Perpectives: Exploring the Foundations and Reality of Support for Artists and Creatives

We have a house guest from out-of-state staying with us at the moment.

How does this relate to creativity and the Red Dragonfly Gallery? Stay with us for a bit, and all shall be revealed!

Independence and Creativity

This is a friend of my wife's who is both a long-time spiritual healer as well as a motivational speaker and an art lover. It has been an interesting experience to have her stay with us because she is offering some fresh insights into what it means to be an alternative healer and an artist.

That, and the deeper meaning of "support" when you're in a creative field.

Now you might not think of alternative spiritual healing and motivational speaking as something you would traditionally call Creative Fields. 

However, what one of the conversations with our guest brought to the forefront is that one of the things about these creative fields — as well as art — is that the people who are practicing within them tend to be seriously undercompensated for their work.

After all, how many of us haven't heard the stereotypical phrase that somebody "is a starving artist." Is this actually the truth? Or is it an outmoded caricature of the truth?

Regardless, the point our friend made was simple: 

Why Should Artists "Starve?"

One of the issues we often run into at the Red Dragonfly — and generally here in our little seaside town — is that people say they are "very supportive of Art," and they will offer artists almost endless words of support, yet they are not willing to financially support it. This may seem like a bit of a contradiction but we see it all the time.

So the other evening we were discussing this particular issue of creative and healing fields, and undercompensation. 

Our friend currently lives near Phoenix, Arizona, but previously lived in California and Hawaii. She made the very valid point that being supportive of art and creativity is about a lot more than standing around and giving people compliments, patting them on the back and giving them "attaboys."

"If you truly believe in and support art, creativity and healing," she said, "you need to do more than TALK about their value and benefits you need to PAY for them."

She made the interesting point that if you go to a doctor — even if you have insurance — nobody ever questions the fact that they're going to have to spend $200. We tend to take that to be a natural thing because we can rationalize that a doctor had to go to medical school, and then had to pay off hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loans. However, people don't seem to see the same thing when it comes to art, writing and healing fields.

Just a Different Kind of "Expert!"

She then went on to make the point that somebody experienced who works in Fine Art or as a massage therapist probably has just as many years of training as a doctor. And yet? A lot of people seem to think that those services should be free, or close to it.

We just value things differently.

Another interesting point she made was that if you look back 100s of years, Shamans and Artists were supported by their community; they would be brought things and given housing, in exchange for what they offered the community. 

Their modern-day equivalents receive no such support; they have to go to work and schlep food at a restaurant or tend bar... and then be a shaman or artist.

The Fourth of July Party

So on Wednesday, we were at this Fourth of July picnic/party at a friend's house. 

In addition to this being a party and a celebration it also seemed to be a bit of a networking venue for some of the "alt." people here in town. Our visitor — being fairly well-known within certain circles — was soon surrounded by people who wanted to ask her questions.

What seem to surprise a lot of those present was that when she talked to several people who had metaphysical goods for sale she actually went ahead and bought some. Didn't haggle; didn't try to barter... just laid down cash.

She also was helping a couple of people, and she insisted that as part of their "homework," they needed to buy some pieces of metaphysical art from a couple of the artists present. 

Given the usual nature of "Oh I'm so broke and I can't afford to buy anything can you give it to me for free" vibe that typically permeates our town, there was of course a lot of hmmming and hawing over this idea that somebody had to actually pay for something.

In Touch with Reality

And this is where we get down to the heart of the matter. 

She looked at these people very earnestly and asked "Do you believe the services you are about to take on and use are worthwhile?"

There was lots of nodding all around.

"So if you believe these services are worthwhile and have value, why would you think you would not have to PAY for them? Do you not pay your doctor, or your plumber?" she asked.

There was some uncomfortable shuffling of feet, and a couple of people tried to back quietly out of the room.

I made mental notes.

Of course this is not a blog about alternative healing, it is a blog about art and creativity. However, a lot of the lessons she was talking about there can also be applied to the field of art.

And so, We Try again...

Tomorrow — Saturday — it will be the monthly gallery walk here in our town. Which is definitely an event that a lot of the local arts "patrons" will come around and visit. 

But are they really "patrons?"

If history is anything to go by it is very unlikely that we will sell anything, or even put anything on hold to be sold later. However there will be lots of supportive words and people telling us that we are their favorite venue. Many will want selfies with our guest artist for the evening, and they may even offer to "do favors," in hopes they might be given free art in exchange. 

But are they really "patrons?"

It makes me want to ask them the same questions as our house guest asked the gathering at the 4th of July party. Do you value art? If your answer is yes how come you are only willing to talk about it but not purchase it?

Furthermore, have you ever stopped to consider the fact that artists, just like you, also have to pay for food and electricity and car insurance and visits to the dentist?

For the "Love" of Art is Not Enough

Of course the standard rationalization is that artists are supposed to do what they do simply For the Love of it. Some would even pitch the argument that if they expect to get paid for their work they are, in fact, "selling out." 

Which leads me to ask you this: Is expecting to just simply get your living expenses covered for the things you do "selling out?"

Personally I don't think so. 

To not blink at going to a salon to have your hair done for $200 + tip, yet begrudge an artist charging $50 for a print of their art? Stop and consider what you're really saying, particularly if you claim to be a supporter of art.

If you want art in your community and in your life, it means a lot more than simply saying you like art it means buying that art and supporting the artist by taking the art and putting it in your home!

Thank you for reading. 

Red Dragonfly is a proud graduate through the @sndbox creative incubator program, part of the "Cohort 1" team of May 31st, 2018. Please support Sndbox and the @sndbox-alpha curation initiative!

The Red Dragonfly is an independent alternative art gallery located in Port Townsend, WA; showcasing edgy and unique contemporary art & handmade crafts by local and worldwide artists. All images are our own, unless otherwise credited. Where applicable, artist images used with permission.