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Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson made a hit out of the song Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys, but they would have tapped into more fears if they had sung about parental concerns over children becoming artists.
Mark J. Jones, dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts and Design at Toronto’s Sheridan College, has seen it repeatedly at open houses, where parents accompany their children and do most of the talking, flinging a host of questions and expressions of doubts. Artists, after all, are supposed to spend much if not all of their career penniless. “I just don’t want him to live like a bohemian,” Mr. Jones recalls hearing one parent say.
The short answer might be: Taylor Swift. Or, sticking with Canadians, Ryan Reynolds.
The longer answer, from Mr. Jones in his book The Starving Artist Myth: “What society needs today is to debunk, once and for all, the myth of the starving artist. This myth assumes that intelligent, plugged-in young people do not have the ability and sound judgment to see the world they belong to, or to respond to it in expressive and innovative ways different than previous generations.”
He points out that film and television production was one of the first industries to return to work in the pandemic’s early weeks, given its output of nearly $10-billion rivalled softwood lumber, rail transportation and mining. Look around you throughout your day and you’ll also see the work of artists in the pattern on your bedcover, the bowl you put cereal in, your jacket, your briefcase or purse, your eyeglasses and the design of your house, car and mobile phone. “We are surrounded by things made by creative people, so much so we rarely notice,” he says.
A 2010 Ontario government report, Ontario’s Entertainment and Creative Cluster: A Framework for Growth, outlined four categories in the artistic scene:
- Core arts and cultural workers: Artists, writers and authors, visual artists, performing artists and cultural institutions.
- Content production cluster: Film and video production, music recordings, commercial theatre, interactive digital media, book publishing, magazine publishing, newspaper publishing and radio and television broadcasting.
- Wider creative industries: Design (including industrial, graphic and fashion) and advertising.
- Supporting industries: Consumer electronics, information technology, software development, printing, recording materials, broadcast distribution, wireless carriers and others.
He acknowledges that opportunities for prosperity in the creative cluster are not distributed evenly. But there is plenty of scope for fulfilling and lucrative careers for those of an artistic bent. Indeed, he stresses a career is a series of choices, not a set job, in which you sell or offer your time in service of yourself, your chosen field and your community. If you remain grounded in that notion of service, your curiosity will lead you in directions you might never have dreamt of. Look back after 10 years or 20 years and you will be surprised at where your interest in art and creative endeavours led. Just be continuously curious and open.
Often an individual’s passion for artistic endeavours leads to them deciding, perhaps at an early age, to pursue a career in that field. He warns that it takes more than passion. “Like all love affairs, not every day is filled with passion. Some days are filled with questions, doubts or just plain old don’t-wanna-get-out-of-bed-today feelings,” he writes.
He adds that every filmmaker, musician, writer and designer has had moments when they seriously thought of quitting. It takes commitment to keep going.
The moments in which you feel doubtful can be as important as the moments of joy. They lead to questions and the exploration of new paths and opportunities. “A person who is driven by passion to become a famous actor without asking themselves in what other areas of the labour market their talents might be useful is not availing themselves of opportunities that may be worth examining,” he warns.
So, mommas and poppas, tell your children they can be artists as long as they are flexible.
Quick hits
- The best morning routine, author Mark Manson argues, is one that nobody told you about: Going to bed at a reasonable hour, after shutting off screens early and having a good dinner without caffeine or alcohol. He asks you to think of the last time you woke up feeling refreshed and compare what you had done the night before to a morning you woke up feeling dreadful.
- The most used emoji in the workplace, according to a U.S. study, is thumbs up – 54 per cent of people have used it. The intent is to be friendly, but 26 per cent of recipients see it as unprofessional.
- “Ninety per cent of success is not getting distracted,” suggests Ottawa thought leader Shane Parrish.
Harvey Schachter is a Kingston-based writer specializing in management issues. He, along with Sheelagh Whittaker, former CEO of both EDS Canada and Cancom, are the authors of When Harvey Didn’t Meet Sheelagh: Emails on Leadership.