If You’re a Starving Artist… You’re Not Hungry Enough

Imagine you’re stranded on a deserted island and haven’t eaten anything in weeks. One day while you’re going over your new poem with your Volley-Ball-Headed friend, Wilson, a cargo container falls out of the sky and lands directly on your now deflated friend.
Upon impact, the container busts open and you discover it is full of food. However, it’s broccoli, nothing but broccoli, and you hate broccoli.

I guess you’ll just have to starve right?
Hell no!

Now is not the time to be a picky eater. Not on a deserted island and especially not in the creative service world.

Protein Substitues
I try to avoid eating meat when I can. Luckily, there are so many Substitutions for many of the meals I enjoy. Soy chicken nuggets? Sure, let’s at least try it. Veggie paddies on the grill? Put it between two buns with some cheese and let’s eat!

I see many artist not willing to pivot or be flexible with their craft/skills with substitutions. You’d really spend 6 hours of your life getting paid $8.50 an hour when you could perform with a cover band for $100 for two hours of using your creative skills?

You’re a photographer, but you know that you’ll never do weddings, engagement photos, or real estate photography. But yet you complain about your day job that doesn’t value your insight or creativity.

You’re an abstract visual artist, but you’d rather starve than try to design a logo for someone’s new business – which happens to be a gallery for upcoming abstract visual artists.

The Dollar Menu

Look, I’m not saying you can’t have it your way. It’s obvious you are creating what you truly want to create whether someone pays your or not. I just hate to see you starve. It is making you weak and tired, it actually takes away from your art, and it’s really annoying how you complain about it all the time.

It’s time to take a second look at the dollar menu. Next time you are overwhelmed and start labeling yourself as a Starving Artist I want to you to come up with a list of quick ways you can use your creative skills for profit. This will be your artistic dollar menu. The menu can range from services or creations that start at $1.00, then $5.00, $20, and over time you can add to the menu to higher priced items – like your weird toenail sculpture that you plan to sell for $1000.

You Are What You Eat
Maybe you’re having artistic career stomach pains not because you’re starving – it’s because you’re eating things that don’t agree with your gut. Maybe you’re work isn’t selling because it doesn’t connect with your true Self and doesn’t connect with others.

You might be inputting things you think inspire you, but it’s just indulging your ego. You are trying to run a marathon after eating only a chocolate bar – your taste buds really wanted it, but now the rest of your body hates you.

Well, I see another cargo container falling from the sky.
I hope it’s not broccoli.