Pandora's Box

Still kickin it though to some I may have dropped off the sphere. Unfortunately this week I can say that I am truely behind in my work as there isn't a youtube video, a photo, or a drawing ready to be posted yet. In part is because I happened to be distracted by opening Pandora's Box, an old file backup that showcases over 15 years of my art and most of my first digital / mix media paintings. With several gigs of images and work to throw on top of my already existing photography library, I am a bit purplexed.

Added to the mix were two wonderful evenings with a public life drawing workshop and a Dr. Sketchy's drawing workshop over the course of this week and last weekend. I can not thank the people I met there for such a warm reception to my digital workspace as it completely opened my eyes and my heart. But in that alone lies the problem.

For the last several years I have gained clients through my art who were only interested in what I could do in other fields regarding commercial tech work, web design, and so forth. So while the skills I learned in college and schools to promote my own artwork and projects were leased for other self owned businesses, my ambitions were forced to the back burner by being only one guy to handle it all.

To solve the situation I will be working on finding ways to cut out 40% of the jobs and clients I worked for in the coming weeks if not simply just walk away. The solution will be either to pass down web design and tech jobs for those tasks to my family or to turn it over to my friend's company that is now recently starting. The only true salvage would be to remain in blog design, a blog writer for clients, or other social media. But even to that extent I must stress the importance and the desire to only work with fellow artists, photographers, and creatives interested in sharing or changing our world and not just anyone with a buck.

The time it takes away from my own work to do someone elses, the fees will rise if it isn't even in the same field of the work I am activitly fighting for. Some will be less than others while others are doubled till new arrangements can be made in writing. Next week I start the last of my current obilgations, another video editing production for an out of state Casino. Unfortunately the other sidework is in court for renegotiations since not one of my clients have followed through on any of the tiniest of claims they mentioned over the last several months, especially those who's were cut special rates under mutural agreements that I scratch their back, they scratch mine.

It may appear at first look that in this blog I am ungreatful for the work I have been given. And yes to some publicly announcing this probly could be one of the worst business decesions I could make, but right there is the point. I am an "artist" first before a business man and although its great I worked my self to death to learn all that I know now in tech and new media, it was for visual fine art. its promotion, and its evolution in today's world. It has never been my goal to have a "business" dealing with the internet and tech when I already had one in making and selling fine art.

So after the last sub contracted job is over I will have to stop, examine the damage in how many of my paintings are uncomplete, the quality of the work, and how many I could had finished if I hadn't allowed myself to be pulled away for somebody's website or their commercial projects. To understand fully just how much in the red by being continuously booked for everything "but" art when that time could have been spent photoshooting, tattoo designing, mural work, and lots of other art forms I adore. Even film making documentaries on a local artists, dance performances, or even local music acts fall in suit of what keeps me going well over the financial implications.

So does this mean the end of Fairytales? Not really, call it a change in taste. Yes the web offers come, but in my world I prefer to cater to others like myself. I am eager to help other photographers, artists, and creative people out there trying to share or earn something off their work however I can. And even if it comes down to me doing websites and blogs for them, sure I will lend a hand. But for "anyone" wanting a website that has no humanistic or cultural goals in mind, that will have to be channeled a bit differently and has to be compensated for the times I am forced to "color" outside the lines of the art world. Rather spend my days painting, photographing, and making movies of my work and of other artists or independent performers. And thats my FairyTale..

-=(gRiMz