Last summer I was working at the restaurant at the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. I was chatting with one of my tables and told them I was a musician. In response, they said, “Oh, well you’re not going to make any money doing that.”
Another table once told me, unsolicited, “You should really find a job after the season ends.”
What??
These were people I didn’t even know. Why were they so concerned? Were they projecting their own fears and beliefs onto me about what it means to be an artist or taking risks to follow your dreams? Trying to caution me or save me from suffering? I can’t count how many times people, even strangers, have tried to “warn” me about how hard it is to be a musician. Really? Do they think I’ve never heard this before?! Do they think I’m going to say, “Oh wow, I didn’t know that – thank you for rescuing me. I think I’ll become an accountant instead.”
In a society that values monetary wealth and status, “starving artist” devalues the work we do. It connotes the idea that artists are doomed to suffer and struggle, and that anything that isn’t a socially acceptable, “real” job with a steady paycheck has less value. There’s also an all-or-nothing story out there that you have to “make it” in order to be “successful.” Although most of the big money in the entertainment industry comes from the high-profile, mainstream industry, many independent artists can be very successful (which, of course, depends on your definition of success) and make a decent living. I’m not saying it’s easy. I have yet to generate an income solely from music, but I am also still in the beginning stages of my career.
I’m not trying to “make it” in the way that many people perceive success in music. I would love to be able to make my living as a full-time musician, but I don’t care about making a ton of money or being famous. I know musicians who do music full-time and do very well. My friend Ira Wolf, an independent singer/songwriter, has made her living completely off of music for almost a year. She admits that it is a difficult lifestyle, and you often have to give up a lot of comforts and material possessions. But she’s happier than she’s ever been:
“I wouldn’t trade a single moment of my new life for the one in the past. I’ve never been so far out of my comfort zone, I’ve never worked so hard, and I have truly never been a happier person. I don’t measure my success in money and fame; I measure it in happiness and always have. I’ve always thought that if life is about pushing forward and making money while being miserable, then what is the point?…to be 24 years old and incredibly happy in my lifestyle is already a huge success to me. I already feel like I’ve ‘made it’, even if no one else in the world sees it that way. I wish everyone could say the same.”
By the way, you should check her out on Patreon, where those who pledge any amount beginning at $1 become patrons of her music, supporting her on a more steady and regular basis. (Yet another way to make a living as an artist).
Most of us are stuck in this mentality of “good enough” or “not good enough” and “can I make a profit off of you?” That’s not the true purpose of art. It’s not about showing off. Maybe people who aren’t artists are just never going to get it. But for the real artists out there who are afraid to starve…it’s not about “making it.” It’s about making…something. Creating, sharing, connecting, opening new perspectives for us to see the world and each other. That is extremely important work. Do your thing. Share your message – that is the most important outcome – and remain unattached to expectations. We don’t have to starve; in fact, when we do what we love, when we follow the path that calls us on a mission to bring more light into the world, that is more fulfilling than any amount of money could provide.
“You don’t do music because you want to. You do music because you have to.”
– Dr. Scott Warfield (my college Music History professor)
Pre-order my debut EP until March 28th and show your support for the value of music in our world.
