew my passion for art and creativity runs deep, encouraged me toward a career in Graphic Design. They figured it was in the art field so it would satisfy my creative side, but "at least you won't be a starving artist". That is my first memory of hearing that phrase. I knew they were looking out for me…what parents want their child to be poor and unsuccessful? But instead, what they were essentially telling me is that being a professional artist is a road that leads to an empty wallet and a bare refrigerator. At the time, it seemed like pretty sound advice, and I took it. While I'm very grateful for the success I've had as a designer, given all the knowledge I have now and the opportunity to chat with that pre-college girl, I'd have given her a very different pep talk.
The starving artist. We've all heard the term, and most would swiftly apply it to any artist trying to earn a living selling their work, regardless of their actual financial situation or level of success. The general consensus is that artists are destined to be poor and hungry, that success in art cannot be attained…until you die, of course, at which point your work is worth much more, right? The art world has its various levels of failures and successes, just as any other profession.
There are many artists out there that do quite well. Perhaps not by comparison to famous artists like Picasso or Renoir, but why is every artist immediately subjected to such a comparative measure of success? That's just silliness. We don't compare all writers to William Shakespeare and deem them to be inadequate and destined to be unsuccessful in their lifetime because their work is not equally popular. We don't seem to do this with other professions. Why do we apply this standard only to artists?
Is it partly because artists tend to be misjudged by their counterparts, who lack an understanding of what it means to be a creative individual? Probably. Let's face it, most of us are rather quirky in our own unique ways. Could it also be because some people who lack artistic ability don't see the level of knowledge and skill involved when it comes to conceptualism, drawing, painting, etc? "My 5 year old could've done that." Sure, that too. Whatever the reason for this myth to have continued so long, it's time to stop feeding into it by using the term "starving artist". Starve it. Replace it with "working artists", because each one of us has the opportunity to work hard and make a successful career doing what we were born to do…create.
If you are a creative soul, and you really want to make a living creating and selling art, YOU CAN. No catch. Just like any other career path, and every other area of life, you get out what you put in. Do your homework, come up with a solid business plan, and go for it. Yes, a business plan, because being an artist means working for yourself, so you'll need to brush up on your business chops. There are endless outlets for artists to sell their work online and beyond, especially with today's level of technology and communication.
The only obstacles we have are those we give ourselves. So if creating art is your passion, join us, the working artists, in putting food on the table, doing what we love every day.
Comments
Laura Teti
9 Years Ago
Barrington, NJ
Sometimes the other stuff can wait, and sometimes you just have to deal with that part of the art career package. Every job/career has its down side, but I can't imagine doing anything else with my life, so I'll gladly deal with the business end ;) Hope I answered all your questions! Sorry for the multiple posts, I'm limited to 500 characters per post.