Starving Artist: The Journey of a Creative Professional

By Nick Mann

Disclaimer: This was written back when I was in college for The Matrix

As the Art Director of ASPLU’s Impact, a student ran ad & design firm; I attended the Fall Preview Day for the new students of PLU to offer insight into how we work and why it’s essential for those who want to be in the creative field to join us.

A mother and her daughter were intrigued by my booth and asked questions like anyone else. One of the first questions she asked was, “Are your parents proud of you?” I thought she was cheeky and didn’t think anything of it.

She followed it by asking, “What are you doing after graduation?”

Upon then, I realized she was stereotyping me.

Why have students who aim to become creative professionals been looked down upon? Is it because they don’t need to go to grad school? Is it because society sees art majors as lazy and incompetent?

Artists and designers are visual problem solvers. People need decorations in their houses, ornaments on their front lawns, flyers for their events, and designs for their Facebook games. People must stop and look around them and realize an artist or designer went into great detail about how everything is made and used.

Nothing is arbitrary, from color to material, there is a cognitive reaction to how people think and feel, and it’s up to the creative professional to solve for the user.

There is mandatory willpower to keep creating art even after graduation. Many successful artists and designers don’t have bosses, they are their bosses, and as a boss, they are the ones who set their standards.

If you talk to any entrepreneur, they’ll tell you their life isn’t easy, but it’s rewarding and keeps them going every day. Likewise, you wouldn’t hear an artist saying their craft is easy because they aren’t trying hard enough if it was.

Happiness is an essential factor contributing to a career and is subjective. Office jobs can be lucrative, but how many of those feel their actions are making a difference, or how many are trying to look busy so they can do the least amount of work possible? Artists get the chance to create work that will last longer than them and couldn’t see themselves doing anything else.

If you venture into an art museum, you might hear the words uttered, “I could have done that.”

But did they?

Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential and successful artists of all time, has been known for his simplistic style of abstract shapes, but he is also known for resisting critics.

“As the story goes, Picasso was walking though the market one day when a woman spotted him. She stopped the artist, pulled out a piece of paper and said, “Mr. Picasso, I am a fan of your work. Please, could you do a little drawing for me?

”Picasso smiled and quickly drew a small, but beautiful piece of art on the paper. Then, he handed the paper back to her saying, “That will be one million dollars.”

“But Mr. Picasso,” the woman said. “It only took you thirty seconds to draw this little masterpiece.”

“My good woman,” Picasso said, “It took me thirty years to draw that masterpiece in thirty seconds.”

Picasso didn’t allow this woman to dictate his worth. Why should others?

After discussing my career plans for helping businesses with advertising with the mother at the Fall Preview Day, She smiled while nodding and walking away as if she didn’t listen.

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