An Artists' Starvation Could Be Your Fault

Starving artist. We all know the stereotype. But did you ever think it could be your fault? I know, a very blunt accusation. Let me show you our perspective.

Minimum wage could roughly be rounded to $10-ish per hour or at least a starting wage in most places (excluding food industry). Seems reasonable. And of course artists need to break even on the cost of our supplies. So then why is it that people think it's unreasonable to pay $150 for a fine art illustration that has $50 in supplies and took 10 hours to create? I may not be a math star by any means but even I can do that math.

People say it's a want and not a need. Debatable but for argument's sake lets say true. Hmmm your daily grande white mocha at the "local" coffee shop coming in at $4.25 a pop always has money allocated for this luxury even though with that exact example you'd end up spending $1,551.25. Wow that's a lot of money for something that not a need. I guess the one time purchase of a $150 unique art piece is just way too unreasonable because it would eat into that coffee "budget".

And please don't try to negotiate or low ball us.  I understand and even appreciate a good haggle in the right setting  but we are not dumb and our talent and time are valuable. So no, $4 an hour is not ok. You don't go into the plastic surgeon for a boob job (because we're keeping with "wants" and not needs here) and haggle the doc down to 1/2 off fun bags. They would laugh you out the door! But then why do individuals think they have the right to do this to artists.

Finally if you commit you commit. No one walks into a hair salon, know the the price for what they want, sit in the chair and then halfway through say, "Ya, know what.  It's just too expensive for me at the moment because "x" in my life just rose in price and I wasn't expecting that". Maybe we can't legally hold you responsible but that's just rude. Many artists operate under a system of trust so don't burn us because you'd rather pay a corporate warehouse price.

Rant end. I'm not normally one to rant and certainly not on a public forum. 90% of my interactions and custom orders are fantastic. To those I thank you for understanding the value and properly rewarding it. You feed my heart and belly. However recently I had an interaction with a woman who after all the hoops she bailed on a large custom order which spurred on all of this and quiet frankly it's ridiculous. Shame on you and those with that mindset.

So please support your local artists fairly. Don't perpetuate the stereotype . People look at artists like we're crazy when we announce this is our career path or better yet they ask, "You can make a living with that?". YES!  But only if you actually treat it like a real job and give us real respect and real wages. You can end our "starvation"

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Funny Ponderings

There are things in life that are obviously funny. Roaring with laughter, slapping the knee style funny. And then there are things that are a bit funny but more so amusing in the moment and grow in humor in time with reflection. These are many of the stories of Nepal. Mind you we were jet setting around the region and country in a week. Hopping here and there with little sleep, a lot of exertion and a variety of random food plus lacking real hydration. In our euphoria and exhaustion sure these moments caused a chuckle or two but now looking back we roar.

1. Nepal is 80% Hindu so they don't eat beef and of the other 20% of the population, 16% are Buddhist who are vegetarian. Needless to say beef is not on the menu. Ok but we'd seen it's cousin, a water buffalo on the menu plenty of times. So when it was day 6 and we really just wanted some simple "homey" food we jumped at the chance to order a cheeseburger and a cheese-potato burger. It didn't say what type of meat but we assumed it'd be water buffalo or boar or deer or something similar. Lets just say it was exactly as it was translated. My burger was a nice fluffy bun, tomato, pickle, onion and a cheese patty. Danny's same thing just add a potato patty. It actually tasted fantastic but oh the literal interpretation.

2. China is known for being ...um... a bit rigid. Especially when it comes to the social media and such of its people. In Pokhara , after a long day, sight seeing and shopping, we had a nice dinner and then went to a rock n roll cover band bar. They weren't too bad and it was fun to hear. At a table near the front was a Chinese foursome who were clearly enjoying themselves. One in particular was doing anything iconic or stereotypical to what you'd think to see in an 80's movie. So much so she almost fell off her chair. I guess Nepal is an escape to those in southern China... or maybe just to her.

3.This past year we saw the sunrise from the top of Mt.Fuji after hiking up in the darkness of night. When the sun rose everyone cheered, understandably so. We'd all just busted our butts to get to the top and see this thing. In Nepal we drove to the top of a mountain (as did everyone else) to see a sunrise over Pokhara. It rose and was beautiful and the crowds cheered. They cheered? Yes! They all acted like they had accomplished an immense feat. Yes, driving that hill was so hard. Maybe it's perspective.

4. While visiting the International Hiking Museum there was a middle-aged Indian couple who at one point engaged us in conversation. At first it was casual just asking where we were from, etc. Then I notice the wife is filming us.... um why?! I guess for family memories. I'm not sure if we were the only Americans or what they'd met but we are now part of their memories and family videos. They also REALLY wanted us to visit them in India.

5. On our flights the further west we went there were less and less fair skinned individuals if you get my drift. So when there would be one we'd play the guessing game of where they were from, going , etc, etc. One girl we noticed was on 2 of our flights . She had a New Zealand patch on her pack so we started referring to her as "The Kiwi" , (in a nice way). Well we saw The Kiwi at 2 different places in Kathmandu- granted they were touristy places but still. Then we saw her again at a random, low-key place and finally chatted. She was staying at the hostel directly across from our hotel. What are the chances?!  Well even though we intended to swap names or info we didn't . Ahh that's it , right? Well in Pokhara we ran into her as we were rushing to our boat and her the bus. We greeted and exchanged pleasantries. What are the chances 4 hours away from Kathmandu and a country of 6+ million we'd run into "The Kiwi" again?! Her friend was thoroughly confused as she just met up with her. Being in such a rush we again forgot to exchange anything. We can't help but laugh and think "It must of been". But hey "Kiwi" if you're out there lets exchange info this time.

There are plenty of fantastical stories and humerus antics. These are just a few but they've grown only better with time. It makes you take life with ease and enjoy every, silly, little aspect of it.

Oh the Colors

Nepal was to say the least absolutely amazing. Vastly different from America or Japan or anywhere else I'd been to for that matter. It was quiet like stepping into an entirely new world. We soaked up every ounce of this baffling exotic new world we possibly could and it wasn't lacking. It was hippie artistic mecca . There were so many things to be taken away but stircly from an artistic standpoint the two most prominant were the fantastic colors and contrasting landscape.

The colors were vibrant and arose in the most obscure places. Of course you'd see intense pigmets in prayer lag and temply decor but amidst the cloudy mountain tops neon painted houses would poke through. A beautiful balance of muted and saturated.

The landscape was contrasting and complex. Yes there were mountains. Giagantic, dramatic mountainscapes. But there's plateus of farmland, clouds creeping in like rivers of pillows, sweeping valleys, winding rivers and perfectly nestled lakes. Every mountian point is a winning sunrise spotting location and no place is dull where it dips below the horizon as it falls into sunset.

I'm sure not only from the photo references I've gained but the visually contrasting beauty upcoming work will be influenced. I'd like to think in  both a conscious, decisive manner as well as inherent details that have worked their way into my natural flow.