You’re Not An Artist, You Solve Problems

Sometimes being a working artist doesn’t feel like being an “actual” artist. You may be partly expressing your creativity but most of the time, you are solving a problem for a client. You are providing a service and delivering a product to someone who will pay you.

You Solve Problems

As an Artist by Trade, I was fortunate enough to be constantly composing music for my clients. I would often get asked to create a certain song in a certain genre and work within that limitation. It didn’t matter what I personally thought the music should be, I took direction from the director and created a musical piece that the director wanted. Much how a director directs an actor to get a specific performance, I bring my skillset as a musician and perform to the best of my abilities to serve the story.

I solve problems for my clients by creating music that help tell their stories.

You Are An Artist

Being an artist is not just waiting for inspiration, getting inspiration then creating. The act of creating takes practice. The skill of painting or playing an instrument takes consistent practice through a lifetime. Apart from creating the actual music, I practice my instruments at least 6 hours a week. So to say that an artist has to have natural talent and pure expression is nonsensical.

As an artist, I have the ability to express myself through music and with practice, I am able to execute exactly what I hear in my head and what I feel in my heart to sound.

I often make art for myself but also recognize that I can solve problems for others and in turn, charge them for my skills and knowledge.

You Have The Right To Earn A Living

Whether you make art for the sake of it or also trade your art for money, you have a skillset that solves people’s problems.

You have the right to earn a living by your skills and knowledge and still make your art.

So the next time you feel like you’re not a true artist or someone calls you a “sell out” remember that you can be both an artist and an artist by trade.

You have knowledge and a skillset to

• solve their problems when they come to you with one

• create art for yourself with the potential of it solving someone’s problem in the future