How to make it as an artist.

Wisdom from 40 years of this shit.

Shut up and make some art.

Two of my three kids are artists. I blame my wife (HA!). At least the third one made the smart choice and got herself a real job… a jorb, as Coach Z. would say. She’s a counsellor, and a very good one. The other two are writer, actor, comedian, film, produced types. I guess maybe they watched the old man do it all those years, and figured, hell yeah, an arts career is for me! Or perhaps they were just made that way. I’m cool with that, but I know it’s not an easy road.

The other night a good friend asked me, when I explained the hardships 2/3 of my children faced trying to build a career in the arts, “Well, how did you do it?” How indeed. I’ve been very lucky for pretty much my whole life to have some sort of art career. First as an illustrator, then as a graphic designer, and now as a writer. I also have a short list of how I did it.

Before I go there, I will mention a couple of factors affecting my kids, things they can’t do anything about. First off, this economy sucks, and it sucks hard. I read another stat recently on how this is one of the worst unemployment ratings in decades (in North America, and most likely other places, too.) Even more so this affects those trying to not just do art, but find a way to get paid for it. The other thing is they both picked careers that a lot of people want. My son is a writer/comedian… hell, he even went to school for it. And my middle daughter is an actor (writer/producer). Hell, she even went to school for it. At last count, one bazillion people want to be actors, writers, and comedians. It might be two bazillion actually, check the stats. When I embarked on my first career as an illustrator, there weren’t that many people doing it. It required some fairly selective skills (draw/think/paint repeat) that a lot of people don’t have.

So with those caveats, here are my three ways to make a living in the arts. Write these down and staple them to your forehead.

All the ambition photos were dumb… so here’s a dog. He’s got it going on.

1. Dogged Ambition

This is totally number one, and it’s the first thing I told my friend. I’ve always been a very ambitious person, and when I go after something I go hard. If the odds are against me (making it as an editorial illustrator), even better. Bring it on. I’ve told my kids that a lot depends on what you do with rejection. For me, rejection meant, work harder. Perseverance of course plays a part (that’s the dogged part), but the ambition to break in where it’s hard is even bigger. I chased a newspaper syndication contract for 7 years. And worked countless hours, days, weeks, doing it. Making no money. I got very close, a lot closer than some. The average syndicate at the time was getting around 6,000 submissions a year, and picking 2 strips to take a shot at it. (Don’t tell me the odds!!!)

If you want something… how bad do you want it? And don’t give me that bullshit about talent. I have seen so many people waste their talent by not having enough ambition. So much so, that I have been known to say, talent without ambition is not talent at all.

Be shiny. Be bright. But be kind.

2. Be an extrovert, or pretend to be.

The world is not kind to introverts, and I don’t think it ever has been. For more on this read the excellent book by Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an introvert. I’m surrounded by them. I married one. But the ability to connect with people, easily converse, and quite frankly “work a room” (which I did in my 20s, a lot), can come in very handy. I don’t mean the glad-handing car salesman bullshit of empty conversation. But the ability to talk to anyone about anything. (Insert a good amount of curiosity about people, and you’re golden.)

But for some, like my son the introvert, he truly hates this shit. And I get it. I no longer work rooms. And I try to show people my authentic self. But I’m still pretty damn extroverted. But he has learned to play that game. I know it exhausts him, so I give him a lot of credit.

When you are trying to break into a field full of other people trying to break in… you sometimes have to talk your way in. But with an important addition: Be nice. Say yes. I know this comes up in Steve Martin’s autobiography, which I’ve only read excerpts of. Though I know he’s not the only artist who talks about this. I have a good friend who is an illustrator, fine art painter, and has worked in the film industry. He told me recently how in the beginning he not only said yes to everything, he put himself out there as incredibly easy to work with. That’s where the being nice comes in. If you are a prickly prick, fine. Fake it. After you start pulling in the big contracts, or art commissions, then let your prick-flag fly. But for now, be nice asshole.

No, you will not be this cool. But you still gotta do the (side) hustle.

3. Do something else.

This is hard advice for some to hear, but it is so true. When I was trying to break in as an illustrator I did all kinds of shit-jobs. “Excuse me ma’am, have you signed up for your Bay credit card, yet?” I still needed to pay the rent, that was the reality. It took 2 years of hustle, both doing crap jobs, and showing my portfolio on my lunch break, before I could become a full-time illustrator. Looking back, 2 years is not even that long.

The reality is, it is so hard to have a career in the arts. SO FUCKING HARD. And so you gotta have lots of side hustles. What does that mean? Well, you go to work at your jorb (day job), and then you come home and work in the evening. And then on the weekends you work some more. Worky-work.

This is not a humble brag. People come up to me and ask how I do all the stuff I do with a full-time job? (Luckily, a very creative job as a designer). Answer: well, I don’t watch a lot of TV, and I’m always working.

Along the way, I’ve still had lots of side-hustles. It’s why I teach so many things (drawing, painting, cartooning, guitar, fashion drawing, graphic design, and now, writing.) I’ve had some crappy side-hustles, too. Like selling encyclopedias. Remember those? Ask your parents. Or your grandparents.

Anyway, this is a reality. Having an art career is not a straight line. And doing something else doesn’t make you less of an artist… it actually makes you more of one. Because you want it bad enough to make it happen.

---

So there you go. That’s my list. Argue with it, that’s what lists are for. But when I look back at 40 years as an artist. Those are the three most important things I did that made it happen.
1. Dogged ambition
2. Be an extrovert or pretend to be
3. Do something else.

Thanks for reading.