#63: Connections
Monday, 10 November 2008
Monday, 10 November 2008
Ohhhhh family.
Talking with artists is strange to me, I’m not used to it. Most of my friends growing up eventually went to school for science or engineering, including the ones that could draw and write. Lately I have plenty of friends that do things like writing and photography, but they generally tend towards journalism, not art. Maybe this is a good thing. I am not surrounded and insulated by an art world, and I know plenty of people that do other things. But I know so few people who are really pursuing art, and I rarely discuss it with the ones who are. I’m not sure what an art world looks like from the inside.
November 10th, 2008 at 10:32
From the little I understand and my experience taking art classes/trying to have shows (I’ve only had a couple) and so on, the art world can be good, it can be bad, it can royally suck, and you just have to try to make the best of it and make a point of remembering and getting to know the good people (the ones who are sincerely interested in other people and not about tearing everyone else apart). Still, I’m not a true insider. There’s a book about navigating the art world that is particularly good (I borrowed it from a teacher who is an artist).
And being able to live off of making your art? Not very likely. Most of the successful artists I know are teachers. And while they do love teaching (and are great at it), it is a commonly known thing that pursuing art is usually not going to be the bread winning job.
Hmmmm. I’m being a bit depressing, aren’t I?
November 10th, 2008 at 11:05
Sounds like my father, just a lot less jolly.
November 11th, 2008 at 08:53
Renee: Not really. It can help to be realistic, but there’s a fine line between realism and defeatism. I think it’s been a mistake to not pursue what I’m really interested in just because it will probably never net me much money.
Frank: My dad is less of a Santa walrus