How to Get Paid in Art & Design | Episode 12

The idea of the starving artist is so thoroughly embedded in our cultural imagination that it is nearly impossible to understand the role of the artist without poverty. In this episode we look at the idea of the artist as an economically self-sufficient cultural producer. In this episode we examine a few very specific strategies to help you create an economically sustainable studio practice. The notion that the artist must starve for their art is a primary component of a toxic and disempowering mythology. The idea that commerce and art are diametrically opposed is a false dichotomy.

Marc Ecko’s advice on Independence
The graffiti artist turned streetware merchandiser Marc Ecko has an surprisingly insightful book entitled “Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out.” In this book Ecko makes the case for artistic and financial independence. Among other issues, he discusses how he built a streetware empire through a direct connection to his audience. One of the most important ideas he discusses is the idea that power, and consequently “opportunity,” is developed at the street (grassroots) level. As an example Ecko discusses how Tommy Hilfiger approached him about collaboration only after Ecko had independently developed a strong relationship with an audience. Ecko, through his diligence, created a relationship with an audience that Hilfiger wanted access to.