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