Art as a Luxury

I believe that all people are artists at their core. We all consume art and create art on a daily basis. It’s an integral part of being human. However, we are not all considered “artists”. Why is that? Much of my recent thinking has been revolving around this concept. What does it take to be considered an artist? If art is so fundamental to being considered human, why do so few of us bear this illusive moniker of “artist”?
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The broad consensus I’ve encountered is that you need to be able to make money off your craft to be considered an artist. Otherwise, you’re often not taken seriously in the role, considered a mere hobbyist, or even worse–considered to be wasting your time. I wholly disagree with this notion, but we’ll get to that. In order to fit into this socially acceptable brand of “artist”, a person needs three things: time, money, and connections. It’s the availability of these factors that will influence the amount of luck you need in creating a career.
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The Supposed Ingredients of Artistry

First, time and money. In order to gain any kind of recognition, an artist needs the time and flexibility to hone their skills and craft to a place where they can advertise it and attract potential sources of income. This can take the form of taking lessons, studying at a university, or simply learning via the magic of the internet. Either way, this takes a bunch of money and free time to accomplish. I put time and money in the same category as they are often interchangeable in our current world. People who have more money have the luxury of greater control over their own time. They can take time off, quit their job and find a new one, adjust their schedule to better suit their needs. These are fundamental advantages, especially in the pursuit of the arts as a career.
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Next, connections. Humans help the humans they know. This means if you happen to be born into a musical family, you will have access to more connections should you desire to pursue music. If your father is a famous painter, you’ll be close to a lot of artists, etc. This can also simply apply to wealth. Money opens doors, and if you have friends and family with considerable wealth, this can also be a valuable connection, regardless of your desired field. People talk about it like it's gross and taboo, but it’s an undeniable truth. Why shouldn’t people help those that they care about?
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Finally, luck. Is it possible to “make it” without ample time, money, or connections? Yes. However, your success will be based entirely on getting lucky at the right time. All careers are fundamentally based on this, but those who have had access to time and money, and happened to meet the right connections are exponentially more likely to capitalize on luck when it strikes. They’ll have a beautifully mixed album finished when their new single suddenly takes off, they’ll have mastered orchestration when they finally get a call to arrange something by a major artist, they’ll be a master of their instrument when they manage to get through semi-finals in their last audition. Luck is always a factor, but it strikes more substantially and more frequently for those with the privilege of having access to money, time, and connections.

Education

So what’s my point? Discredit the American magic of good ol’ hard work? Make people sad and upset? Well, not entirely. I do think this is a problem, and so a certain amount of discontent is appreciated in fueling any change. The answer to why the arts are so selective in who they consider to be a member occurred to me as I was looking into the history of education.
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There’s an interesting correlation between social movements and students throughout history. In fact, social movements almost always have their roots in schools in some way. I have yet to learn about a major revolution or social movement that has not had students (current and former) involved in some way. It’s almost as though receiving an education helps you better understand the state of the world – shocking. This is a trend that is especially prevalent in the liberal arts and humanities. I think this is because the arts teach us about ourselves and each other. As soon as you start seeing yourself in others, you start to understand their perspective. Humans help the humans they know.

Image source: (educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-year)

In fact, if you look up when the price of higher education started drastically increasing. It was almost directly in response to the social progressive movements on college campuses in the 60s. It seems the government realized that this whole education thing was making people question the way lives were being led at the time. Their solution of raising the cost of attending was a way to ensure that the only people with the knowledge and perspective to change the system would be the least likely to recognize it. The current system works okay for those who can pay their tuition out of pocket, not so much for those who struggle to do that for groceries.
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Working class families face the prospect of having their children take on extensive debt if they want a degree. At the same time, job prospects for those without a college degree are dwindling. Education is no longer about learning and the betterment of the self, it is about getting a return on an investment – an investment that obviously turns many but the most wealthy away from the arts as a feasible option.

Trouble in the Arts

Even for those fortunate enough to study in the arts, there’s a shocking disconnect between a student musician and their human needs. Oftentimes, conservatory students are treated as little more than note factories, pumping out pristine and flawless performances, all the while struggling with severe mental and physical injuries. The stigma that building a career in the arts is difficult is so prevalent that it becomes all consuming. The student experiences the pressure of needing to be “the best” in order to overcome the improbable odds. Instead of a collaborative community, they find a toxic and isolationist culture of working to the point of collapse. I often found myself struggling to find where the art was in this process. To me, it’s completely antithetical.

Even when we practice as “artists” we are being actively discouraged from pursuing our craft as it is intended – as a community. By keeping us fractured and unable to express ourselves, by preventing our access to knowledge that allows us to recognize the problems of our current system, we are kept trapped within this system. It’s through making the arts an elitist institution reserved for only the wealthiest and luckiest that it becomes a haven for abuses of power. It’s a nightmarish place where predators, egotists, and sociopaths flourish. All elements that make art what it is become diluted in this environment. I’ve found that many of the most famous monsters residing in this golden keep can scarcely call themselves artists. They’re something else altogether.
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Art as a Right

To be an artist is to be a human being and vice versa, there is no difference between the words. I’ve even seen some wonderful work by elephants and chimpanzees, so the definition may be even wider yet! To those who cling to the notion that their work can’t be considered “art” because they can’t make money off it, I ask you, were you making money drawing on the sidewalk with chalk at 5 years old? You still did it for some reason didn’t you? We all start out knowing that we are artists, but somewhere along the way we are convinced that we are not. We are convinced that we don’t have the ability to create. This is not true.

​Free expression, exploration, and collaboration are dangerous to a flawed system. Be dangerous. Be an artist. Express yourself freely, and pursue a path that enables others to do it as well. Those that do will find that they are far from alone. Fight for free and accessible education. Fight for students’ and teachers’ rights. Fight for the right to make art – the right to have the time, money, and freedom for expression. The more art in the world, the better the world. We have been led to believe that it is just a fleeting luxury, but it is so much more.

Thank you for reading, and happy jamming!