I thought I missed the boat forever when I forgot to take my university entrance exams for a degree in fine arts. Yes, I forgot.
Okay, I’m saving that story for an excruciatingly embarrassing post at another time.
Anyway, I learned years later that life does find a way of pulling you back: to your authentic self, your true calling. From the time I lamented in 1993 that I’ll never be a professional artist ’til I started painting for a living again in 2013, life happened.
A lot of it, actually.
And here are five reasons why I am grateful that I became a self-taught working artist in my very late 30s.
1. I learned to get my ass kicked early on.
Banking is, perhaps, the one career I am glad I tried, albeit short lived. I learned to be time-sensitive and organised, go through things with a fine-toothed comb, and observe business protocol when dealing with clients from all walks of life.
If there is one gem of a take-away I carried with me ever since, it would be “trader’s word” a.k.a “my word is my bond.”
And that is how I conduct all my transactions in all my endeavours.
I honestly think this is what spells the difference between artists and professional artists.
2. Working in different jobs means being exposed to all sorts of characters.
I am probably one of the few who have had fantastic bosses along the way. But I’ve also had my fair share of lousy encounters and attitude from co-workers whom I now consider an insignificant value in my life’s total equation.
When I started going solo, I got taken advantage of quite a number of times, from clients who suddenly disappear when you start to collect payment (or clients who simply never paid) to fellow artists who don’t conduct themselves ethically.
Nonetheless, the experience shaped me into someone made of sterner stuff, with the foresight to always take the high road notwithstanding the frustration that comes with it.
Oh, and another thing. Working in different jobs means building your personal network by organically meeting various people who are not artists. What does this mean for you? Well, simple. You have an audience who can potentially be your client who will support you and buy your art 🙂
3. I learned to be real and I learned to be humble.
As an artist, I tend to live in a colorful nirvana in my head. Having been exposed to a great number of people through the myriad of jobs, I learned to live in the real world. This means:
That I won’t get my way all the time.
That I have rent and bills to pay.
That the going does get tough on some days.
That people are allowed to disagree.
That I don’t know what I don’t know.
That there are people who won’t like me.
And that in order to make my dreams come true, I need to be willing to get my hands dirty, swallow my pride and simply do the work.
4. I learned to talk about money.
Enough with that “starving artist” mentality. Working in less dreamy and romantic careers meant talking about things that can make you uncomfortable.
Like money.
Work is work and thus needs compensation that lives up to industry standards. And just like any skill, your time and energy deserve to be paid, no task too small.
Because you earned it.
Learning to discuss it tactfully, however, is an art that you master over time.
5. I learned to protect myself.
Contracts. In writing. Always.
With the wisdom and discipline I managed to pick up along the way, I now bring so much more to the table than just skill and imagination.
I learned that making beautiful things is a gift, but to be reliable and trustworthy as an artist (and as a regular human being) is to be a gift.
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Well said!!
Hi Annerose! Thank you so much.
This is so good!
That’s very kind of you, Amira 🙂