Making Space

Here’s a hard fact: I’m not here to fill your space. I’m here to make my own. 

I’m not here to be all starry eyed over the blank wall in your office you want me to fill. I’m definitely not going to get giddy when you want to purchase multiple pieces, but assume that entitles you to a discount for my time. And when you ask me to be a part of your event because it will give me great exposure, there’s a pretty high chance I’m going to decline your invitation.

Quite frankly, if we’re going to be honest here, I’m rather fed up with how my beautiful artist friends are treated.

The term “culture” pertains to conditions that are suitable for growth; an opportunity to nurture. Or, as a noun, it’s the intellectual achievements of a collective or community. Let’s take that in for a moment…

“The intellectual achievements as they occur within conditions suitable for growth within a community.”

Art is an underrated intellectual achievement. Artists are underrated intellects. If we see numbers, we are engineers, calculating problems and enhancing our potential. If we see nature, we are scientists, formulating processes that explain our very existence. But if we see color, if we see beauty, if we see emotion, what are we? 

We are the artists; we are the engineers and scientists of our own creations.

In a world full of sad circumstances, work that lasts longer than rest, heaviness from judgment and inadequacies, the artist lends us hope. They lend us their eyes. They lend us their talents in a raw expression for the world to see. And that is our intellect. That is our ability. It can only grow when you see us for who we are. And it should grow, for when there is balance across all who are able to contribute to our conditions, there lays progress.

There’s a circumstance, often seen with a negative connotation, which drives a successful arts culture. That is vulnerability. And it comes from all directions, the most obvious being within the artist willing to step forward, offer who they are, and stand completely naked to the possibility of a broken heart. Yet, the artist gets it. The artist willing to been seen within their community understands that to experience a full heart, we must lay our hearts out on the table, make them visible, have them evaluated by strangers, and await a reaction. We show up daily with very few guarantees.

In order for an arts culture to truly meet the human experience, the observer must be vulnerable too.

You want art at your event? Great, allow the artists to plan it. We spend way too much time concerned about what the participant will experience that we end up snuffing out creativity. We look for what's "trendy" or what's previously been successful, and we miss out on an over abundance of potential. Let your artists create their space; self expression is inspiring, and its not for you to decide who they'll inspire within their interactions.

You want art in your space? Amazing; selling our works and our abilities pays the same kinds of everyday bills you have. We should be paid; that's kind of a given. And speaking of give: we're rather exhausted with that. If you knew how many times an artist is asked to do something for free, you'd be embarrassed the next time you go to ask. We do a lot for free, a lot, because honestly, giving gives purpose. It's the times we choose to show up in our community that we need you to show up and support us. Buy our art. After that, when we're flying high from being uplifted, you may be surprised. We usually just want to give more. 

You want a thriving culture, economic uptick, an enhanced destination experience, a pin for your city on the map of awesomeness? You have to be vulnerable to trying something new. You have to be willing to invest. You need to stop comparing, not only artists to each other, but artists to yourself. Attend the class, pay admission to the concert, visit your local gallery and view what your neighbors are creating. As much as I can say we artists have our circles and will support each other whether you show up or not, the success of the overall culture is contingent upon your participation. If you want us out of our basement jam sessions and garage studios, you need to give us reason why it's better in the daylight.

Its time we stop limiting our artists. It’s time we let them make their own space. It’s time we support their courage to stand alone with their visions. It’s just time to appreciate how much they can enhance a culture. 

It’s time, for the arts.