Fortune Cookies: I am an Artist

This is one of the most liked and top post of the day, a drawing of an artist with a signboard expressing his/her sentiments as a struggling artist. It is really a sad fact that we people in the creative business find hard to make profit out of our talents. Young artists always find themselves hungry at the end of the day cause their works are always "underpaid". People think that it's an easy job for us and they even give a low the value for our work. However, we don't have anyone to blame but ourselves.

Artists are not business people and they can't even give a justifiable price for their works especially when they are just new in the business. They get excited when they get a job. They always think of the final output and forget about the whole amount of effort, time and skill required in the production. Once the final output is delivered, that's the time they give the price. Sometimes, they even make the client decide on how much they will pay. Soon, it becomes a routine and when they become tired and uninspired, they realize that they have done so much and still they don't have that much money.

I, myself, is a struggling artist. I value art so much that i can't give a price to my work. What I value is the client's satisfaction, amazement, happiness, trust and respect. Merging business in the creative industry let me realize how to balance money and work. This is the part where I consider myself as a DESIGNER. For me making art is a personal thing and no one can influence me on what issue to tackle, what colors to choose or how my artwork will look. A true work of art is one that I created by expressing myself as an artist. But unlike artists, designers always consider a lot of factors in creating a work: the budget, time frame, the ideas of the client, your own ideas, the target audience, resources, and a lot more. A designer has a good balance of artistry and business, may it be a graphic designer, fashion designer, interior designer, etc. It's not always easy to learn the business side but when you are committed, you learn how to live without the regrets of wasting your effort and time.

Some say designers are not artists and i think it's their opinion. For me, as a designer I am also an artist because I have the talent and skill in creating a beautiful image. It doesn't matter what technique or medium you use or how expensive your materials are. What matters most is that you are capable of delivering your client's vision without being hungry at the end of the day : ) Just sayin'

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Credits: I Dont do ART for Free by 'PearlEden