For my Peeps that are BOTH Artists and Musicians ... Id like your feedback on being both an artist and a musician, and how you get to see two sides of the arts world. One might think the experience of artists and musicians are similar, but they really are not. I am a part time singer and a part time artist.... some months are good for money when it comes to art... for example I can make up to $2500.00 illustrating a book cover if someone hires me, and some months there is not much work at all. In contrast to the good art money I can make, the music gigs rarely pay over $300 per night, and thats on a very good night, here in Chicago. Art has paid more bills for me than music ever has, and I get more orders for book covers, advertisements and other kinds of work that pays much better than the gigging. I do get a steady check from itunes for my 5 music releases I have there, but they are hardly enough to pay the mortgage. The people I work with in the art community might seem a little out there and bonkers at times, because many artists live in a different realm than the rest of humanity :) but they are mostly nice people who dont look for a lot of daily conflict or drama, unless of course you ask one of them to match your sofa with a painting lol. They might seem aloof, keeping to themselves, but they are far much easier to get along with than many of the musicians that Ive known, or not even really known or met... who are ready to compete and battle with you at the drop of a hat, over a $50 gig. Im thinking that its because music is a much more interactive art form, that relies on other people to be present at the time the music is created and that because musicians crave attention and positive feedback for their performances, and so it seems more ego-centric, where as an artist, who often lives in their own world, creates a work of art that many folks might not see for months, if ever. And when their work is left to hang in a gallery they arent usually there to see anyones reaction to it, unless they have an opening, so they arent always as intensely connected to how people react to their art or what people have to say about it. You dont have to have a live audience to be an artist... and when you create the work and put it out there you arent always physically connected to it, but to be a musician, if you arent recording, you need a live audience, and the pay isnt always as good, which could make being a musician in 2014 a little more of a desperate career. I guess I like art better because its not so dependent on socializing and shmoozing and kissing up to people... if someone likes your artwork and they can use it, they will pay you for it. In music theres much more shmoozing and social drama that goes on to get work....because bosses may only hire whomever charms them the most, and not who puts out the best work. In art its more concrete... you see a painting or a drawing and you immediately judge its quality. With live music its more relative.... thats just my observation. Any other artist/musicians out there who would like to chime in?
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 16:02:08 +0000
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