I’ve always wanted to be a Patron of the Arts. Like the wealthy Athenians of the early CE centuries, sponsoring playwrights, philosophers or poets, and revelling in their success. I would look enviously at engraved seats in a London theatre or floor tiles at the Royal Exchange. I might not be able to act, sing, paint or anything, but I can appreciate talent and I like to be surrounded by it.
I have never understood the idea that art is not worth paying for. Those directors/ producers offering roles for “exposure” or someone complaining about original artwork price. We see them everywhere. People wanting something bespoke and handmade for the price of a mass produced piece of plastic.
When I am consulting I have a daily rate. It’s what I think I’m worth. And, it turns out what other people are prepared to pay for me. They are paying for my time, my brains and experience and my ginormous skills with a spreadsheet. Now I have a permanent role, this is what my salary is for (plus my superb team management ;)).
That’s in the corporate world, and it translates across into the creative sphere. You are paying for someone’s talent and skill, time, materials, equipment etc. Add to that, it is bespoke, individual and maybe even a one off. So you have to take all that into account.
I keep reading about people who have been asked to knock their prices down for a piece of original work and I see it amongst my more talented chums all the time:
I follow a remarkable embroiderer on Twitter who has said he won’t take commissions any more as people always complain about the price. I’ve looked at his etsy shop. In my view, he under charges. You can check it out here and see what you think https://etsy.me/2YpXGIz
I recently had a worried email from a crafty chum about her cotton masks. She had had someone comment on the value for money and was just checking in. Now I’ve got three. Because they are so cute. And practical. See here https://etsy.me/2YsAAku
I have been able to satiate my longing via some online apps. Patreon.com let’s you give a small monthly payment to an artist or performer to help them create their art. So whilst I cannot afford to sponsor an artist, i am part of a collective who together support artists so that they are able to create and share their talent. Neat huh?
I also helped publish a book on unbound.co.uk .If you read Evil Machines by Terry Jones, you may notice in the back a list of people who helped make it happen and yours truly is there, in print and everything.
I’m also an avid Kickstarter. Kickstarter allows inventors, producers, creators to get the funding for their project from many people. So rather than a loan of say, £100,000, the producer will offer levels of “treats” for investment.
Take a movie. You can invest £100 and get your name at the end of the film, or £50 and get a digital copy of the film. The key thing here is that you are investing and therefore it’s a risk. It is not ordering or buying. I am saying (along with maybe 10,000 other people) “I think this is a good idea. Here is my stake to help you try and make it happen”. But I’m not risking £100,000, just £50 or a tenner or whatever.
Sometimes it works out and sometime it doesn’t. Thems the breaks. <shrugs>
And so I ask you to support your local creators and artists. Value their work, like you value your own.
To creatives feeling silly about asking for money for their work, I beg you to watch Amanda Palmer’s Ted Talk “The Art of Asking.” Let people pay you for your work.
On a final note, I’ve got my own tile at Withington Baths and it’s just as fabulous as I’d hoped!
