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Z Art Blog–The Artist’s Assistant

Z Art Blog–The Artist’s Assistant published on

This is the fifth article in a series about what it means to be an artist and the choices an artist makes throughout his or her years of creative work. This article applies to someone in his or her mid to late twenties who has already mastered a budget necessary to continue producing and promoting audible/audio or visual artwork.

Assuming you have mastered your budget and are also balancing your creative and promotion time, you may want to step up your promotion plan. Maybe you are ready to build your website or want to begin a campaign to promote to public libraries. Of course, expanding your promotion plan will naturally take more time and will consequently infringe upon your creative time. But rather than spending most of your time promoting your artwork, you want to continue spending most of your time creating your artwork. You are an artist. That’s what you do–create. Adding to the promotion plan always throws off the balance. This is the problem you hope to remedy.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a promotion assistant? Is there such a title? Maybe not. But wouldn’t it be nice? Making the decision to seek an assistant is the first step in finding one if finding one is possible.

After deciding you need an assistant, make family members and friends aware that you are seeking a promotion assistant. Being a member of a large and social family may work to your advantage unless you are the oddball in your family–no other artists and therefore no connections who understand your needs. Artists with active social lives may have an advantage in finding an assistant. They may have several acquaintances or several connections that may help in this endeavor.

Maybe you just need a runner/talker to visit or call managers at coffee shops, etc. You might know of someone who has good written communication, computer and/or office skills who could help you build your website or begin a promotion campaign to public libraries. The promotion methods are endless, but finding an assistant–the right kind of assistant who also meets your exact needs is the catch.

A large family and a large circle of acquaintances can help only so much if you live in a smaller community or a not-so-artsy community. Or your niche might be so unique that no one you know would be qualified to assist. Even with many family members who have many acquaintances, including a few artsy ones, it may be difficult to find anyone interested in or available to assist in your promotion efforts exactly when you need someone.

To increase the odds, make it clear from the get go that you would be paying this person for his or her time and effort in assisting you. State a pay rate when you mention your plan. Otherwise, family members, friends and acquaintances might lack interest in helping you, thinking they would not be compensated–the old, “Do me a favor out of obligation of our association” trick. Even after insisting that you would honor the agreement, some family members and/or friends might not believe you would follow through on payment, or they might feel obligated to refuse payment.

So, a few of your friends have helped spread the word for you. Now that the word is in motion, don’t assume that the first person who shows up is also the right person for your needs. It may not be a positive coincidence. Err on the side of caution. If the person is truly interested, trustworthy and qualified, it won’t hurt to proceed slowly. As a lifelong artist, you can afford to wait until the person has proven his/her track record before you invite him or her into your creative business.

Or, make certain you are looking for someone who has already proven to be a capable and productive person in his or her own right. If this is a new acquaintance, this proof may take several months to surface without you having to hire a private investigator to evaluate the individual. Having to go to that extreme is a clue you are on the wrong track.

As a young person, you may want to take others at face value and believe what they say, because you have always been honest and straight forward yourself. Know that not everyone is honest and straightforward. Hopefully, you will never have to learn this the hard way.

You may come into contact with people who say they can assist but then don’t or others who say they want to assist but have questionable motives. Don’t trust just anyone with your life’s work. There are always opportunists lurking in the mix. Opportunists (sometimes called “parasites”) have ways of making your work a game or a control match. (They may be part of a larger entity called gang stalkers which will be described in greater detail in an upcoming article.) Some of them give themselves away fairly quickly. Here are a few ways to recognize when a person is not on the level.

The receptor type seems genuine at first until you notice that every so often he or she says something that makes you think you heard it wrong—it doesn’t add up. Or, he or she may ask so many questions you become uncomfortable with the conversation. Actually, he or she may have “watched you” for some time before approaching you or making some kind of “play.” He or she may know far more about you than you would ever want to know about him or her.

The aggressor type may seem overly friendly or claim to have something (everything) in common with you. This person may also have “watched” you. He or she may claim some association with you that isn’t actually there. He or she may insist on spending more time with you than you want to spend with him or her. Then just as you are beginning to wonder whether or not to continue the association, he or she may try to play on your emotions, especially when you begin to “back away.”

The shifty or twisty type is the one who purposely misinterprets something you said or did to latch onto you in a way you didn’t intend or to invite him or herself to some of your “goods.” Some of them are also practiced at turning the assistance around on you. The old, “No I can’t help you but I need your help” trick. Imagine starting an acquaintance or association because you were seeking assistance, but you somehow wound up spending all your extra time helping that person. You don’t have time to fall for that unless you are ready to give up your art. (That’s a different article.)

Most necessary information about a person’s character is revealed in everyday conversation—real-time conversation over an extended period of time–more than a few days or a few weeks–more like several months. Even shifty people love to talk about themselves. Always weigh what a person says.

