KIS.list: Week 13
The Month of November, 2001
Email Conversations with a Writer Friend
New York, NY
No acceptances, no rejections this week.
===KIINI'S ACCEPTANCE/REJECTION O'METER: August 2001 - present===
Acceptances: publications: 3, grants/fellowships: 0, residencies/workshops: 0
Rejections: publications: 4, grants/fellowships: 0, residencies/workshops: 0
===KIINI'S ACCEPTANCE/REJECTION O'METER: August 2001 - present===
I'd noticed one writer friend constantly complaining about money. On stage, in private, whenever conversations about her work came up, one of her responses would be "yeah, well, I ain't got no money." Her disgruntledness made me uncomfortable. I'll have to excavate (as another friend says when she has an unwarranted reaction to something) why someone else's complaint about money would become a concern for me. Perhaps part of my excavation is having a discussion with her about it. We started a conversation about (not) making money from your art over email. It's kind of funny how strongly I feel about the issue because I'm NOT making a living from my work. I have enough experience to have an opinion, but not enough to say "it worked for me!" I think I'll call my missives, "Preaching from the Middle."
On the Money Conversation
I've been all over the place on the money conversation. I've been a whiner: "Why can't I make money from my work?" I've been a bitter complainer: "My work is good. She got her first book at 23, why doesn't anybody want to take my book." I've been jealous of others. But one day I stopped and realized: I don't have a book. My writing might be "better", my ideas might be "stronger", but do I have a finished product? Do I have a strong product? Do I have a pathway for money to flow in?
We all know the saying: "Do what you love and the money will come." I believe in that saying, but not blindly. Do what you love in your basement and the money will come? No. [Actually there is probably at least one artist who was "discovered" in her basement, but hey that's not me.] Do anything you love, anything at all, and the money will show up, magically in your bank account without any participation from you? No. [Again, I bet there's at least one artist somewhere, who was minding his business, when someone said, I heard from a friend of a friend that you have an amazing novel and I want to buy it and give you an advance on your next three books, but...] I believe in order to make money I have to have a pathway for the money to come in.
What is a pathway for income?
Anyway that people can get to your product AND the money can get to you.
For example, I have a 400-page novel on my harddrive. That is NOT a pathway to income, because no one can get to it.
I have sent out this novel to a number of editors and agents, and they all say the structure doesn't work for them and they tell me in detail why. I do NOT have a pathway to income.
My agent-person at the time told me I probably could get the book published at a small academic press because the writing is strong, but it wouldn't serve my career. What would serve mcareer is to fix the structure and get it published by someone with a proven pathway to income.
What if I didn't want to go the mainstream publisher route? Quite a few writers whose craft you may or may not respect, published their own work, but that wasn't enough. They put the books in the car and found their readers. They went out and searched for direct connections between themselves and people's wallets.
I think one of the biggest realizations I had when I went to the Clarion Workshop is the distinction of developing readership. So you write an amazing book. So it's on the shelves with a million other books. Who is going to buy it? Why are they going to buy it? How are you going to turn that product into a pathway for income? These practical, pointed questions can get you thinking clearly about how the money is going to get to you. I don't doubt that the money is out there. I fully believe that we can all live off our art, but I believe it is up to us to find out how the money is going to get to us.
And it may be a lot of trail and error. I read somewhere that most millionaires have approximately three failed businesses in their past, many of them have filed for bankruptcy at least once. Do you know what that means? Earning money, like anything else is a process. Discovering how the funds are going to flow into your life is a process. It's a process that everyone- artist or not- has to discover for themselves.
People who work a nine to five are trading their time for money. Some of us are blessed enough to love their work, so that earning a living becomes secondary. Their jobs are seriously committed to the actual tasks their engaged in. But for most of us, we commit the majority of our waking hours to making money. And we get the money and we eat and drink and live.
