I went to see my University careers adviser last week. Partly, I went as a distraction from my impending essay deadlines, however it an was eye-opening, practical and exciting meeting. The focus was on making more of my writing and critical abilities to actually make money, thereby having more freedom to travel and to support my studies – or even, dare I say it, art practice – in the future.
I summarised the basic, but great, advice in a recent blog post. Even though it’s obvious stuff, it is far more motivating to speak to an actual person about your life plans than to simply makes notes in your Moleskine. It might be of use to artists too.
While writing my post I found myself feeling creeplngly guilty about a) working hard and b) seeking to find out about such slimy things as networking and taxes. However, this is practical life stuff, right?
As a teenager, I spent a lot of my spare time making art and music and writing for free, for joy, hanging out with artists, reading about art and philosophy. I was so idealistic about these things. I have been feeling restless lately and have been thinking about the past. Shouldn’t artists have some kind of freedom from these slippery concerns – or at least be more interested in the integrity of their work than pleasing people? How ought money and art to relate?
I would love to hear from any other artists or writers out there and how you navigate this tricky area.
