The soldiers of culture

Making art is like tight rope walking (but we'll keep doing it anyway)

I have been thinking a lot about making art and why I do it. Why my artist friends do it. Why many of us live in poverty for the love of art.

Distance becomes us
Mixed media on panel 12x12"
© 2012 Megan Chapman & Stewart Bremner

It is happening all over the world, I hear my artist friends say they won't be able to afford health insurance, travel, or take the risk of creating a new body of work this year due to their finances and lack of sales. Due to the economic down turn, we are beginning to wonder if it is time to admit defeat and get a “real” job. We are amassing stacks of good paintings in our cupboards and closets, so why paint more? We turn to teaching classes, workshops, and weekend yard sales to scrape by. We take the odd job here and there, anything to mostly keep working on our true calling of art. We borrow money from friends and family and of course the food stamp application is always a possibility and let's not forget kickstarter or some other type of fundraiser. These extra jobs and fundraisers take us further away from what we need to be doing, which is spending time in the studio making our art and fulfilling all the other managerial tasks that come with being a full time artist.

We hear buzz words such as “creative economy” and “cultural commodity” used by city officials and others across the country and world, wanting yet another draw for tourists and transplants to come visit and eat, drink and spend in the hotels, restaurants and bars. The creative economy idea works and the revelers come in droves, they drink, they spend, but are they buying the art? Sadly we as artists begin to feel used, just another cog in the wheel that benefits others but not us. We give so much to the culture and feel of our communities yet we are left empty and depressed. As artists, we aren't just looking for inclusive feel good opportunities, we are looking for sales.

We have trained, we know how to sell our work, how to network, and we create quality art and are working as hard as we can but sadly it is just not enough. We know about pricing, watching the market, and saying yes to every opportunity that comes our way. We show our work near and far, thinking outside of the box and creating our own opportunities but again it is not enough. Even after periods of success, we find ourselves walking the tight rope again.

Hideaway
Mixed media on panel 12x12"
© 2012 Megan Chapman & Stewart Bremner

In our meetings with our community members and leaders we continually fight the stereotypes of the dreamy flamboyant artist and the slacker. We keep the feeling of loss and struggle to ourselves, we maintain a positive attitude when we promote ourselves and our work, never admitting defeat or struggle until we can no longer deny it. Well meaning friends and family tell us that it might just be time to again get that “job.” We then turn to the buzz word using community members and leaders but are surprisingly told to try to another style or medium or just move on to something else to make a buck. The lack of true understanding and acceptance of what it means to be an artist fuels our growing distress.

When we as artists are struggling, our work struggles as well. It is hard to get to the place one needs to be to make the good art when one is thinking about the bills, shut off notices or the empty fridge. It is a stressful time for the artist when on the one hand we are celebrated for our gifts to the community and yet are rarely paid for the enjoyment of them.

What can we do as artists and as art lovers about this situation? How can we better understand and support each other?

Some other future
Mixed media on panel 12x12"
© 2012 Megan Chapman & Stewart Bremner

We can all acknowledge that it is tough all over and that people are struggling to get by right now whether as an artist, a teacher or an office worker. In order to better support ourselves in this economy many artists offer small affordable works, have turned to making prints and have special sales to help meet most budgets. Many artists accept payment plans and some are even willing to barter and trade for things they need. Perhaps it is up to all of us to think about art as a necessity rather than a frivolity. To paraphrase one of my recent clients, you have to put money aside for art just like you do for a utility bill, a new shirt, or a night out on the town.

If you truly cannot buy art from an artist right now then how about supporting their work through sharing their website, etsy shop, or facebook art page with your friends? How about writing a note to an artist and expressing your love of their work. Sometimes a few words of encouragement are all it takes to keep an artist from falling off the path. Acknowledge that being an artist is hard work and that it is valuable and necessary. Acknowledge an artist as a worker with a career like any other. The first time someone told me they understood how hard it was to be an artist, I burst into tears for the relief of finally being understood.

We are nomads
Mixed media on panel 12x12"
© 2012 Megan Chapman & Stewart Bremner

Being an artist is not a choice for many of us, this is not a hobby, a phase or a passing fancy. This is in our life's blood, this is our purpose, this is our soul's work and it is heart breaking when people dismiss what we know is true to our core.

We are artists. We work. We give. We make the culture a more exciting place for you to live. We ask for little and we tread lightly. We will keep making our art but wouldn't it be a lovely thing if we could also be paid a living wage? We are not some magical class of citizens that thrive under dire conditions just because we know how to shop for second hand clothes and eat well on little.

 We are artists and we do it because we have to and for the most part we will continue on with our smiles and our can do attitudes. We are the soldiers of culture and we must keep fighting not only for ourselves but for you.