So how important is money and what is it important for? I only ask because I never seem to have any. This money thing...is it a bandwagon I need to be on? But seriously, money so far in my career, has been a vehicle from one day to the next. And when you are struggling, it turns opportunities and photo shoots into currency to the next job. Not the way I ever wanted it to be. Many people have said they don't make art to make money, they make money so they can keep making art. I like this approach and finally my career is starting to take off enough that I can appreciate my jobs in a way that isn't just dollar signs. I think this always allows me to be more creative and satisfied with my work. So recently several big advances have been made and I'm finally feeling like I've arrived. Although I feel like I'm sneaking in the backdoor as opposed to the red carpet, I'm finally sitting at the big kid's table.
I've been there and felt that. I remember just a few years ago, a very experienced artist told me after a frustrated (and pointless) rant, "just do the work, have fun, the money will come..." At the time I thought "yeah, right", but now that I never find myself borrowing money to keep the lights on or getting weekly loans to make the car payment, I can see the wisdom in what he told me. It's made harder with a family for sure, but the rewards are equal to the effort.
ReplyDeleteAnd most of the 'red-carpeters' that I've known, were a lot less interesting than the nose-to-the-grindstone types.