The opening would be not much difference than me giving excuse for my lack of productivity. But this time I assume it is relevant with my next point. I write quite rarely because being an over-thinker I am, I sometimes think, who reads blog nowadays? What people read? And mostly now that I am a foreigner from Indonesia who study fine art in Singapore, the finance matter is something that keeps pressuring me down. So often times the works that I am making, I link that to how can I earn something out this. Why don't I spend my time working on a more "commercialized" works instead.
Turns out it is either something that blocks your productivity, or the other way round, it made you create a lot of stuff, but still, under huge pressure and it might turn you unhappy and the worst of all, hating your own works. Unless you really don't care at all about money and stuff. But pretty sure most of international student do, because the tuition fees are coming from our parent's money sent from much lower currency to singapore dollar. Now don't ask me why did I choose Singapore, art school, and majoring in fine arts because it can make another one long post.
But these past few weeks has been quite intense for my thoughts. I saw Elizabeth Gilbert's book titled Big Magic in school library and grasped it in instance. I read it quite fast because it is pretty light. Honestly everything went
just okay until it started mentioning the relation of creativity and finance. She preferred the idea that creativity should comes out from the artist genuinely (not in a raw way without interfere but in a way that the work was not made in pressured way). She said she used to work in a job that has no relation with writing at all. She invested an hour everyday on her writing, she thought about it between her day job. She also put some samples of other writers, artist, who do the same. Basically it is not that she is not supporting people to chase their dream job in a first place but she just kind of annoyed by the idea of starving depressed artist. I mean if someone still can maintain their sanity being broke and productive at the same time, then go ahead but it's not for everyone. And the idea struck me enough to get my head nodded fast.
At first I hesitated writing something about this just because I am not experienced enough. I mean I'm 19 years old girl with only a few experience of part time job, and serious art project so I am not there yet to put my own life as a sample. but I slapped my overthinking mind and said "it is just one blog post goddamnit, it might only be read by 5 people."
Anyway, I am just sharing the idea that I agree with and worth-trying. It suited my situation perfectly where in my first year, my fear of working with people (part-time job) got the better of me and ended me with the idea that I should be just focusing on my study only as I produce more works and earn money only from that scope of area. But turned out that time is ticking and I should find another alternative before it turned me into angry broke artist.
Also, the news of died people shaked me even more perhaps it's a sign that I have done nothing much with my life.
(sorry it went deep all of sudden)
And just about today, when we did gallery visit for investigating art class, I talked to one of my classmate, Ju-Lyn about the artist's profile that we were reading. And the talks went more broad into what did she do. She said she was actually a writer. It got me a
wow feeling. I like to write too! And then she said that she self-published her works.
wow. And then she had published some kind of magazine featuring several artist's works and distributed it for free.
wow. and then she said that she work in a government kind of job that has no relation with writing. I asked her why would she spread the idea and the effort she put into for free? she said she was inspired by her visit back then to Jogja when she saw some artist doing art performance (or dance..) watched by the local people (she was the only tourist) in the rice fields. It made her think that to share your ideas, you don't need all the classy white wall and cold space. There are many other ways.
so it was amazing thing to know really, you can check her website and what she does here : www.meekfreak.com/
I don't know what is my next plan. The thing is it all just combined perfectly in my mind.
