Should We Be Artists? (Patreon)

The simple answer is yes, of course. Be an artist if that’s your thing. And I don’t think there’s anything better than being happy at doing your thing.

I’ve seen more conversation around this topic recently, about the notion that artistic success is a lottery. (Yes. It is.) And that it’s irresponsible for publicly-established artists to tell fledgling artists to follow their dreams of making art full time. (Um, hang on.) And that the correct life is to get a day job and pursue art as a hobby. (Kind of. I mean, no. But yes? What?)

First, financial success in any field is a lottery of sorts. That’s no secret. It’s just that financial success in the entertainment business is rarer than say school-teaching. Of course, the top end of financial success in entertainment is far greater than in the field of education, which is why it feels so much more lottery-like. But the odds of you getting a steady job as a teacher are really high if you’re qualified, whereas the odds of getting a steady job as a singer, novelist, painter, or actor are extremely low, regardless of qualification. 

Okay, we’ve got the basics down. Now should the people who want to be artists… be artists? Again, yes, they should. That’s easy. But the tricky part is how full throttle should we pursue our artistic dreams. Obviously, that depends on how full of desire each single person is about those ambitions. 

But I also think we should break down the phrase “artistic dreams.” In the context of people like Mr Beast or Bo Burnham discouraging people from following their dreams of being influencers or stars of some sort, I think there’s so much more to it than just quashing dreams of those who have had far less public success. Because there’s still the question of WHAT IS AN ARTISTIC DREAM?

If your dream is earning a livable wage for art, well, then, you should know how out-of-your-control that goal truly is. Same can be said if your dream is achieving fame for your art. But having an audience for your art? Having a conversation because of your art? Getting paid for your art? You CAN achieve those things. How much conversation? How much pay? I mean...

Whether that audience is large enough to pay you enough to quit your day job(s), that’s out of anyone’s control. But if you like making art and sharing that art, and if THOSE THINGS are your dream, then it’s shitty of anyone to tell you not to pursue that. 

For the record, I don’t think that’s what most publicly-establish creators truly mean when they discourage others from pursuing art as a career (i.e. Burnham and Mr Beast, above). What’s happening is that Some People confuse the desire for fame and money with the desire to create art. And Some People work their asses off on TikTok, YouTube, Soundcloud, etc. trying to earn their success. And that's noble. You do have to hustle to achieve success in any field. But entertainment has never been a meritocracy. And so Some People fail to achieve the dream of fame and money that they had been told was achievable.

It’s not up to anyone else to tell you what to do, but by extension, it’s not up to anyone else to tell you HOW to do it, either. There’s no set PATH to success. There’s only a personal definition of what success is. 

And I would say the most successful people I’ve ever met are those who make time in their lives for what they love. Sometimes that time comes outside of working hours. Sometimes it overlaps with working hours. The point is that people find the time for what they truly love (which has absolutely nothing to do with "success")

This could be painting, or singing, or telling jokes/stories. It could be making podcasts or pottery. It could be raising kids, or pets, or goats, or gardens. None of this is a secret. You know all of this. 

But I think it gets clouded (at least it does for me) by internet-wide arguments over whether or not people should pursue fame/fortune in entertainment. Personally, I have never thought it a good idea to pursue fame or fortune. Because I know I’ll never achieve either. Even at whatever level of fame you would consider me at, there’s a level above that that I will always feel I have to get to. And another beyond that, and another beyond that. Same with money.

So, please be an artist. Please find your people. And please never stop trying to be successful at the art your create and community you foster. Those aren’t commands, just desires that I have for you. From my experience, nothing is more fun than sharing creativity with others, regardless of the attention of strangers and/or producers. Trying to get someone to buy your thing is work, not love. In other words, the path to artistic success if easily followed, as long as that success is not strictly defined by money.

I’ll leave you with a good quote from author Jason Pargin: “Do not leave the pursuit of the creativity in your heart up to the whims of capitalism.”

Jeffrey Cranor
March 25, 2024