I once heard someone say if you've done something and people call you a sell-out then they're wrong. If it is something you have worked hard to come by and feel that something is the right step forward, it's not selling out, it's merely accepting the rewards of the fruits of your labour that you earned and have complete right to do that.
J. Rayworth , Filmmaker , 03/09/13 , 1,010 AP
I completely agree with all of this. As someone who has a full-time, bill-paying office job and tries to keep up my creative work around those hours, the idea of being able to do what I love full-time is an amazing one. I really hope I'll get there some day. It doesn't feel like selling out any more (it would have done once, when i was more idealistic) because I'd be able to focus on the thing that makes me happy AND know I had a roof and a bed to come home to. And I wouldn't have to go to sleep at 1am every night to fit it all in! It would be far easier and far more practical, and I don't think that's a bad thing at all.
NicolaDawn , Writer , 03/01/13 , 724 AP
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/artists-are-terrible-at-money/
Cory Huff: The Myth of the Starving Artist - fantastic reading - look now and save yourself !
in2minds , Journalist , 04/11/12 , 583 AP
A very interesting article. While I don't necessarily believe that money should be the main motivator for creating art, I agree that we have to be realistic about it. It's not much good to anyone if you paint a masterpiece but then find yourself without food/clothes/a home because you haven't any money to live on.
HayleyPhillips , Actor , 05/10/12 , 451 AP
So Alex, you'd rather work in Tesco and have your 'art' go unnoticed than use some of your artistic skills in a toned-down manner to make some money and get your name out there?
Or would you rather somebody else paid for you to live as you ponce around trying to connect to a transcendental truth that nobody is prepared to buy/interested in.
part_time_punk , Copywriter , 30/03/12 , 158 AP
You mentioned about licensing imagery out, for tshirts/mugs etc, but how does one go about that? Unless you happen to bump into a manufacturer of said goods, what would be the best way of kick starting that kind of route? Ditto for prints, iv thought about it in the past, but i'm not 100% sure what the best way to go about selling them and where would be either...
Jonathan Utracik , Art Director , 26/03/12 , 289 AP
I would like to sell my work/prints one day.
The Art therefor must come first.
More To Life Than Money. http://bit.ly/A5DZLU
Daniel Oduntan , Photographer , 15/03/12 , 2,298 AP
Picasso's probably a better example of an artist who was an equally brilliant businessman
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Rafe Gibbons , Producer , 14/03/12 , 5,105 AP
I'm sorry for being so full-on, it seems like we're on the same page. It just felt like your article was going too far the other way, justifying an artistic career by putting it on the same level as careers and salaries which are dividing society. I think if a career and money is the priority, then art reduces itself to its trade value, which I think destroys the 'purpose' (for want of a better word) of art in itself.
aklerc , , 12/03/12 , 223 AP
Hey Alex,
I'm sorry you're so disappointed in my article, but I'm glad you've left a comment.
I hoped that what people would take away from it was the idea that it's okay - good, in fact - to aspire towards making money as a creative person. Of course, you don't have to become a millionaire and you don't have to measure your success by how much you earn.
But hopefully, if emerging artists aspire towards making money from their talent, they will be bolder and more professional about charging for their time and effort.
I think plenty of artists would be happy to have the kind of career enjoyed by those you mention.
I would also argue that selling your work doesn't mean that you are reducing it to nothing more than a commodity. I think it simply means that you are selling your work.
Obviously, this is a subject that people feel very strongly about and it's always interesting to hear other opinions.
NellFrizzellIdeasTap , Journalist , 12/03/12 , 2,479 AP