Once you’re in the “starving artist” mentality it’s not always easy to get out of it and start thinking of yourself as an artist entrepreneur. Or is it?
For some it’s as simple as having a shift in consciousness. Having an outlook that’s not about deprivation but rather focuses on thriving. This may sound like a lot of new age hocus pocus, but there’s some truth in it. Though of course, this doesn’t work for everyone.
How are you approaching your art? Whether you’re a performing, film, fine arts or other kind of artist the rules are often the same as funding, making, marketing and distributing a movie. First you have to fund it (including making a living), then you make it (create the thing), next you market it and finally you distribute it.
We asked filmmaker, educator and artist advocate John Yianni Stamas what he thought about the relationship between movie making and the role of the Artist Entrepreneur and here’s what he said:
“In fact there’s a lot that can be learned from filmmaking that applies to going from “Starving Artist” to Artist Entrepreneur. I believe that we’ve entered a period of time in history where anyone can make a movie.”
Developing cinema projects such as a web series or movie (a web series strung together) can be a great way of showcasing your work, whether your a musician, actor, visual artist and more. Why? Because a web series can feature our art form. Then, with each new webisode, you have another new excuse to promote.
The only difference between many starving artists and artist entrepreneurs is guidance, training and strategies from the entrepreneurial arts. Is business an art? Maybe, maybe not, but you need some of it to make your art into your living. You also need to think out of the box and not be trying to “get there” the same way that everyone else is.