Thoughts on assholes

Some people don’t realize how big of an asshole they really are. Just so everyone knows artists (for the most part) work really hard to produce work, get it seen, show in galleries, and get some sales so they can continue making art. For me, it’s pretty much a 24/7 job and while I love it, it takes a lot out of me and sometimes I get really emotionally drained doing it. 

Maybe at this point you ask why, and for those of you who didn’t oh well I’ll tell you anyway.

Artists get the short end of the stick most of the time. 

We put lots of time, and often money, into what we do. We typically lose at least 50% of our sales to galleries when they show our work. We spent countless hours trying to market our services and work to get clients and fans who really don’t give a shit and sometimes have really terrible taste (I’m looking at everyone who thinks all that Disney princess re-imagined crap is “art” because it’s not original, usually not done very well and I think most people would agree they are sick of seeing it). On top of that, some “art fans” are total dicks. Granted, sure they have the right to feel or say whatever they want, and I’m not going to sit there and say we should take that away from anyone. But let’s stop for a moment and think about how fucking awesome it is to spend tons of time working on something and investing a lot of yourself and your checkbook into putting something in the world. You are already nervous about how it will be received and since you know that on it’s debut you will be one of 100+ sheets of printed paper cramped into a space the size of your living room with tons of people who all have no idea where to look and are distracted by tons of crap to see all at once. The best you can do it pretend you know nothing about it and move onto the next project because the only place to turn to see what people are saying about your work is the internet. 

Enter the assholes. All the people who have some weird fucking entitlement because they are collectors and who are insanely harsh judges of a craft they could never dream of executing themselves. All the people who see everything and have nothing better to do than rip people apart just because they can. 

I invite you, dear assholes, to go shove it right up your ass.

Guess what. I don’t want to be “collected” I want my work to be enjoyed. I do not, will not, and never shall, tailor my work or practices to meet your ridiculous expectations. 

I deal with enough crap already trying to make it in this business that stupid jerkoffs that feel the need to be assholes for the sake of being an asshole really only serve to piss me off and make me really upset. 

Do you know what being an asshole is most likely to result in eventually? Being such a dick to all the new artists who are trying to figure shit out that you pressure them into not creating new work, not showing their work, or getting a desk job. So congratulations assholes, you’re winning at killing the art scene. 

Thank you for that! Who needs art anyway?