Keynote Address, October 25, 2007

VSA arts of Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI

~ Philip Patston / Comedian, Writer, Consultant

Employment in the Arts is not an easy endeavor, nor one to be undertaken lightly.  It can be a tricky thing - and a very rewarding effort.  But if you want an easy row to hoe, don’t chase a career as an artist, ‘cuz it ain’t.  However, an artistic career can lead to notable opportunities for personal evolution and satisfaction, and it can enhance the meaning of our lives, becoming “ a miraculous expression” of our humanity.

Today I’ll share with you a little bit about my own background ~ but be warned:  I have no Magic Formula that ensures Artistic Enlightenment, Fame, Fortune, nor guarantees of employment.  Nor do I have All The Answers To Everything You Always Wanted to Know About How to Become A Professional Artist But Were Afraid To Ask.  But I can tell you what I think and how I feel.

It’s really only been a few years since I’ve realized that I do actually have a career as an artist - usually I just think of myself as a "working stiff."  I began in the mid-70's, as a teenager.  After a year of volunteering with the local community theater ~ originally recruited to audition by my mom ~ I accepted summer employment with the Rockerville Meller Dramer in a little tourist trap just outside Rapid City, South Dakota:  my very first paid acting job.  A year later, as a graduating high school senior, I told my dad I wanted to study theatre in college; he said, "Why don't you study art? ~ you draw so well!"  Being a precocious teenager, of course I had a snappy comeback:  "What's the difference, Dad?  I can be a starving artist or a starving actor."  He smiled, co-signed the loan papers, and I enrolled as a freshman co-ed at the University of South Dakota, declaring my major in Theatre Arts.  At that point I didn't really know what sort of career I would have, I just knew that I had been bit by the theatre bug and I was officially a Drama[ Junkie.

Then my life changed dramatically in the middle of my sophomore year at university.  In 1980 I survived a spinal cord injury; and I almost gave up my dream of working professionally in the Theatre.  During the recovery process, when I tried to imagine what else I would do with my life, I couldn't.  I could not conjure up an image of myself not doing theatre.  It was slightly frightening, but in that moment I made a lifetime commitment to the Arts.  And now, I don't work in the Arts in order to get rich and famous, I do so because it feels like the right thing for me to do.  And I consider myself a success ~ I'm not rich or famous !

But I am employed, and in the Arts. I‘ve worked as actor, Actor/Educator and Teaching Artist.  I’ve toured internationally, and I have been employed repeatedly as an arts administrator.  This was not one of my original career goals, but I learned to take a job in the Arts where I could get it.  My volunteer work on Boards of Directors with various non-profit arts organizations has also brought me a wealth of information and experience in arts-related issues, strategies and skills, and I consider these opportunities part of my professional development.  Three vital things I have learned in my pursuit of gainful employment during the past three decades are:

Today, with more than 30 years of production credits and employment history, I do now consider myself a professional artist.  And since I was invited to address you ~ Aspiring, Emerging, professionally developing Artists ~ the first thing I'll tell you about pursuing a career as an artist is this:

Don't do it unless you absolutely cannot live without making your art.  Whatever it is ~ visual arts, literary, dance, theatre, music, film, video, or humour...  If you're thinking about the Arts as a highly lucrative pursuit that will earn you massive amounts of money, or you dream only of being Fabulously Famous ... DO NOT DO IT.  If Rich & Famous are your fundamental goals, get out of the Arts and get into information technology ~ sell stuff online.

If you are inspired and motivated ~ passionate ~ about having a career in the arts (… because you know that making your art is something you absolutely have to do, and that you will wither away and die if you don't …), then my advice is equally simple.  DO IT.  And don't mess around about it ~ do it to the absolute best of your ability.

