1 week into the Writer's Fast
Well a week ago today I made the decision to embark upon a writer's fast (read the earlier post for details) and since that date i have had a number of revelations about my current position as artist/businessman.
The first one being that I am an artist/businessman; I know this may appear trivial or obvious but for me it is a grand realization. Over the years I have gone heart first into the spokenword arena and doing so has been a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that I have been able to give of my soul through my without reservation. The curse being...that I have given of my soul through my art without reservation.
Doing this has led to me being recognized as humble, modest, blessed and a variety of other terms that I am thankful to be known by/as etc; however these compliments though appreciated do not put food on my family's table or keep a roof over our heads.
I love this art form and you would be hard pressed to find anyone artist or not who loves it and those who are committed to it more than me but I have allowed this love to let me essentially get pushed over or pushed in to doing shows for a great deal less than I believe both I and this art are worth. I realize this subtle devaluation of my self has help contribute to the idea that poets should just share their gifts with the masses with little to no compensation. This does not speak to one's engagement in community/volunteer work but the fact that many of my contemporaries are appearing on national television (i.e. poetry shows and commercials) clearly indicates that our art form has an economy however small of an economy that currently may be. I also know that due to my own modesty that there are people who are not even in the same category of talent as myself artistically but have thus far been light years ahead of me in the art of business management who are reaping some of those economic benefits. More power to them, I am not even bothered by their measures of success I am however bothered by the fact that if more artist who are viewed by their contemporaries and fans alike as gifted would practice the art of business more wisely. The wack artist who gets paid well could not even exist.
I say all this to say to anyone who may feel that they have gotten one over on 13 of Nazareth on the business side of his life coin; enjoy it, celebrate it; relish in it; get together with everyone else who feel the same and throw a party because those days are over, cu put, finito....because as of today I'm determined to apply the same ingenuity to the art of business that I have thus far applied to the art of writing.
The first one being that I am an artist/businessman; I know this may appear trivial or obvious but for me it is a grand realization. Over the years I have gone heart first into the spokenword arena and doing so has been a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that I have been able to give of my soul through my without reservation. The curse being...that I have given of my soul through my art without reservation.
Doing this has led to me being recognized as humble, modest, blessed and a variety of other terms that I am thankful to be known by/as etc; however these compliments though appreciated do not put food on my family's table or keep a roof over our heads.
I love this art form and you would be hard pressed to find anyone artist or not who loves it and those who are committed to it more than me but I have allowed this love to let me essentially get pushed over or pushed in to doing shows for a great deal less than I believe both I and this art are worth. I realize this subtle devaluation of my self has help contribute to the idea that poets should just share their gifts with the masses with little to no compensation. This does not speak to one's engagement in community/volunteer work but the fact that many of my contemporaries are appearing on national television (i.e. poetry shows and commercials) clearly indicates that our art form has an economy however small of an economy that currently may be. I also know that due to my own modesty that there are people who are not even in the same category of talent as myself artistically but have thus far been light years ahead of me in the art of business management who are reaping some of those economic benefits. More power to them, I am not even bothered by their measures of success I am however bothered by the fact that if more artist who are viewed by their contemporaries and fans alike as gifted would practice the art of business more wisely. The wack artist who gets paid well could not even exist.
I say all this to say to anyone who may feel that they have gotten one over on 13 of Nazareth on the business side of his life coin; enjoy it, celebrate it; relish in it; get together with everyone else who feel the same and throw a party because those days are over, cu put, finito....because as of today I'm determined to apply the same ingenuity to the art of business that I have thus far applied to the art of writing.
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