sihhi
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered
Commodify/monetise. Middle classes are better at commodifying/monetising the self than others (MC's original name was Jennifer Caban and aged just 17 she is given a job/place to stay in world-famous Paris bookshop Shakespeare&Co):
mollycrabapple: I was 17 when I came to Shakespeare and Co. George Whitman invited me to stay. It changed my life. It made my life. It taught me the possibilities of generosity, of openness, of daring, of shaping the world that is into the world you want. When I stayed at Shakespeare and Company, it was filled with roaches. We had to use the public showers and my hair would freeze into icicles on the way back. I was too shy to speak to people much, so I'd curl in the corners and draw them- this gorgeous cast of artists and ballerinas and slumming writers and escaping Chinese dissidents. George was very old but seemed like he would live forever. It was the first place I ever really saw the raw possibilities of life in action.
possibilities of ... shaping the world that is into the world you want
Does this just happen to anyone? From the exchange posted earlier here
Q: So it's fair to say that as a successful artist with a significant following, that you wield more than a bit of power. What do you think is the responsibility that that power comes with? Do you think that that responsibility is universal, specific to its origins (artist, singer, journalist, etc), or tailored to each person individually? Finally: What responsibilities would you like to take on in the future, but you feel you currently lack the power to shoulder?
mollycrabapple: Not to exploit people's good will or be a raging dick. Last part, dear god, no idea.
Q: How do you make your art a full time career without giving up integrity? Do you think all artists should be striving to live off their work?
mollycrabapple: Depends what you mean by integrity. For me, I've chosen people who I would never work for, and havent' worked for them. But i have no problem doing ads for a liquor company or a nightclub or a lipstick brand. I think that if you're out about your beliefs and defined in your aesthetic, the people who you don't like probably won't like you either, and you won't have to worry about selling out. However, I also think that the whole making a living off of art is a brutal business that involves so many more skills than drawing. If you just want to draw, draw, and find another means of supporting yourself. You'll love drawing all the more for it
Prospective artist Q: ... There seems to be a crossroad where I need to choose if I should try to develop my name and reputation through completed jobs or developing my own projects. Also any advice on how a new artist should start to develop a following, like using twitter or tumblr? Thanks!
mollycrabapple: They're actually one in the same. A marketable portfolio is a consistent portfolio, so the art director doesn't have to wonder which out of eight styles you're going to pull out. Do your own work. Do completed jobs. Do everything. When you're young and energetic is the time to work yourself harder than you ever thought you could take. Developing a following? Post work. Post about things that interest you besides art. Talk like a human. Or a robot. But just not a brand-bot
But the final conclusions are rather blurred - to say the least - commodify yourself to fight against large corporations like Walmart: ?
LP and MC will continue
). That wasn't intended to be, but it's definitely ambiguous. It's the non-thinkers who are stalking me all over the place and it is 100% compliment and respect.]
