To Remember and to Reminisce

This is a repost from Bmore Art blog by Cara Ober, with my own commentary below.

Monday, October 10, 2011 Sometimes We Need to be Reminded...

How often do your non-artist friends and colleagues offer to hang your work up somewhere - a place of business, a home, a restaurant - just so you can "get exposure"? How many times a year are you, as an artist, asked to donate your work to charity? For the most part, those doing the asking have only our best interest at heart, and it's not their fault that they don't understand how expensive it is to be an artist.

Artists are the among the most generous people in the world. We work for free all the time. We volunteer at local art spaces. We donate our work to arts organizations, non-profits, health organizations, and outreach - even though we can't deduct the price of the work on our taxes. Many of us work long hours to pay our bills and work long hours in our studios, which require a monthly rent. And don't get me started on the cost of art supplies.

Sometimes, enough is enough. It's okay to say no thanks, especially when an opportunity is costly to you - in time, effort, and funds - and isn't going to lead to future opportunities.

I think it's important to remember the time, effort, skill, knowledge, and funds it takes when approaching anyone (be it artist, doctor, lawyer, etc) about anything (be it art and design work, "can you look at this mole?", legal advice, etc). Remember to value their WORK even if they love what they do. It still took them a while (time, funds, learned skills, etc) to get there and that's it why you are asking THEM specifically and not a random stranger off the street - who would almost certainly tell you "NO!".  Personally I have a hard time saying No, I feel like a super crabby Bitch (yes, capital B) for saying it even though I know I shouldn't feel guilty at all. "Expanding my portfolio" does not pay my bills, put food in my mouth, or gas in my car.  Being an artist means you are most likely working at least 2 jobs, the one that pays the bills and the one that mostly subtracts money from your bank account (that would be the art making one...). Time is precious and tomorrow is never promised.

If you can't pay me in legal tender for my work... I propose bartering! Remember the days when goods and services were traded for other goods and services of equal value? We never needed mega corps, or child labor sweatshops in far off lands, or worried about loss of jobs; because everyone needed everyone else in town to do what what they were GOOD at, so they could get the things they NEEDED. Since the items were being made by people who were GOOD at what they did, they had taken time to hone this skill or craft,  they probably CARED about it, and made things WELL and with INTENTION.  And well, if you took out a loan that you couldn't pay for... and you probably knew better than that...  then the debt collector just took out your legs or took one of your children (that you hardly fed anyway) for menial labor to pay off your debt. Life was so SIMPLE.