Understanding the Artist: Passions, Purpose, and Peace

12-14-22

Kanye West said “Anyone that’s creative understands that there’s no amount of money that can be given to them to make them not want to, or have to create”.

Lately I’ve been thinking about why it never crossed my mind to pursue a career to be an engineer, doctor, or some lawyer shit. The paths to those careers seem more pointed with direct steps.

1. Go to school/university
2. Do a couple internships, do good work, meet the right people
3. Get an entry level position earning a steady pay of 50-70k a year
4. Climb the career chain and possibly earn 100k+

Steady pay, healthcare, and enough money to take a trip across the world maybe once or twice a year. Life would be easy. So I ask myself, why do artist love torture? (Lol) like yeah, there are some art careers where you can follow the exact same steps that mentioned and get the same outcome, but I’m talking to the musicians, actors, photographers etc. who are pursuing careers with no promised pay and no guaranteed work. Then I go back to what Kanye said.

I can’t value money that didn’t come from my passion and love. That kind of money doesn’t move me. To not exercise the talent of creativity and innovation that God gave me would be insane! I need to create and be in creative spaces.

And I’m sure y’all have heard all the “work a stable career and take that money to pursue your artistic hobbies” bs. Like be for real. First of all art is not a hobby, it’s like air to me (all dramatic bs aside) like I need to see, hear, and create art daily or I may go crazy. It’s in every movement or thought I have.

Work is at least 70% of a regular human’s life and I can’t imagine not doing something i love for that long for a check.

No one’s who’s God given talent or —- is being an artist wants to come from a 9-5 to make art as a side hobby.

I’s not fulfilling.

t’s not fun.

It’s depressing.

I feel like every true artist comes to that realization everytime they go against that innate desire to create. They have that moment of this is not where I’m suppose to be or what I want to do.

So like yeah that 100k a year is cool but not driving myself to suicide is even cooler.

I know that this is the path I’m suppose to be taking and to be frank if I did anything else I would probably kill myself

No bullshit

Do what you love and the money will come.

-azana, wunder, igotsumtosay