Artists who refuse to work a conventional job are saying: "I am unwilling to trade my time for money. I want to make art. And I want to make a living from my art." Cool. Sometimes it works quickly, very few times does it work without focused and protracted struggle. As a 9-5er, you know exactly what kind of salary you need to maintain your work. As an artist, if you are interested in actually making a living off of your work, you should know exactly how many articles you need to write, paintings you need to sell, poetry performances you need to do per month to make a living off of your work. You need to have a quantifiable goal for self support. Every human being does. I just got an email from a fellow writer he said: "Well, I've just decided I'm going to be living off my writing by the time I'm 40. I put together a schedule and worked backwards from there. That means I need to have a novel by August. Yikes." Knowing this writer, I'm sure he factored in the possibility of sluggish response to his work, and factored in a slow-to-moderate build to prominence and more money for himself over time. He took his desire to make a living from his writing and made clear steps for himself so that he could make the commitments and work he needs to make sure that his goal can be met.
When we artists complain about not making money from our art, I think we are getting two things twisted.
1. Making money.
2. Making art.
Ideally, we as artists would like those two things to go together. And because we'd LIKE those two things to go together SO BADLY, we start confusing the two. And we think the quality of our work should correspond with the quantity of our income. "My work is good, I should be getting paid," I've thought bitterly. But skimming the bestseller lists will tell you immediately that making amazing art and making money do not necessarily go together. Money does not validate art. [In the mainstream mind it does, but really, there are many unpaid geniuses and many overpaid amateurs.] You have to decide for yourself what you're about. Are you interested in using your craft to make money? Or art? Or both?
If you are a writer and you're really committed to making money through writing, you'll write what makes money. Thrillers dominate the bestseller lists, and romances are quiet income earners. Also nonfiction books can be a surer shot than fiction or poetry. There are many books that will tell you exactly what to write to make money, but every time I sit down to try and make myself write a "quick romance,"
I stop. I can't do it. I'd rather spend my time working on my own stuff, than writing romance novels. And I have to be honest with myself. I want to make money from my work, but not at any cost. I am not interested in USING my talents as a writer to make money. I am interested in making art, then I am interested in making money from that art.
I think a lot of artists who complain about making money, aren't simply interested in making money, they're interested in making art that makes money. So admit that. Understand that is your own criteria, accept that as your path, take responsibility for that choice. If you are an artist and you are about making art, you will be making art regardless of your income level. That's exactly what I told my friend:
Whether or not you're making money, THE ART HAS TO BE MADE. If you're an artist THE ART HAS TO BE MADE. So it's no use pouting about money every time you have a conversation about art. Because if you are about the art, that's going to take precedence over the money. And if you're about the money, that's going to take precedence over the art. And no one way is RIGHT or BETTER or TRUER. But you need to know yourself. Know what you're committed to. Know what you're working towards. Make sure your actions are in line with your goals. Make sure the steps you are taking are conscious steps that will lead you to your desired outcome. When you sit down in front of that computer or canvas or piano, what are you committed to creating: money or art? Don't get it twisted. Can art make money? Of course, all the time. Are you focused on making money? If you are, your actions and your creative process should be attuned to that. Are you focused on making art? If you are, your actions and your creative process should be attuned to that.
I've never tried to live off of my art fulltime. Every day it gets harder and harder for me to commit to a 9 - 5. I had a period of time when I called myself "freelancing". Most of the time, I was hanging out in my apartment, working on my own writing and visiting editors who didn't have any work for me. In those few months I spent most of my savings. The income I earned from the few freelance jobs I did get was eaten up quickly because I wasn't getting enough work. That was my first foray in supporting myself with my art. I now have a better idea of what it would take for me to hustle up enough writing assignments for me to support myself. If I tried to write fulltime again, I think I'd be a bit more successful, but I have no assurances that I could actually cover my expenses. Each time I engage in the hustle, I believe I'll be sharper, meaner, more aggressive.
