Make Something the World Does Not Yet Know it Needs
Make something the world does not yet know it needs.
That is the quest of the artist. It’s what instigates the artistic journey. And it’s what instigates the artistic career.
An artistic career starts by making something nobody asked for. By making lots and lots of somethings, and then sharing them with people who never asked for them. Although the drive to make something totally unrequested is what pulled us onto this path in the first place, amidst a busy life, it can be hard to find the time and validation to create something just because.
I have discussed this idea before HERE. But it is so important, I'm going to say it again in all caps: YOUR WORK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE URGENT CRAP CLUTTERING YOUR CALENDAR!!! So...
Put it on your calendar.
Prioritize it.
Follow through.
This is absolutely essential for an artistic career. Making something no one has asked for is the ‘sending out job applications’ of conventional careers, except without any of the rational process or immediate results (lucky us). No one will know you want the job if you don’t apply. And no one will know they need someone to do that job until you apply.
I have been making things and sharing them for five years now. Most of them are covered in cobwebs. But once in a while, one will connect to someone and lead us both somewhere unexpected. When this happens, it has me very grateful to have spent the past five years sending out applications for jobs that didn't exist. (That's a sentence they don't teach you to say in school.)
Pre-existing jobs are lovely for many reasons, one of which is that they hold you accountable for getting work done. Since artistic jobs don't fall into this category, if you want a career in the arts, you need to be self-accountable. If this isn’t your strong suit, pretend. Have an imaginary boss. Let me know if you need help with this-- I’d be happy to send you periodic, passive-aggressive emails inquiring the status of your project. Whatever it takes.
Act like someone is waiting for it. Because someone is waiting for it.
They just don’t know it yet.
They just don’t know it yet.
Love Love Love,
Kat
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