Another lesson learned at Artists U: “No one is coming.”

Artist Corinne Madeen offers another lesson learned during the Artists U/SC Intensive held at the South Carolina Arts Commission earlier this month:

“Money is the #1 reason why people stop being artists. People ask, ‘But you don’t do art for the money do you?’ No, we’re not in it for the money, but it’s not possible without it either!! I also learned that I was making a mistake by using ALL the profits made by my artistic endeavors to put right back into my artistic endeavors. This is not sustainable. And I’m not getting paid for my work! Artists & people who start their own businesses have a tendency to either not pay themselves, or to not increase their own pay over the years. This leads to a reliance on outside work, and having less time to focus on your business, and on and on. And this continues to happen to a lot of artists, and it’s not sustainable.”

Read the rest of Madeen’s post, “ARTISTs UNIVERSity“, which includes ideas for setting goals, “saving ourselves” and determining what your time is worth.  You can also read her first blog post about Artists U, “Thank You for Being an Artist” including the “Three Things That Stop Artists,” and “Three Things That Will Sustain You as an Artist.”

Be sure you’re in the loop about Artists U and similar opportunities (such as the Artists’ Ventures Initiative grant). Send your name and contact info to Kim Harne or give her a call at 803/734-8630.