For years I've been an EVEN KEEL kind of person. A woman that likes it when people get a long, a woman that prides herself on keeping the boat on calm waters. The problem is, this kind of glossy behavior has left me feeling used and bitter. Different faces and different places but ultimately the same kind of circumstances.
I am an artist, and HISTORICALLY artists have been taught that our efforts fall short, that there is no money in art, and that we need to preface our TITLE with the word STARVING. A STARVING ARTIST. How many times have you heard that term in your life? It is false and a device for SQUARES to PUT US IN OUR PLACE - at the bottom of the ladder.
Shit even goes down with other artists! It's so crazy (at the bottom of this ladder) that everyone is trying to push each other out of the way to get a rung higher. Other artists will even USE you to climb up - in a passive aggressive way like stealing your imagery that you took over a decade to develop and establish (PLEASE DON'T VISIT MY STUDIO OR SHOWS WITH THE INTENTION TO STEAL IDEAS AND MAKE SIMILAR WORK BECAUSE THAT IS THE LAMEST THING YOU CAN FUCKING DO AND PEOPLE NOTICE), or a manager at an art residency you live at asking you to suck his dick and then when you refuse he continues to damage your artwork and your self esteem while you live in the house (PLEASE BE AWARE OF WHO YOU SUPPORT EVEN IF THEIR SOCIAL CURRENCY SEEMS HIGH BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF SELFISH ASSHOLES OUT THERE), or more obviously aggressive when a friend takes money that was delegated for you (in a grant for instance) and NEVER gives you credit for the help in securing the funding (PLEASE IF YOU APPLY FOR A COLLABORATIVE GRANT DON't GHOST YOUR FRIEND WHO WAS THE ONLY PART OF THE APPLICATION THAT HAD EXPERIENCE WITH WHAT YOU WERE APPLYING TO DO)...Cities also, seem to have NO IDEA how much it costs to put a giant mural up! It's like we are EXPECTED to do life-risking-sized murals at below cost, so the artist is literally paying to do the project for "EXPOSURE". Well, I don't need YOUR EXPOSURE. I also don't need friends that don't reciprocate my generosity in finding them jobs and getting them paid. I want authentic, badass friends and cohorts that truly share the mutual respect it takes to build the arts and support the community.