“Interesting discussion. In the US, many colleges / universities require art students to take courses on the business of art for the very reasons you mention.”

We did a little bit of this at college but in hindsight, there definitely wasn’t enough of that nuts and bolts practical stuff.

“In the Making” by Linda Weintraub is a great book on this subject.”

Ooh, I love that book. I got it out off the college library and read it from cover to cover but it was so good that I’ll probably buy a copy at some point.

“Those who have graduated have for the most part stopped making art.”

It’s sad, isn’t it. A lot of very talented people from my course seem to have pretty much given up on their art. It’s not that I think that everyone who does an art degree should be an artist - I know there’s a high attrition rate and there are plenty of other useful things that an art degree helps you do - but I was quite surprised at some of the people who quit.

“In the Making” by Linda Weintraub is a great book on this subject. She interviews a range of artists to see how they go about making their work, promoting it, and even whether they have health insurance - a big problem in the US. It poses more questions than it answers, but I think that’s what makes being a self-employed person so interesting. There isn’t a formula, just different approaches.

Yesterday I bumped into a former student from when I taught at a local university. Those who have graduated have for the most part stopped making art. The balance between earning a living and keeping a creative spirit alive and well kindled has proven to be too much. It wasn’t that they were ill prepared, but living the reality as an artist is a whole different prospect than thinking about it.

Unfortunately the appalling or even non-existent pay structures in the artworld are yet another way in which artists aren’t treated as ‘real’ professionals. Hmmm, I’m thinking that when I’m done with the Artists Online Series, I might do a series about attitudes to money in the artworld.

Definitely. I don’t know what it is about being an artist that leads people to expect that it’ll all be fun and games. Perhaps it’s because so many people do it as a hobby and imagine that doing it professionally will be the same sort of experience. But of course, it’s not the same at all, any more than playing football professionally is the same as kicking a ball around the park with your mates.

As great as the life is, there is another side which we all have to face. Rough with the smooth ‘n’ all.