“Why should I get to live a life that I love, a life of my own making, with its own structure and plentiful portals, when others are trapped in the monotony of conventional W2 employment? Do you ever ask yourself this too?”
I am so thankful this question landed in my inbox in response to my call for questions! (Do you have a question about creativity & making art? Anything goes! Reply to the email).
Yes, I’ve asked myself this. If everyone is equally deserving to be an artist, if creativity is wired into humanity, why do I get to create so many outlets for that in my life, but I don't see that happening for everyone?
When this comes up, I always invite myself to sit in the complexity and get to know it. I know that opening up to that space, even (especially) if there is discomfort, can bring more wholeness and awareness to myself and my everyday interactions.
A whole separate facet is, comparison aside, recognizing in many artists an inherent stubborn persistence for art-making to be a part of their lives, even when that means desperately squeezing it in while they also have tons of monotonous responsibilities.
Furthermore… not everyone wants to make art. And that’s fine! In the book Make Your Art No Matter What, Author Beth Pickens describes being an artist this way: “Artists are people who make art. My deeper understanding is that artists are people who are profoundly compelled to make their creative work, and when they are distanced from their practice their life quality suffers”.
Needless to say, not everyone feels this deep, undying need to be making art (or suffers when they aren’t). We can’t assume we are all alike. I trust that the thing I find fulfillment in doesn’t have to be the thing everyone finds fulfillment in!
Regardless of anything, if you figured out a way to make art anywhere in your life, whether you’re making a living off of it or not, that is still something to celebrate and not feel guilty for. Why? Because it doesn't do anyone a service to not make your art. So keep making it, please! Inspire us!
But you don’t have to stop there. If you do have people in your life who really want to make art more but feel trapped, how can you support them? What resources, insights, space, inspiration or encouragement can you share?
If you yourself are someone who feels trapped, read on…
There is more than one way to “make it as an artist”
I sincerely want everyone to know that being an artist doesn't have to be tied to what we do for work or income! Unfortunately, the view of the successful artist does not escape the capitalist lens. You know, the one designed for us to believe that "making it as an artist" means an artist is successful if they make a lot of money from their art and don’t have to have another job. This is a limiting view! This is not a complete conclusion! If we probe into the conditioning a little more, we see that artist-as-full-time-job is just one of the infinite spectacular iterations of what it could possibly mean to "make it as an artist".
May we think outside of every box and reclaim vibrant meanings!
What does “making it as an artist” feel like to you? Literally.. get creative, there are no right or wrong answers.
Can one live artfully and unconventionally and feel like an artist if they have a regular 9-5 job? Absolutely! Actually, to have a conventional job and have an art practice outside of that work... is that not JUST AS, if not EVEN MORE, unconventional?! Making art anyway like a divine rebel? Making your money elsewhere? Knowing that all of your creative successes don’t hinge on capitalism, $worth$, and income? Sounds like out-of-the-box magical thinking to me.
Regardless of all specifics - there are things we do for money, and there are things we do for spirit. They don’t have to be the same thing. Simply put.
There is space for every possible vision for what it means to Make “It” as an Artist. And none of them are better than the other. Infinite ways, infinite views.
Keep practicing,
-Kristen
So much YES to this! Speaking as someone who has a very successful (by capitalist measures) job as a Sr VP at a bank...and who also identifies as a fiber artist (handweaver, who has in the past but is not currently, selling her work). 😍 I learned this model of both/and from my father, an accomplished metallurgical engineer by education and career, and a passionate and prolific musician.