How to make a living as an artist
Yesterday I was asked by a friend, in so many words, how to be a full time artist.
I thought I might try my hand at answering this question as a blog, even though I’m still on my journey.
I feel I have at least another 5 years before I’ll even arrive at the gates of what I have quietly envisioned for myself.
And I only worked out what I’m aiming at earlier THIS YEAR. It took me this long to get to a point where I even knew what I wanted as an artist.
You gotta know what you want in order to aim at it.
You have to give yourself the space to ponder, the time to learn, and the room to grow into the person you need to be.
Know that everyone’s journey will be different, there is no one way to get ‘there’, wherever that ‘there’ might be for you. Please don’t compare yourself to others, this is a very bad idea.
I remember watching a motivational speech by Charlie Day, and in it he said
“Having a plan B will muddy up your plan A”
It resonated with me deeply. Even though at the time I wasn’t quite ready yet to make the full commitment to my practice.
Don’t Muddy up your Plan A
I never got a job that meant anything to me.
In my entire 33 years, I have only had a 9-5 job twice, for almost a year in total.
For 6 months I worked in a call centre talking to people about their superannuation, also called a 401K in the US.
I was 22, it was boring, but it was the most money I’d ever made.
Spending the 8 hour shifts doodling on paper or sketching on windows ‘Paint’, without trying at all, I was up for a promotion.
I didn’t take it, because ‘luckily’ I had been offered a job to be a graphic designer.
That sounded so cool! Being paid to be creative, the dream job!
Thankfully I was fired after 5 months or so, partly because I lied on my resume to get the job (I said I could use Adobe Dreamweaver, and it became obvious soon enough that I absolutely could not!), and partly because my heart was just not in it whatsoever.
It was an office job. I routinely got in trouble for swearing or spending too much time on Oztrance - an Aussie forum filled with characters from the doofs I was flat out attending around that time.
So, I was fired as a graphic designer.
To be fair, I’ve never been much for graphic design anyway. It’s too ‘neat’ for me, and relies too much on bringing someone else’s vision to life.
I knew I had demons to deal with, and they couldn’t be reconciled in an office environment or any kind of “serious job”.
Artwork by Kuba Kujawa
To be an artist, get a side job!
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most”
Emphasis on ‘side’. Something to support your habit.
I’ve had a bar/ club gig since I turned 23 and have never looked back.
It gave me the freedom that I needed so I could travel. The freedom to maximise my time for myself and my art.
Having a side job meant I could spend every minute possible making art without worrying about paying bills. It gave me the freedom to really commit.
It also allowed me the grace to make some crappy artwork, to experiment. In my eyes this is the only way to learn.
From my experience, and from observing others, this is what you have to do to be an artist.
Most of us need a gig that will pay the bills while we practice our skill, and give us the space to get our shit together. This takes time - something that cannot be rushed. It also takes commitment, and regular consistent work.
Since studying a Visual Arts Diploma in 2010, every coin I threw into a wishing well was accompanied by my mental plea with the universe to give me the commitment and the clarity to realise my potential.
I’d witnessed it in my ravenous and destructive addictions to various video games, I knew it was in me, so I kept wishing and hoping. Every shooting star, every candle I blew out carried the weight of that wish.
Sentinel of Transposition by Kevin Campeau
The big C’s: Commitment, Clarity, Consistency
Unsurprisingly, just wishing for the commitment and clarity did fuck all.
It became obvious after a while that I had to commit every ounce of myself to making art. I decided the only path to success was to make A LOT of work. So much work that it would be impossible for me NOT to improve.
I made this decision when I was 28. It’s never too late.
“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol
There will always be a million excuses, reasons or distractions.
You’ve got to find your fire, and use it to blaze your own path. It’s the only way.
The Best Advice: TL;DR
Have a job that gives you the freedom to pursue your art. Find a job that is flexible, and get your priorities right. Being social might have to take a backseat for a while.
Put your work out there
Put your art out there, dammit! I hear lots of established artists say “don’t show too early”, but I think if you are committed to your work, then it really won’t matter. Let the world see your struggles. Let them see you grow and change. Morph into the work you’re put here to do.
I think it’s easy to say with the power of hindsight not to show too early, but ultimately it is up to you.
You may never feel “ready”, and you never know, showing your growth over time might empower somebody to commit to their path too.
Just know your place and don’t be led into the false belief that natural talent could ever be a substitute for hard work.
I love how many people have been with me since my early work.
I don’t feel embarrassed about any of it, and although I think I was swayed by the opinion of other’s in the past, now I couldn’t give a fuck about what people think of what I’m doing. Especially if it’s not with helpful intention.
Contingent II by Lukifer Aurelius
Get a critical eye you trust
’A camel is a horse designed by a committee’
Assign a small group of people in your life to be your ‘critical eye’, or risk listening to way too many opinions.
Only you can know what feels right in the work you’re doing, but having a critical eye from someone with your best interests at heart will improve your work tenfold.
Follow your truth, and fuck the haters!
I’m not where I want to be yet, and given the nature of art I may never quite get there, but I can feel that I’m on the right path.
Get excited about the process. I feel my journey is as much tied up in my own healing as it is in the healing of others.
Today I listened to the Dark Art Society podcast with Ryan Case, check him out here, but this quote was mentioned, attributed to Gabe Leonard:
Make as much art as possible
Have as many people see it as possible
Don’t have a plan B
This is it. Now go get it!!
Ps. Exercise, meditation and rest days are CRUCIAL to your success. They are not ‘distractions’, they will make you more productive, not less. Take care of yourself.
Listen to Charlie Day below! Big love!
Ash