Is My Art Worth Anything by copperhead

Saw this article today on RB…a comment below the article caught my interest as much as the article itself and I am coming from the point of that question. “Is my art worth anything” which was asked by: artisandelimage

http://www.redbubble.com/people/redbubble/journ...

That my friends, is the 10million dollar question! It is with me anyway. I have dozens of people tell me every single day that my art IS WORTH IT….

And yet after 10 years of creating art..I cannot say I’ve made ANY money..all money made went back into the business. I have very little inventory on hand because of this. I cannot afford to rent a booth at a market, or bizarre. My other job is on call, so I don’t get a lot of hours with it. I love my other job, but its also new and getting clients has been tough in this economy.

Why do I do it? I love my art. I think its good and someone out there will wear my dragons, or hang them on the walls one day I hope. I don’t know. I’m 35 and cannot say the anticipation of “how many hits” I got on this or that picture matters to me that much anymore. I’m not greedy..I just want a sale or two. I’ve sold a couple of things here and there. Suprisingly, sometimes, and I wonder why they bought that piece. I did some commissioned stuff a few years back for some online friends that needed digital art done. But all in all, getting myself out there has been next to impossible. No amount of free-ad space does it..and ad prices up here in Alaska are outrageously high for newspapers and other print materials. And no, moving to the lower 48 would not change that. It would still cost a lot..it simply does because Newspapers don’t get the revenue they used to from ads because of the internet.

My husband is disabled and trying to find steady work. I have various skin conditions and no health insurance. I have to home treat my conditions most of the time. What sucks really really bad is that I am so tired of the “system” that was set up to supposedly help people. My son cannot get SSI for his diabetes because my husband makes too much from his disability, (so we cover the cost of a high protein low carb diet with out the use of artificial sweeteners (that all of us get migraines from) on our budget) We are eligible for no public assistance. In Alaska, save health insurance for our kids. (Which I gratefully accept!) We are eligible for no public assistance in most states right now..because of the “unearned” income of my husband. Oh we respect our veterans alright..we just don’t give them things like food stamps and SSI because they are so very well off with their stipend from the Veteran’s treasury department. Sigh.

Yep, its a disjointed out and out rant..that’s what it is..if you read it all the way though..thanks.

I know a great many people that sell art..some a lot of it, and some not so much..and the ones not selling are usually not selling because they cannot afford to sell, or to even buy inventory prints….which makes me sad, because I wonder how one gets out of this vicious cycle without going crazy, and I wonder if its worth it to stay in it when I know this cycle will continue. Sigh. Any portfolio printing I have done has been on the one printer I used to have. It went to pay for a bill we didn’t have the money for..but lights, heat and water are essentials at our house.

My husband gets jerked around regularly by the folks that are supposed to help him. We’ve even been told by food stamp workers and other welfare organization employees to simply say “she’s single”. They would rather we commit fraud…sigh..and then of course they can say no to even our children…sigh. Encouraging someone to commit fraud is at best unethical, and I know its illegal somehow. SSI simply says "Veteran’s compensation is considered “unearned” income…" HOW DARE THEY!
Food stamps and the like, we have the same problem. Even if I declared my income, it would be next to impossible to qualify..based on “unearned” ….again I say HOW DARE THEY! (To call a U.S. Marine’s disability or any servicemember or former servicemember’ disability “unearned” is politically incorrect at best..a travesty and slap in the face at worst. (I consider this worst..because a lot of military families are on food stamps, and if they end up on disability..they lose food stamps..) Military members get so screwed when they get out. And even when they win their cases (it takes years..took my husband six..he knows a veteran that fought for 40 years to get disability for malaria he got in Korea..he had to prove he GOT the malaria while fighting in korea…

I don’t even have a car because its more economical to not have one. Haven’t left the city of Anchorage in five years..but oh well. Not complaining about that..there are actually things here I still haven’t seen. As an artist..looking out my window is an experience I don’t have to go far to find something interesting to look at. I don’t spend outside my means (well I spend more than I have but I don’t spend outside what I can pay back). I’ve no criminal record. But, here in Anchorage it seems the employment opportunities to artists only go to those with “at least two years of schooling or equivalent experience…” What the heck is equivalent experience to “classroom” instruction? Not to mention I cannot get into the school that is available..not to mention the other one available isn’t accredited so a diploma from them would be like getting one out of a cracker jack box.

I’ve taken my work to galleries here…they want art by “Native” Alaskans for the most part. (That means indigenous peoples..not citizens)
I don’t begrudge the Natives their due credit for their work. The economy up here relies heavily on their artistic talents to keep the tourists happy. But all government art contracts are swept up by them..as they get preference on a lot of things.

Photography is basically NOT considered an artform up here. Taking pictures apparently doesn’t require a lot of skill from what I can gather. And if you do think you can make it as a photographer, be prepared for people to basically expect to pay you nothing for your work. I’ve had people ask me to take pictures for them..for portraits..and expect to pay as little as $30.00 for 200 photos on dvd at their location of choice within the city of anchorage (which means I bike or bus to where the photoshoot takes place….and they want to pay me less than half a normal fee to show up…sigh)

So its dark and cloudy today..good day for a rant don’t ya think? Sorry to dump it all on my friends at Red bubble..but it has to be dumped somewhere. I’m tired. Think I might take a nap..that might help. Almost out of chocolate..better get some more of that too. (gotta have chocolate in my coffee..I make a killer homemade mocha). And you can blame this one on artisandelimage as he asked that question. “Is my art worth anything?” It’s the 10 million dollar question..I wish someone would answer it for me…:)

Oh and to artisandelimage…it was a very very good question. I hope you keep asking. I plan to at least for the time being..keep asking :)
However, as art doesn’t sell and my pet sitting gets busier I am having an easier time not doing art…which worries me..because I don’t want to get out of it..I really want to sell it…and the farther I get from it the farther I get from my goal..of just making ends meet with it..nothing major ..just eating :)