After you have become acquainted with someone, having had several long conversations with this person who seems credible, you might suggest a very small task for a very small amount of pay. If the person completes the task efficiently, assign a second small task. Build the association a step at a time just as you would create a piece of artwork. You still aren’t certain this is the person you want assisting you for the long haul? Don’t suggest it.

Never lose sight of the fact that it is your work. You are the only person with any right to call the shots about promoting your work or profiting from your work. If the “assistant” is not doing what you ask, this is not the right person for the job. If the person can prove some degree of expertise then you might consider what is being suggested. Otherwise, sever the association before the individual has time to make it appear that you are the problem. Again, it is your work–no one else’s.

Continue creating your artwork, researching promotion methods, putting a feeler out now and then, and doing the best you can at your own promotion work until a trustworthy and qualified person has proven fit. Until then, pat yourself on the back for sticking to your artwork!

 

 

Z Art Blog–The Artist’s Budget

Z Art Blog–The Artist’s Budget published on

This is the fourth in a series of articles about what it means to be an artist. You may still be contemplating whether or not you are an artist or you may be attempting to grasp how you will be able to continue on your journey as an artist on the typically meager artist’s budget.

By now you have realized that as an artist, creative time is just as valuable as is money. The challenge for every artist then is to find the most comfortable balance of the two. You were thinking you need time only to create your artwork, but are now considering the time (and money) it will take to promote and/or market your artwork?

Your method(s) for promoting your artwork will depend upon the type of artwork you create. Is it drawings, comic books, paintings, photography, pottery, music or something else? While you are creating new work, you will also want to be researching methods of promoting your particular type of artwork. Some of these methods may already be carved in stone so to speak. You might however be the first to attempt a new method of promotion. Keep your eye and mind open for new methods.

Here are several suggestions for keeping your time, energy and expenses in balance:

If you are going to be supporting yourself as an artist—paying your own economical rent and utilities; purchasing your own supplies and equipment; doing your own promotion work; feeding yourself; transporting yourself and possibly your artwork around in a basic, inexpensive vehicle; you will need a basic job. Why a basic job? Well, if you plan on climbing the ladder of success at work, applying for or accepting positions higher and higher up, you will also be adding to your level of responsibility, stress and likely your hours at work. There goes your creative and promotion time right out the window.

Since you need creative time, you won’t have any trouble refusing to purchase cable TV ($59 plus per month). When are you going to have time to watch TV anyway? Why pay for something you don’t use? A large screen TV? Don’t be ridiculous. You also won’t mind refusing to pay for internet access when you can use a computer at the library as needed ($850 plus for a laptop and $29 plus per month for internet service). Are you absolutely certain you need to keep up with the latest versions of phones? Think twice. (Save $100 for the new phone and another $29 plus per month for the service.) A basic phone with only the necessary plan features is fine for an artist who likes decent food.

Learn how to cook basic dishes with pasta, rice, beans and vegetables. Not that you would have to become a vegetarian but watch for the sales on meat. Avoid eating out. Even fast food is three times as expensive as is eating at home. Cutting back from eating fast food three times per week to only once per week could save you $12 per week and $48 per month. Every little bit helps when you are an artist!

These avoidances or choices just described could save you as much at $150 or more per month. You need that saved money for your artwork. With discipline, in a six month period you will have saved yourself near $1,000! In another six months you could justify purchasing that laptop as long as your other expenses remain at a minimum.

Does this mean you should never consider moving up at work? Of course not. If it makes sense and doesn’t create problems for you as an artist, it may be a sign that you aren’t a lifelong artist after all, you may be putting your artwork on temporary hold, or you just want a bit more income for the purchase of a computer (without having to do as much penny pinching elsewhere), so you can build that website to promote your artwork.

Ask yourself some questions. Is this position an actual promotion or a position that seems to be a revolving door with frequent turnover for some reason or another? If you have looked at the situation logically, asked enough questions of enough people who know your situation, haven’t jumped to any erroneous conclusions about the position and have a legitimate creative need for that extra income, you may be on the right track.

Assuming you have kept your basic job and are going to begin your own basic promotion, you may want to invest in a basic (getting tired of the word basic?) 3 in 1 printer. Without a computer? Yes, without a computer. You can make basic flyers and/or type basic letters at the library, save the work to a $10 flash drive, print one or two master(s) at the library, then scan/copy the flyer and/or letter at home as needed. Find a family member or close friend who can do a quick proof read of your promotion materials before you print, post and/or send them anywhere. You want to be seen as a professional.

These examples of staying in balance as an artist are only the most obvious if you are single. As mentioned in previous articles, changes in your situation can throw you off your intended course and onto an entirely different path–possibly a better one. For the sake of sanity, remain determined yet flexible.