Trying to make a living from your work is like having your own small business. It's HARD, but the rewards are infinite. What's the word on small business? That most of them fail. That it is normal for them to take FIVE YEARS to start to turn a major profit. You are a small business. You might have to take out loans. You might have to work consistently at building an audience for five years. You might have to try more than one pathway for income to get it. You might have to fail a few times. You might have to face bankruptcy. You might have to be hungry. Is it worth it to you? My father would say: how bad you want it? How bad to you want to buck the system? The system defines the rhythms of our lives. The system defines the norms for gaining income. When we decide to swim against the stream, we have to develop muscles for a counter-mainstream lifestyle. I ask myself all the time: how bad do you want it?
Be well. Be love(d).
Kiini Ibura Salaam
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Red Clay Arts has been doing a monthly "in studio" series called Practicum for the past few months. It's an opportunity to see developing work and discourse with artists as they hone performance pieces. The next show is on December 20. All of the performances are located at: BRIC Studio, 647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY at 7:30.
Check the website for performance details: www.redclayarts.com.
LIMITED RSVP @ 718.783.7648 and [email protected]
December20 o 7:30PM Multimedia Rumba
Dealing with the ritual and transcending power of dance and concepts of community, the "Multimedia Rumba" reinforces these universal concepts while adapting them to a new technological terrain. Live music, ceremony, fete, cultural iconography, and visual stimuli abound in this non-traditional Cuban Rumba.
January17 o 7:30PM Reverb
A sampling of artists from a proposed larger exhibit, "Reverb" concentrates on the overlapping of contemporary visual art practices and DJ Culture. Interactive installations, paintings, sound sculptures, and other mixed media projects will be included. "Sound Lounge" will be set up for various performers to interact with the exhibition.
February21 o 7:30PM Cat Calls
The first Installment of the "Cat Calls" exhibition slated for debut in 2002. This multimedia installation replicates the affect of the male sport of cat calling and its effect on women. Panel discussion and an interactive walk of shame add texture to the experience.
ALSO: "DOWNTOWN 81 WEEKEND: A Tribute to Jean Michel Basquiat"
1980's Avant Garde New York. Millennium Neo-Renaissance Washington, DC. Experience the meeting of these two worlds as Various Innovative Projects and Contexture present "DOWNTOWN 81 WEEKEND: A Tribute to Jean Michel Basquiat". Join us as we celebrate the life and work of the legendary Haitian-American Artist by presenting his feature film debut, DOWNTOWN 81. Then, witness his legacy through the works of DC's artistic community!
Jean Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was a 19-year-old painter, graffiti artist, poet and musician when he played the lead in this film, which vividly depicts the explosive downtown New York art and music scene of 1980-81. Basquiat was an important figure on that scene. He had yet to have his first exhibition. But his paintings and words were part of the city landscape. Today, his paintings hang in museums and important collections around the world and he is internationally recognized as one of the most important artists of the late twentieth century.
The film is a day in the life of a young artist who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, whose lives (and performances) we peek into. He finally manages to sell his painting to a wealthy female admirer, but he's paid by check. Low on cash, he spends the evening wandering from club to club, looking for a beautiful girl he had met earlier, so he'll have a place to spend the night. Basquiat is a natural actor - witty, radiant, the epitome of coolness and artistic exuberance. The cast includes Deborah Harry, Fab Five Freddy (Yo! MTV Raps) and leading bands of the era including Kid Creole and the Coconuts, James White and the Blacks, DNA, Tuxedo Moon, the Plastics, and Walter Steding and the Dragon People. DOWNTOWN 81 not only captures one of the most interesting and lively artists of the twentieth century as he is poised for fame, but it is a slice of life from one of the most exciting periods in American culture, with the emergence of new wave music, new painting, hip hop and graffiti.
