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Suffering for art's sake
Topics: Frustration, Greg Goodsell, art, Bakotopia, Bakersfield, artist, being an artist in Bakersfield
Posted by Bakontributor Tue Jul 22, 2008 16:37:21 PDT
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Suffering for art's sake
The travails of being a local independent artist - why bother?



By Greg Goodsell, Bakotopia.com Contributor

Yours truly has been going over some local blogs by creative types, and noticed many distinct cases of burnout.

Painters, poets, actors, filmmakers, singers, musicians, and others have all expressed their frustration about working in Bakersfield and Kern County.

Their frustrations can be boiled down into a few simple statements. Let’s address these concerns one at a time.

1. No one outside the tight-knit artistic community comes out to support them.

A story that I find especially illustrative of this situation: You’re enjoying a quiet lunch at a sidewalk café when a wild-haired man with an unkempt beard walks up to you and starts sketching your portrait.

You play along as best you can as he scribbles away. He then presents you with the finished picture, which doesn’t resemble you in the slightest, and then demands $50 for his hastily scrawled efforts.

Sadly, this is how many people outside the artistic community perceive artists. The great unwashed masses largely see creative types as producing items that were never asked for, that are on some level edifying for them, usually with a meaning too deliberately obscure to grasp.

And who can blame them? You can’t expect those not inclined towards truth and beauty to part with their beer money for a painting. The only solution to this problem would appear in producing work that is more accessible to the common man (such as the Spotlight Theatre’s “The History of Rock and Roll”) or to have more realistic expectations for public reaction to your work.

2. There is very low turnout for their plays or musical performances.

Here I will quote from our mutual friend Ann Landers who once said, “No matter how well a man is thought of during his lifetime, the turnout for his funeral is largely dictated by the weather.” In a previous column, I said that there is almost too much to do in Bakersfield in regards to artistic and cultural events. Yours truly can’t be in two places at once, and there are times when sleep, food and sex must take precedence over a friend’s recital or rock band performance.

Artists in this situation can create a positive situation. When I hosted a series of open mic poetry performances years ago, there would be times when I would only get nine to 10 people. I would seize this opportunity to do my more outrageous stuff. The few people who did see it would talk about it and would inspire others to come the next time. There is a wonderfully transitory nature to live performances, and stories that revolve around “you had to be there” add to an event’s mystique.

3. They aren’t getting the support they desire from fellow artists.

Well, duh! Artists are a notoriously selfish bunch, too busy to share their spotlight with others. Having worked both sides of the fence - providing free publicity for other artists, and hosting my own events - it’s important to build reciprocal relationships. In the early ’80s, I spent an awful lot of time promoting local punk rock groups. Instead of building a network of friends and like-minded individuals, I was instead blamed for low turnouts for lousy bands. The personalities I was dealing with turned out to be very unsupportive of my own artistic efforts, and I quickly turned my energies elsewhere. There must be a spoken agreement among artists that if they attend a friend’s performance or help promote something that a friend has done, they must return the favor at some point. The main word in the phrase “artistic community” is community. Let’s work together or not at all.

4. No one has heralded them as unsung geniuses.

Don’t hold your breath. Seriously. I have received very high praise in my lifetime, but it still hasn’t gone towards making a dent in my massive credit card debt. I have been lavishly praised almost in equal parts to being condemned vociferously (usually at paying gigs). Recognition is very important to an artist. But it shouldn’t affect his or her art production. The concept of art for art’s sake is discussed at the next point.

5. There’s no monetary compensation for their efforts.

As we have seen from the example of the scruffy sidewalk artist who demands $50 for his scribble, you can’t expect everyone to appreciate your sometimes highly personal projects. Sometimes your art will exist solely for its own sake, for your own completely personal reasons. Having worked in the capacity as a “professional artist” for many years, I can vouch that the experience can be a very frustrating and unrewarding one. The professional artist must deal at length with people who don’t know what they want, but don’t want what give them. Doing your own thing - without the interference of others - can be and is a reward unto itself.


Why me, man?

However, there are times when an artist can rightfully drop out of the community until climes are more hospitable.

A few very good reasons include:

• The effort becomes more trouble than what it’s worth.

If there isn’t enough interest to sustain a project, and it’s costing you a lot of out-of-pocket expense, maybe it’s time to take a break.

• The effort no longer addresses your creative needs.

Since a lot of what you’re doing is gratis, it should be one that fulfills you on some level. If you play in a band that does music that no longer interests you, or are continually cast in parts in plays that do not challenge you, it’s probably time to move on. You can do certain things as favors for friends, but you should let them know it’s not a long-term commitment.

• You want to do other things.

If you enjoy local notoriety for doing sidewalk chalk drawings of Scooby Doo, and then want to turn your attentions to expansive murals addressing Third World issues, be prepared to be told by others, “That’s very nice … but can’t you do another chalk drawing of Scooby Doo having a Scooby snack?” Stick to your guns! You have won the right to pursue your personal vision without commercial interference, so go for it!

E-mail writer Greg Goodsell at: gregoodsell@hotmail.com

Story also printed in Bakotopia magazine, issue 33, 7-24-08

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Comment From: gbriano

Really enjoyed this article. Mostly because I feel pretty much the same way. With my free time slowly dwindling away I really wanted the work I did to have meaning and most importantly, be fun. It's been just that. Comment From: AnnieLWhite

Maybe its because I dont belive most artists are tallented, but honestly i dont come see or support people i dont think are tallented, and when you said "You can’t expect those not inclined towards truth and beauty to part with their beer money for a painting." this statement is wrong in 2 ways, #1 you assume that people who dont care muuch for art drink beer, well i dont drink beer or really like most art, when i see an artist i see someone who doesnt know how to get a real job or whiny and skinny (ususally, of course im not close minded enough to think this is 100% true). #2 I love beauty and truth, and the truth most of the time is, maybe your "art" isnt very good... I dont eat at cafe's either, nor go down town to the spotlight theater, maybe im not in this crowd, but you seriously sir need to get a grip. Maybe get a new hobbie. (also, its a persons right to succeed if they are good they will succeed, but its also their right to fail) =D with love of course, annie