I dont have money, but I have my art...

When did the arts turn into a venture only for the well off? I guess it has always been this way to an extent, people with money have the luxury of spending their time creatively because they don't have to worry about putting their nose to the grindstone. They don't have to get real jobs or have a constant voice in the back of their heads asking where their next paycheck is going to come from.

This leads to the inevitable question of how 'good' are their artistic ventures? I know good is a relative term... but take a moment and consider it. Yes, raw talent is raw talent, when some people create (whether it be visual art, music, or performance) its just damn good. But for those who have no urgent need to sell that next piece to make rent or finish that album, does the lack of need help or hinder? Perhaps a drive to create as a means to an end is what makes something work, or maybe the freedom of having no earthly wants allows for complete release into your work. I can only speak from the standpoint of I need to live and unfortunately its been a rough ride as of late.

I also start to think about the transition between artistic mediums, actors who start rock bands and musicians who go into film ect... sometimes I think its great that people can move so swiftly between the two mediums and sometimes I think its absolutely ridiculous.


Example of ridiculous:

Miley Cyrus - This little rich bitch started her career because Daddy paid for it. AND her whole career is based on the fact that she is two different people. She is the product of being a well off spoiled child. If she had said "I want a chinchilla farm" instead of a TV show she would have got it, and we all would be better off. Nevertheless she chose fame and fortune and its unfortunate for the world that she got it. I do not really want to get into the whole 'Hannah Montana' discussion because I will get very worked up, but lets just say she is a joke and leave it there.

Example of good:

Rilo Kiley - Now I have been on a bit of a Rilo Kiley kick as of late, they are a band comprised of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Jason Boesel. Long story short, Jenny was a child actress who made cameos in many films and TV shows and was in one of my fav's 'The Wizard' (1989) and Blake was in two of my all time favorite TV shows 'Salute your Shorts' and 'Boy Meets World'. So Jenny decides that she has the time, the drive, and the means (lets not discount the talent)... why not start a band. And it worked for them.

There are tons of other people to talk about on the good/bad spectrum, and please remember that this is just my opinion. I definitely think there is room for so much more debate on this matter.

Right now I feel that endless amounts of worry free time would really help my artistic endeavors, but that isn't the world we inhabit. I wish I could go live in the woods and not have a job and hide from my debts and taxes ect... but I can't do that today or anytime soon. And I hold no grudges for not being born into money. If my dad was a country rock star I could have some shitty TV show and millions of my own, or maybe I could be making awesome indie tracks in a basement somewhere. But he's not (he's an engineer who retired from the Navy a couple years ago) and I'm so glad because he's great the way he is and I HATE country music.

I think this is the end of my rant. I have no real conclusion other than to say my goal for the day was to analyze nothing and I already failed. So I leave you with the quote I started today with:

Analysis is the death of the creative process.

-Vogel