And now, the "Why?"

(WARNING: long and rambling discourse ahead...)

Following up on last nights post, i want to amplify...

Why we should support small and unknown artists

(note: my definition of artists includes makers and creators of all kinds)

Well, first of all because if we don't the alternatives are:

Walmart, CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, the Times, the Post, the Tribune, the Chronicle, cinema mulitplexes, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Pottery Barn, Southebys, Starbucks, Christies, Sears, the co-opted corporate driven NPR, The Gap, McDonalds, Disney, Columbia, Paramount, Sony Media, et al...

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm as much of a consumer of the stuff these guys (and others) sell as anybody. Sometimes willingly, often by necessisity or lack of other options. But I buy from them with my eyes wide open. I know in advance what I'm getting is a product, commodity, or information that is without soul and content, and exists for the sole purpose of generating income and/or furthering some agenda either known or unknown. These entities and others like them are efficient delivery systems existing for the sole purpose of profit. And they do it well, getting bigger and stronger every day. I have a theory that one day there'll only be like 3 major companies in the US that sell everything needed to a culture of desensitized consumer worker drones....

But I digress. Back to why: if you buy a handmade from a local potter, if you buy handcrafted journal to write or draw in from a book artist, if you buy a loaf of artisanal bread and a chunk of real cheese made from real goats, if you support or purchase a piece of handwritten poetry, if you buy a scarf from a weaver, then you are saying at least two things: YES to life and making and interpersonal exchange, and NO to corporate assimilation. You are choosing to celebrate (and support) the small, the personal, the human. You are willing to see beyond product, and seek out content and character.

Working artists in our culture are a well-hidden secret. Our society celebrates the rock star, the BIG hit, the Deal, the huge sale, the celebrity, the superstar. It cultivates that mentality; big, loud, all out of proportion. Yet daily, there are unknown people everywhere doing fabulous, poignant, highly sophisticated work of all kinds- poetry, books, glass, movies, sculpture...and you never hear of them, you rarely see them. What they (we) do is a labor of love. We are all around you, some of you reading this ARE one of us, that great pool of unknowns. (and if you're not, you should be, go MAKE something!)

So, here's another reason you should support your local small artist: they really really need it. A lot of us work jobs to support our making. Materials, however humble, usually cost something. Even paint and paper, or yarn. And time...we work our jobs and make our art in the seams of time we can pry out of the days and nights. Do you know how long it takes to knit mittens? Do you know how long it takes to write an engaging story or poem? Do you know the overhead it takes to make ONE blown glass? Even newish art forms, like blogging for instance, or an on-line zine, or little movie shorts on the web, costs something to produce. All I'm saying is that when you stumble across something you like, you should support it. It's cultivation: if you want the flowers to bloom you have to water them a little bit occasionally.

Clearly this topic is near and dear to me. I believe in the accessibility of art, and the necessity of it, especially in these days and times. The only way to make it more accessible is to support it whenever possible. It's ok to be selective, support what you like, or what you use. If you live in a city and theres a street musician on your way to work, and you like what you hear, let them know. Drink coffee at your desk? Get yourself a nice mug from a potter. Journal? Handmade book. Cold outside? Handknit sweater and/or a woven scarf. Read a blog that makes you feel optimistic about the human condition? Support it. That funny animation you watch over and over on your laptop? Someone worked a long time to do it, and it costs them to post it for the world to laugh at, so encourage them to do more. Contribute.

My wife and I are working artists. We don't make a living at it, we both have day jobs. We live in an area where there are over 100 working artists and craftspeople, many of national renown. Hardly any do much better than just get by financially, yet they're in their studios for long hours, continuing to make stuff. My personal opinion is that no one, and I mean no one, is entitled to a free (or even cushy ride). I believe you have to pull your own weight and make your own way. So if you're an artist, that's your choice and the challenges come with the territory. Figure out how to keep your head above water, and make stuff. Art and commerce have nothing to do with each other. So I'm definitely not encouraging handouts.

But, if you want something unique, on a human scale, with heart and soul invested, something with content in this culture of ours that is lacking it in so many ways, support your local (or remote) artist. Say YES to vibrant humanity, and NO to the endless stream of crap created to take your money and make you feel less than adequate. You and the artist will be glad you did.

And, make something yourself; its just as good and as equally valid as anything anyone else does!

(we now return to our regularly scheduled ponderings...)