Money Matters
A Reflection
In the last four years, I have made 643 artworks.
Yes, I counted today.
Did I make money from it?
Did I get famous?
Did I get a lot of followers on social media from my artwork?
No, I didn’t.
Then why did I make them? Am I a failure?
Should I try to sell my works or monetize them somewhere?
Should I have a marketing plan?
I don’t think so.
These days, social media marketing, influencers, and monetizing content is taking up our space everywhere. We cannot stop ads filtering our timelines whether we like it or not. Everyone seems to be selling or marketing something. Or so it seems. Honestly, I am a little too overwhelmed with a virtual marketplace that seems to have sprung up everywhere on all apps. As if an oversharing of the daily updates wasn’t enough, all this constant flow of information is becoming too much to take.
I have come across quotes that read, ‘Turn your passion into art’ and ‘if you do what you love, you will not have a single working day in your life’. While these seem very promising, I don’t fully agree to the concept.
Should every project and passion be made into some product to make money?
Whatever happened to doing things for an experience? What happened to friendships before collaborations? Is it just me who finds all this oh-so-overwhelming and frankly a bit tedious and pointless? The very thing that should give you comfort and solace from the humdrum of making a living and doing what is necessary is ironically stressing you out.
What is this constant need and greed to be liked, to be gratified, to be spoken about, to be made into a larger-than-life thing? Is it really necessary that everything be about money, success, or fame? Why should everything boil down to how much money are you making from it? Money and appreciation are important but, is money the only thing that truly matters?
Here on Medium, we have some stories that cannot be read until we become a paid subscriber. It helps writers to make some money for their time and efforts, which is fair. But, the problem begins when we start making ‘content’ to ‘generate income’ and focus on only popular topics or fall for gimmicks etc. and lose our creative soul in the process.
Now we can buy identity ticks on social media to show people how important and relevant we are. Paid importance for paid likes, to sell goods meant to buy some gratification or happiness. Isn't it absurd to pay someone to like us or our work or to simply verify who we are? Is it just me who finds this ridiculous or is there something wrong with me?
I make artwork for myself. It is a process that helps me live better if I can put it this way. I enjoy the feeling and experience of making art, it’s almost like a conversation with myself. If someone likes it, or appreciates my work, I am truly grateful and happy. If not, I am still alright. If I make money from it, it’s a reward but that is not the goal or whole purpose of my work.
That is also the purpose of life, to live and not just make a living.
