| I recently had an email from someone who had | | | | in order to make ends meet, while we wait for |
| visited our website, liked what they had seen, but | | | | the income from our art to allow us to live in |
| had a question about our methods and philosophy. | | | | comfort. |
| The question was this: | | | | "Have to". Those are the operative words in that |
| "What about if I am an artist and I don't want to | | | | sentence. Not "want to" or "like to" but "have to". |
| change my profession and also I don't want to | | | | There is a great line in "Gladiator": |
| have another job on the side? I want to keep my | | | | "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of |
| work and have great benefits from that." | | | | the time, I do what I have to". |
| In other words: I don't want to do anything apart | | | | Now, do you have to have another job while you |
| from my acting career, and I want to get well | | | | pursue your artistic career? Not necessarily; but |
| paid for it. What do you think about that? | | | | unless you are either supported to willing to live |
| My immediate response was a mixture of | | | | on the streets, then it is something that you |
| amusement and irritation. Of course, for everyone | | | | seriously need to consider alongside your artist |
| pursuing an artistic career, what we all ideally want | | | | development. |
| to do is get paid a ton of money for doing what | | | | For the person who asked the question above, I |
| we love (just make sure you have had your | | | | would say this, finally: At Abundance Bound we |
| financial education before this happens - you don't | | | | have tools to help you work out exactly how |
| want to end up a morality tale!). If you are a | | | | much you need to earn in order to live (email us |
| dramatic actor, making $100,000 per episode for | | | | at with "Chart of Expenses" in the tag line for help |
| being in a high quality night-time drama is about as | | | | with this). Having gotten that number, you can |
| good as it gets. For a musician, platinum albums | | | | then find work, be it your own business or a |
| generating millions in residual payments is where | | | | regular job, that will provide that amount in the |
| it's at. For a sculptor, having ones work on display | | | | least time possible, leaving you free to pursue |
| in private collections and museums world-wide | | | | your art around it. If you can sell enough pieces |
| would bring home more than enough bacon for | | | | or work enough days to not need anything else, |
| any number of New York apartments and trips | | | | then that is truly great for you, and the focus |
| to South America. But, assuming that it may be | | | | now becomes what to do with the money you |
| some time before we find ourselves in those | | | | are earning, so as to get the greatest benefit out |
| enviable positions, what are we going to do about | | | | of it (that is where financial education comes in) |
| money? | | | | But, for the rest of us, truly consider the options |
| And that, I think, is the problem with thinking | | | | before you. Take control of your financial lives so |
| along these lines. Sure, there are those, very few, | | | | that you can pursue your art free form the |
| people who are lucky or talented enough to walk | | | | crushing weight of financial stress. Bite the bullet |
| out of their acing schools and into full time acting | | | | and handle things now, so that they do not get |
| careers, or whatever other artistic endeavours | | | | out of control later. And, above all, never stop |
| you chose. But, for the rest of us, there will be a | | | | focusing on your artistic success, because by |
| period (anywhere from a few months to several | | | | doing that, all things are possible. |
| years), where we will have to do something else | | | | |