There will be 3 days of screenings, from 12/6-12/8. Before and after the screenings will be various presentations and performances, giving you a taste of the eclectic world Basquiat was a part of. Thursday, December 6th is not only the start of the whole affair, but is the kick-off date for "Neosoulevents.com", a weekly showcase of multimedia expressions thru live music, poetry, and video. Your regular dose of art will be accentuated by rare grooves provided by notable DC DJ Munch, and acting as your hosts will be Todd B of WPGC (95.5 FM), Gloria "Globot" Nauden (Radar Entertainment) and Jean Michel Basquiat himself - made manifest through W. Ellington Felton.
Far from an exaggeration, W. Ellington Felton is the closest reincarnation of the late artist DC has. A creative jack-of-all- trades, Felton has made a name for himself in the Metropolitan Area and beyond as an actor, vocalist, Hip-Hop artist, DJ and spoken word poet. Currently a full-time actor at the Area Stage, W. has also launched Art Hurts! A multimedia production company that currently consists of a record label and clothing line. The apparel consists of one-of-a-kind articles of clothing, the designs derived from the imagery of paintings and words. As well, the Art Hurts! musical productions are "Dub Ell's" (one of his many nom de plumes) attempt to "paint pictures w/ music" and providing something new on a regular basis. Having set the goal of releasing a new album every 3 months, Felton has so far succeeded, having already released "Art Hurts!" and just recently, "Soul Sonnets" both achieving critical acclaim and impressive sales. In fact, he's already planning his next trip back to the studio for his third project, scheduled to be released early next year.
In the meantime, On Friday, December 7th, Dub returns, with band in tow, to host and perform at "Downtown 81-Uptown 01", a one- night presentation of local artists and their projects. Included will be a second screening of Downtown 81, a mini-gallery of visual works and a screening of the trailer for "Piece of Mind", a short film written and directed by DC filmmakers Kobie Nichols and ayo, scheduled for release April 2002. Ending the night will be an 80's Hip-Hop/ New Wave Rock after party, bringing Munch back for an encore set. And speaking of encores, for those who miss the festivities, or would rather watch the film minus all of the added excitement, there will be an encore matinee screening on Saturday, December 8th .
All of the events will take place at Mangos, DC's premiere venue for live music, open-mike poetry and Caribbean Fusion Cuisine. Mangos is located at 2017 14th St. NW, along the historical U St. Corridor. Parking is available next door.
Come and pay tribute to a man, a movement and a legacy!
For information about the event, contact O. Abiola Akintola (Contexture)@ 410.646.2711 [email protected] .
For more information on the film, go to http://www.downtown81.com
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Itinerary for DOWNTOWN 81 WEEKEND: A Tribute to Jean Michel Basquiat
Celebrate the life of artist Jean Michel Basquiat (1960- 1988) by watching his feature film debut DOWNTOWN 81 (a Zeitgeist Films Release). Then witness his legacy through the works of DC's artistic community!
3 Screenings @ Mangos
2017 14th St NW (14th & U)
Washington, DC
(Parking Lot Next Door)
Thursday, 12/ 6: "Neosoulevents.com"
· 6pm-Happy Hour
· 8pm-Downtown 81: Screening I
· Weekly multi-media expressions thru live music, song, poetry, and video
· Records by Munch, the Rare Groovesman
· Hosted and Produced By W. Ellington Felton (Art Hurts!), Todd B (WPGC), Gloria "Globot" Nauden (Radar)
· $6.00
Friday, 12/ 7: "Downtown 81-Uptown 01"
· 6pm-Doors Open
· 8pm-Downtown 81: Screening II (Preceded by Screening of Trailer for "Piece of Mind")
· Visual Art Display
· Hosted/ Performance by W. Ellington Felton
· Munch's 80's Hip-Hop/ New Wave Rock After Party
· $10.00
Saturday, 12/ 8: "Matinee @ Mangos"
· 1pm-Doors Open
· 2pm-Downtown 81: Encore Screening
· Lunch menu