by Chris | Nov 12, 2015 | Artist 2 Artist, Students
Way back in April I received a nice note from a lovely singer who hails from Minnesota (which is every prairie boy’s favourite US city… ). She was trying to decide which grad school to go to: the cheaper option, or the more expensive one (which was much more interesting to her).
So I wrote a bit of a response which you can read HERE.
Not too long after that, I found out that she walked away from the whole grad school thing, and took a year off.
It’s a hard choice, to step outside the ‘normal’ path, and so last week I bugged her again with a few questions about her year off, her decision to not go to grad school, and how she was adjusting to the balance of being an artist in the ‘real world.’
Thanks so much, Victoria, for telling your story. (more…)
by Chris | Sep 24, 2015 | Students, Worksheet
I make terrible decisions when I’m hungry. As soon as my body runs out of sandwiches it’s a pretty straight line to poor decisions and being an emotional train wreck.
But even for people who don’t respond to food quite like I do… everyone knows not to shop when they’re hungry.
Perhaps not surprisingly, even though it has never ended well, I do it all the time.
When you’re hungry in a grocery store it’s easy to justify… anything.
“I need the biggest steak there is, no wait… TWO OF THEM… because… um…” *it’s already in the cart*
“I deserve these dunkaroos because I’ve had such a tough week stressing about how I have no work” #solidlogic
I think everyone can agree that saving money on food is a really nice idea, but when it comes to actually doing it, it’s just plain hard. We all end up eating what’s comfortable: whether that’s going to the local diner, or making the same meat and potatoes every night (regardless of price or season).
And even in the face of whatever admirable discipline we manage to muster, the grocery store/diner/whatever food source you’re going to flashes enough SPECIALS and 30% OFFS to completely confuse any logical part of your brain that might be left.
FACT: a great deal on something you don’t need… is still too expensive…cause… you don’t actually need it.
And to make matters worse, I am … not savvy. A good salesperson can sell me anything.
“Oh sir, you look great with that pork tenderloin.”
*Blush* “Really?” *sound of cash register*
So I have resorted to a tried and true method of defeating the impulse buy and saving a ton on groceries. (more…)
by Chris | Sep 22, 2015 | Building an Arts Business, Students
So you got into a great arts school, and your head is full of dreams about how awesome it would be to dance or sing or paint for the rest of your life.
Or maybe you just really like to act and you want to get better and learn, but haven’t given much thought to what you’ll do after you graduate.
Either way chances are it didn’t take long for people to start talking about how few people ‘make it’ and how hard it is in the arts world… how you have to be the best to even have a chance of fulfilling your dreams.
Your dreams of turning this thing you’re passionate about … into enough money to live on.
The trouble begins
It’s not that they’re wrong. It is tough to make a living in the arts.
The thing that really burns my tomatoes is that in most situations schools are just focused on training for ONE kind of living in the arts.
For me, in music (opera), it was all about performance – a career singing on the world’s grand stages.
It’s a beautiful idea, but seriously hard to live out. And not because I’m not good enough or special enough (that’s between me and my therapist), it’s just a practicality: there are few stages and a ton of amazing singers.
But somehow, despite these limits, thousands of opera singers work out a way to pay their bills by working in the arts. So where was the talk during our training of the hundreds of other ways THOSE artists monetize their passion?!
What about building a teaching studio? Not just as a way to ‘pay the bills’, but on purpose… because you love teaching.
What about leaning to be a producer and make your own art? Starting your own company? Touring?
The danger of the single minded drive:
The problem with this intense, in my case big-operahouse-performance based, focus is that it sets up the idea of success and failure.
If you don’t succeed at making a living in the arts in that hyper-specific way… you failed. You are not an artist.
Hand in your badge and your gun. You are the weakest link…. goodbye…
Can we all agree that that’s insane….?
You’ve been an artist since your first chocolate pudding painting, and you’ll be one until you die. How you make your living has nothing to do with that.
Also, most artists are CRAZY DIVERSIFIED. We make a little money here… a little money there. Some in the arts … some outside of it.
That’s just reality. But it’s not a reality that our training reflects.
So consequently a great cello teacher can feel a little ashamed because their performance calendar isn’t super full, even though they’re pulling in a great living with a full studio.
A wonderful singer can’t identify as an artist anymore because she works in marketing (even though she spends 5 evenings a week at choir rehearsals or teaching lessons).
To monetize or not to monetize
Making money doing what you love can be great. But it can also come at a cost.
There’s a lot of pressure to be creative on demand. The lifestyle is … non-traditional at best…
But whether you make money as an artist or not, never feel like your ‘artist status’ is on the line.
Making a living is all about finding the right balance for you. Every choice comes with a consequence.
Do you want stability or variety? Lots of money or lots of time? To be a part of a team or to be your own boss?
And if the arts really appeal to you… know that there are thousands of artists making a living in unique ways. Don’t let someone tell you there’s a ‘right’ way to do it. Let that fountain of creativity flow out of the practice room and into the rest of your life.
And create something beautiful (that also, hopefully, pays the bills).
Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?
Financial Planner/Opera Singer
Money never came naturally to me. In fact… I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be ‘financially out of control’.
And honestly, I still get stressed about money… that doesn’t stop… the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.
And those tools are what’s made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.
If you want to start getting control of your money I’d love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE or by checking out my SERVICES page.
by Chris | Sep 15, 2015 | Students
All across North America right now campuses are coming alive with thousands of returning students.
Future engineers. Promising young doctors. Burgeoning economists. And … hopeful fine arts majors.
Hopeful of turning their passion and skill into…. something.
Uncle Jim may think that you’re wasting your time, that you should be getting a ‘real’ degree, one that may actually lead to a … you know… job.
I won’t get into the thousands of reasons why your Uncle Jimmy is full of bull plop, but I will offer you one piece of advice that all the other ‘back to school’ articles don’t talk about.
As an artist, you’re gonna spend most of your undergrad practicing. Late nights in studios and practice rooms fueled by coffee and chocolate (and maybe a drink or two…) are the mainstay of artistic training.
And yet most of us, when we are going through those formative years, don’t spend a lot of time practicing a life skill that is super essential to a career in the arts. (more…)
by Chris | Apr 7, 2015 | Money Meditations, Students
Welcome to the ‘real’ world, new batch of artists! It seems like not that long ago that I emerged from 25 years of structured education, clutching to my multiple fine arts degrees and a few vague dreams.
It was such a thrill. I had done it. I had finished. So much blood, sweat, and tears… but now it was done.
And then I just became terrified.
It wasn’t finished at all. I was staring at months and months of empty unscheduled space and I had no idea what I was going to do.
I was facing the need to be an adult, pay my bills, support myself… with what…. My opera school diploma????
If you’re in that place, I guarantee you’re not alone. I’m also not going to lie to you, it’s a tough go. The freelance arts gig is a strange life, and it can definitely be a struggle. I don’t know exactly how to help you, but here are 5 things I wish I would have known (or at least really believed in) when I graduated from my last degree and started my life as a freelance artist. (more…)
