centa uhalde on fri 1 may 98
Hi,
I'm sure this topic has been brought up many times before and this will
undoubtedly not be the last, but on the subject of balancing financial need
with one's passion, along with family, etc. when what you have done for
money is not what you want to do anymore but you aren't competant enough in
your passion to go out and market anything and even if you did have some
competancy, your passion does not bring in enough to support your life, how
do you work your life so as not to have the financial demands become
foreground and your art, sadly relegated to the background, and yet do what
needs to be done to support your life (the subtext-"without suffering")??
Centa
Tim Stowell on sat 2 may 98
Easy you do it the same way everyone else does. You do some for them and
some for you.
Many of the people who are on this list and in the world do not make
their work as their primary source of income. Some are teachers, some are
professors(not sure of the difference), some are engineers, some are
retired, etc., and there might even be at least one or two lawyers.
Basically a professional artisan, artist, craftsperson or whatever they
want to be called has four choices to support their artistic habit:
1)get a "real job"(or unreal)
2)create something that actually is marketable
3)learn how to write really great grant applications
4)marry well
Of course if they were really lucky they would have been born into a
wealthy family or have a large inheritence come their way. There is
always the lottery, a dollar and a dream.
My partner and I have chosen the second path. Some of our work is more
production oriented although each piece is still an individual, and some
of our work is totally one-of-a-kind. This enables us to be continually
honing our skills. It also means that we have no life outside the studio,
no health insurance, no retirement plan and would be able to earn more
money working under the golden arches.
Tim
PS - For those of you just beginning your journey in the professional
clay world that last sentence was a joke...we do have all those
things...frankly if you can't work them into your life you should
probably choose a different path.
Tim Stowell Gerard Stowell Pottery
Stacey Gerard 290 River Street
tstwll@juno.com Troy, NY 12180
(518)272-0983 www.trytroy.org/gerard/
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Jawoodside on sun 3 may 98
In a message dated 5/2/98 4:33:45 AM, you wrote:
<>
yes indeed, and in a remarkable reversal of the usual pattern I spend 5 days a
week running the pottery business and practice law "on the side". Actually I
did not plan this but found that after practicing law for 15 years I had a few
clients who would not let me go quietly into the world of clay and indulge me
in my totally heretical schedule (at least for the time being). But I also
choose the second option (making things that are marketable) and I would add
that it is wise to diversify; have a bread and butter wholesale item (for me
it is becoming products for the floral market) and develop your mailing list
for retail and then if you can add something else like classes for children or
a high end product, so much the better.
OWL POTTER on sun 3 may 98
Ohboy! You are at a tough spot - decision wise. I have been there. It feels
like at least twice. The first time was when I decided to quit my job as a
computer programmer and concentrate on making pots. That was almost 26 years
ago. Then again when my husband was trying to decide whether to continue on
with his career, or jump in and join me in my pottery business, which was
thriving, but we weren't certain it could possibly support us.
Luckily, my previous job had been bank related and we sat down with a friend
from the bank who was the commercial lending officer, and asked him to take a
look at my pottery as a business and help us make a business plan. He really
helped us set some realistic goals and pointed out a lot of things we could
never have thought of ourselves.
It would pay to get your records together and consult a professional, and get
some input into what is realistic and what is wishful thinking. I recommend
making a plan (include long range and short range items in it) and setting
goals, (put everything down on paper you can think of that is a factor) and
during this planning, it should become evident whether or not you can follow
your passion and make a living.
There are so many factors; for instance, you will lose any health insurance,
life insurance, pension plans, and other benefits, that working for someone
else provides. Providing these things for yourself can play a major role in
your planning. I have always envied the art professionals, like college
profs, who can produce bodies of work and follow their passion, while still
earning a salary and taking advantage of work-related benefits.
Carolynn Palmer, Somerset Center, Michigan
Mudnjoy on sun 3 may 98
Tim Stowell and Gerard Stowell Pottery>write.
Basically a professional artisan, artist, crafts person or whatever they
want to be called has four choices to support their artistic habit:
> 1)get a "real job"(or unreal)
> 2)create something that actually is marketable
> 3)learn how to write really great grant applications
> 4)marry well
I'd like to offer a subtext to #2. Producing something marketable need not be
bleak. I
I just market further and harder to find the market for the lines I love to
produce & book a few shows a year to stretch me artistically.
Joy In Tucson
Cindy on mon 4 may 98
Centa,
If it is for you to support your family, then that is what you must do.
That's your first duty--not your passion. I know it's hard, but that's the
way life is. As to being able to support yourself with clay, you can do
that if you're willing to work hard enough to develop your skill/talent to
that level. You have to aim high, though, if you want to compete well
enough to make a living.
Making a living doing your art has another side to it, too. You have to
make things people want to buy. It is not your customers' duty to see and
support your passion. You need to find a way to express your passion which
is both satisfying to you and appealing to your customers. If your art
doesn't have that public appeal, you may be relegated to making "money"
pots most of the time and "passion" pots in your spare time. Which is kind
of what you're doing now.
Meantime, you don't mention what you currently do for a living, but you may
want to consider a change if you can without learning a whole new career. I
worked in nursing for years and got to where I hated it. Nursing is not a
job you should be in unless you love it--too important. Of course, I put my
feelings aside while at work. My patients deserved the best I could be and
I think I gave them that. I'm glad to be potting now, though. :)
Hang in there, Centa. Be cool; be patient; don't let your feelings run away
with you. Determine to enjoy your day job while you have it and work like
heck to get good enough at your passion to make the break.
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels
Custer, SD
USA http://blackhills-info.com/a/cindys/menu.htm
Tim Stowell on wed 6 may 98
In a previous post I stated the following:
Basically a professional artisan, artist, crafts person or whatever they
want to be called has four choices to support their artistic habit:
> 1)get a "real job"(or unreal)
> 2)create something that actually is marketable
> 3)learn how to write really great grant applications
> 4)marry well
My intention was not to provoke private flames...although I do wear
asbestos underwear on a regular basis (every potter should own
some)...These four choices are in addition to making their "art"...not
instead of...I thought that was implied in the word support...such
fragile egos we artistes have. Besides it's more fun to be flamed in
public.
Tim
Tim Stowell Gerard Stowell Pottery
290 River Street
tstwll@juno.com Troy, NY 12180
(518)272-0983 www.trytroy.org/gerard/
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Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
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