I've been reading a book a week, which is partially what inspired me to write this post. Also, I saw a friend of mine boasting that there were more "jobs" in a field and that they were hiring like crazy, citing contracts worth a lot of money to complete those "jobs". It's funny, because just a few years ago I would have felt similarly. My first thought, however, was "I'd like to be the person who not only negotiates the contract for the company, but the person who also hires the worker bee artists/ designers or manages them". In my mind today, it would be more worthwhile (and a better use of one's time) to be a direct link or entity between the person who HAS the money and the contract itself, rather than an end worker.
I feel that artists in general, though, are trained to think with a "worker bee" mentality. We want to believe that working harder for longer hours would mean benefit direct. Paint more, draw more, make more money. But is it really the best use of a person's time, if time is truly money? On top of that, a lack of financial success is often seen as "not being good enough", rather than perhaps a result of having a lack of talent but no business/finance skills. From reading I've been discovering that it is often the person who manages or the company that holds the contract for an artist or several artists (or artistes) who usually benefits the most.
The owner of the company doesn't physically have to be in one place at a given time; they can set the pace with a day to day or weekly meeting of six to ten teams and still benefit directly from six to ten different contracts. So who then, is getting the raw end of the deal? Do artists have to be perpetually satisfied with just the trickle down result of a business or contractual deal?
So what I'd like to propose is that instead of artists always hoping to land "that gig" or work for "X dream company", that they'd gain the necessary experience to eventually just do their own thing. I think that artists in general have horrible horrible financial and economic/business skills. Does the average artist know how to do basic accounting? Or even have anything set aside over time (or will they work until death)? It's part of what I wish more people in the Arts would speak about in general.
Perhaps it's intentional; people with no art background whatsoever can benefit off of those with talent. There has actually been a long history of that; no surprise there.
Carry on!
Its so true. I think about this all the time. How the people without any passion for the craft, or years of training are getting rich off of exploiting the artists. I suppose best thing artists can do is arm themselves with knowledge and continue to hone their craft? And organize? Regardless, its a tough situation because even the Unions are powerless to stop it. I think dialogue is the first step towards attacking this problem, but unfortunately subjects like this seem to be so taboo. Many folks are just thankful they have a job so they can feed their family, so they're reluctant to speak up about this exploitation stuff..
ReplyDeleteWell...maybe here they are. But I don't think ALL artists are like that.
ReplyDeleteNot that he's necessarily an artist, but I was reading today that the
host of Je0pardy basically disagreed with the producers on something
and said I've been working for 30 years, but I disagree on X,
and if this is the direction this is headed, maybe it's time for me
to do something else. LOL. He used his leverage to say
basically this is not pleasing to me and I may just quit entirely.
I'm sure it freaked the heads out because they know without him,
they don't really have a show.
I still think the smart ones have leverage.
I think that's part of the advantage of becoming an artist
or whatever from a place of obscurity; you've been
taken advantage of/ done business with others so many times
that you're smart about that stuff. This is where I think
those mass consumer schools FAIL.
They sort of "coddle" their students, who will hardly learn
(unless they strike out on their own or claw their way up)
HOW to deal with such problems and what is best.
The teachers literally tell the students "just draw" or whatever.
Um..no...it's such an oversimplification.
Maybe part of it is that the teachers themselves really don't know
how to do this? (considering they're teachers and not really
say, running their own outfit and empowered by that
and therefore wholly independent of teaching?)
I"m reminded that even within the teaching arrangement,
there is bureaucracy, hierarchy, etc.
So in many ways, in being an art teacher, you're subject
to that same kind of situation as you would be
in a studio situation?
It's like in those art institutions you're being taught that your work
doesn't matter. Do it for the love. Um no. It should be clear
you're putting in the effort to also try to make a living.
You're not the same as some 80 year old "re-discovering
their love for watercolours" LOL.
Even that whole premise of "if you just work hard enough,
anyone can learn to draw" essentially serves the premise
that a monkey, if given enough time and trained well enough
can do the job. I don't think that's necessarily what people should be taught.
This is why I appreciate schools like Be@ux Arts; you pretty much
(by getting in) were proven to be one of the top top top top
in the world...so by that alone you knew there was something special
about your ability; something you could be confident about and feel
worthy of.
And yes, I think it's taboo and there is a lot of scamming and ugly stuff
going on; artists taking advantage of other artists, promising short cuts.
I guess that world also has a degree of desperation from artists
just trying to make it, in the same way in the film/actor world there is
the infamous "casting couch" (bleach).
I think there is no real shortcut for business savvy (either natural or learned
over time). And some artists won't make it because they are just not
business savvy or can't see their work for more than minimum worth.
I think success is a combination of the two.
Maybe on the lower level, you do get people who are "just happy to get a job"
and they don't care about standing out or fighting for rights; they just want
enough to feed their family (and pets). They want to be "comfortable";
but certainly on the higher level, negotiation and being aware of the politics
is absolutely a MUST in part of that higher tier.
I even have heard of some artists who are not particularly awesome
(compared to their peers), but were magnificent at the business savvy stuff.