Professional

It's always amazing to me to talk to professional artists. Yes, there are a few artists who make a living by sellng a few paintings for massive amounts of money or selling myraids of CDs. However, I'm recently discovering that most professional artists are out there, on the streets, working over it for 8 (or more) hours per day.

Perhaps Seattle is unique in this: I don't feel like there are a lot of cities in this country where busker is a respectable job, nor something you could even consider making a living doing. However, I know several people who do so. About 2 years ago I met a man who was selling his novel on the street. It did not appeal to me personally (I found the concept not that interesting), so I did not buy it. However, I found out today that he makes at least enough money to pay his rent, which is substantian considering the neighborhood in which he lives.

It seems to me that all of these people had to one day make a decision: they had to quit their job and become a professional artist. I once asked Busker King Emery Carl what he did when he didn't get enough tips. He responded, "Some days, you just don't eat." In the description of one of his youtube videos, Emery Carl says, "sometimes you don't go to work because it's fun or easy, sometimes you just have to get it done."

Perhaps I'm just not committed enough. Sure, I've been doing some promotion work. I've been keeping this blog, and there is another store about to start carrying my book soon. But I've yet to be actually out there, performing on the street. I've just recently started networking. Being an artist is about being an entrepeneur.

All this being said, I alsoneed to constantly remind myself of the goal: the goal is not to be a professional artist. It is not to make money nor to be famous. The goal is to bring glory to God, the very purpose for which I was created. If I'm poet laureate of the world and richer than Warren Buffet but it's all for me, I'm a failure. If I'm glorifying God with the gifts that he gave me but I live on the street, I'm a success. Wretched man that I am: I've got a long way to go.

It's always amazing to me to talk to professional artists. Yes, there are a few artists who make a living by sellng a few paintings for massive amounts of money or selling myraids of CDs. However, I'm recently discovering that most professional artists are out there, on the streets, working over it for 8 (or more) hours per day.

Perhaps Seattle is unique in this: I don't feel like there are a lot of cities in this country where busker is a respectable job, nor something you could even consider making a living doing. However, I know several people who do so. About 2 years ago I met a man who was selling his novel on the street. It did not appeal to me personally (I found the concept not that interesting), so I did not buy it. However, I found out today that he makes at least enough money to pay his rent, which is substantian considering the neighborhood in which he lives.

It seems to me that all of these people had to one day make a decision: they had to quit their job and become a professional artist. I once asked Busker King Emery Carl what he did when he didn't get enough tips. He responded, "Some days, you just don't eat." In the description of one of his youtube videos, Emery Carl says, "sometimes you don't go to work because it's fun or easy, sometimes you just have to get it done."

Perhaps I'm just not committed enough. Sure, I've been doing some promotion work. I've been keeping this blog, and there is another store about to start carrying my book soon. But I've yet to be actually out there, performing on the street. I've just recently started networking. Being an artist is about being an entrepeneur.

All this being said, I alsoneed to constantly remind myself of the goal: the goal is not to be a professional artist. It is not to make money nor to be famous. The goal is to bring glory to God, the very purpose for which I was created. If I'm poet laureate of the world and richer than Warren Buffet but it's all for me, I'm a failure. If I'm glorifying God with the gifts that he gave me but I live on the street, I'm a success. Wretched man that I am: I've got a long way to go.

Professional