Jan 26, 2017
Dwight by Brandy Byhoffer
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Dwight by Brandy Byhoffer
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk4B4e47Zl8)
In this vlog: mom ruins my shot, I make more art (duh) and I escape my icy driveway.
Saturday morning cartoon: “The Starvin Artist.”
Artists & Money: The Outdated Model of "Starving Artist" and Creating for the Right Reasons
This weekend I did a craft fair, a small, quiet craft fair based at the top of the escalators at the New Westminster Quay. I sold nothing. I sort of anticipated this. I anticipated watching a lot of people give a quick glance to my work and move on. A lot of my work is funny, but to the midlife demographic at the New West Quay, I am not.
I did, however, get interviewed by someone doing community features for Shaw TV. Even if I had made a sale, that still would’ve been the best part of my day (I’m always ready for my close up).
That aside, this weekend made me realize something very important: I am not interested in creating a commercial product with my art. When I sold ties, that’s exactly what it was: I made them to sell to specific audiences (queers) and worked quite a few craft fairs, kept Etsy updated, and spam-blasted all my social media accounts with my latest creations. I think this is why I got so tired of it. Creating a commercial product can be very limiting if it isn’t where your heart is.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m ready to sell out. “Sell out,” though, is such an outdated term. The model of the starving artist is outdated and lame. We live in a time where creativity can and will be rewarded with money. I’m not interested in the story of artists “starving” for their art. I won’t do it. I don’t mean to demean the work it takes to be successful but I also refuse to think that because I’m a creative person I have to struggle for money. I very much want to make money with my art, for it to be a career. But creating art to make money is totally the wrong approach (at least, for me).
I’ve been an artist since I figured out how pens and pencils work; I’ve been drawing all my life, and it’s never been for money. It’s because I’m a fucking artist. Artists want to express themselves, to say something important and resonant, to comment on what’s going on around them. And often, if you’re being authentic and showing your work, that gets rewarded.
So here’s an important distinction: I believe I can/very much want to make money from my art. I, however, am not interested in creating art for that sole purpose. I don’t want to have to think “Hm, will this sell?” every time I create something. It won’t work. I lose my connection with what I’m trying to say because I’m too busy thinking about what someone else hopes I’m going to say. With products, you have to listen to your audience. With art, they have to listen to you. And I think an important part of art is saying something new, something fresh, something that might be on people’s minds but they’re too afraid to say it. Something you’re not going to hear until you listen to yourself...
more on my website
LAX
Currently sitting in LAX waiting to board to London.
A belated post from Wednesday's after work art night.
Photos from the last Art Battle Vancouver @ Raw Canvas, Yaletown. Photo credit: natashawheatley.tumblr.com.
I'd love to do a painting of this. I sort of did it during the Art Battle this month but it's not exactly two ladies. I'm surprised and how naturally collage gets integrated into my pieces...