Art and Creativity Journal: Holidays, the Economy and Starving Artists

3 days ago

Sometimes I find myself contemplating the stereotypical myth of "the starving artist."

Are artists really starving? Or do we just have excessive expectations of what our art might bring us, financially speaking?

These days, many artists I know are "starving" to some degree, and they're getting more and more public about the fact that things are not going well. Some I know are barely making a handful of sales, at a time when they are substantially dependent on things going well.

The "not going well" part definitely holds true around here, as well!

And it's not that people aren't buying, they are not even looking, as witnessed by the near non-existent counts on my web site visitor logs.

But here's the thing: I'm not asking for a handout, or charity, I'm asking for people to wake up and purchase some of my art. And I think that's what most artists would really like.

But here's the rub: when the economy is bad everybody's broke... not just the artists. And so when support of art is needed the most, people are actually the least likely to do it for purely practical reasons.

And it's not unreasonable: Who's going to be buying art when they are wondering whether they'll have enough cash to even buy Christmas dinner.

With the holiday season right around the corner, I'm about to start in on marketing for the holidays.

I'm going to take my usual marketing appeal and suggest that instead of buying some cheap trinkets on Temu, Amazon, or through Walmart (that'll arrive already partially broken in a box and eventually be given to get five minutes of laughs at the other end and subsequently ends up at a thrift store or in the next garage sale) instead of that why not give something that is a reminder of the gift giver for years to come?

Independently of being an artist, I've always found that the beauty of art is that it's a gift that lasts and is appreciated in the long run, not just in the short run.

I remember when I was a kid, being told that the paintings on our walls had come from my grandfather and great-grandfather, who had bought them from various aspiring artists 50-75 years earlier.

Art definitely has more permanence than most things, out there.

Of course, the giving of art also has a lot to do with the intention of the gift giver. I have almost always been drawn to giving people things of lasting value, and have never enjoyed so-called "gag gifts."

We all have our ways!

Thank You!

If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!

Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!

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Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!