Ask yourself this question:  “What do I want to do ? ”  When you imagine yourself five, ten, fifteen years from now, what do imagine yourself doing?  If you could do anything you want to do, what would it be?  What WILL it be?  In order to get there, first you have to imagine it.  You must have an artistic vision, even a mission statement. If you can dream it, you can do it.  Heed the advice of Goethe:

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it now.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

If you're a budding artist you do need to have some notion of what kind of career you want.  Talk to people about what you like to do ~ and listen to yourself, listen to what you say to them.  Notice what you love to do ~ do you feel happiest when you're finger painting with children?  Do you prefer music to paint?  When you write poetry, do you lose track of time and savor the reverie?  Does the rhythmic sound and feel and product of a floor loom captivate you for hours at a time?  Do you play your African drum ‘til your hands hurt?  What do you enjoy doing ~ irresistibly, even when you are tired, hungry, frustrated and you really just want to go home?

Follow your bliss.  Discover what you are passionate about, and leverage that into a career.  You can specialize, and be a painter, or a musician ~ and only that.  Or you can diversify, which is what I did.  "Something like a Swiss Army knife, that's my life," to quote one of my heroes. It's sort of like an investment portfolio ~ specialized or diversified.  And it is  an investment … in yourself.

You may need to make additional investments as well.  If you are not already 100% certain that a career in the Arts is what you want, you may need to explore that question more deeply before deciding about pursuing higher education and further training.  There are resources that can help.  Find them; use them. The VSA arts Home Office published a career resource a few years ago, titled Putting Creativity to Work. This free practical guide offers strategic tips, specific questions and valuable exercises to help guide you through the process of defining your interests, skills and needs, and clarifying your choices.  And did I mention it’s free?  Other books such as What Color is Your Parachute? may also offer additional ideas about employment options and career choices.  Be persistent and find an answer to that question: “ What do I want  to do ? ”

The practice of persistence is also enhanced by making a deep and personal commitment to professionalism – your own professional development and the professional quality of your work as an artist.  Those of you here today have already begun.  In manifesting your passion for your art, you must commit to doing your absolute best – as an artist and as a human being.  Understand that learning is a lifelong endeavor.  There is always something new to learn, a skill to refine to a higher level, new methods or techniques to study, practice and master.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of training.  So I will say it quite plainly - GET TRAINED.  Consider which basic skills are necessary for you, and which are transferable from one type of work to another.  Get trained in the basic techniques and Best Practices of your art form, and work at refining and strengthening them.  I cannot OverEMphasize the importance of training.  Get trained; go to school; study.

Community college, university, night classes in continuing education, art classes at a local arts center, or independent study using online resources.  Practice your craft, refine your skills, and never stop challenging your limitations and stretching your creativity.  Any job can feed your development as an artist, because each work experience will develop you as a human being.  As an artist that is your most vital resource - your humanity.  You need to be open to personal growth ~ you must actively seek it.  Creatively develop your Self, as a person of depth and breadth in order to maximize your artistic potential.

You will also need self-advocacy skills in your search for gainful employment in the Arts as an artist with a disability (AWD), so make friends with your local Center for Independent Living.  Professional agencies such as the Media Access Office in California, and organizations like the National Arts & Disability Center In Los Angeles can help you network with peers and professional colleagues.  When you work with employment counselors and career consultants, it's vital that you have some specific ideas about how your interests and abilities may be utilized in the job market, and how you envision yourself earning a living.  Develop options and choices.  Learn to operate within the state and federal systems that are mandated to provide assistance, including your state Vocational Rehabilitation Department, employment agencies, and the funding community.  It can be tough to get through the bureaucracy ~ and that is very good training and practice in self-advocacy and persistence.  It can fortify your commitment to reach your goals and achieve your dreams.

Having specific goals is vital to your success in pursuit of you career as an artist.  Some goals are huge.  Some aren't.  The scale of the goal doesn't matter as much as clarity.  For example - why are you here?  Not just on the planet, but in this room?  What is your goal in attending this event ~ this session?  Have you thought about it?  Are you here to learn a new skill?  To meet one new colleague with whom you might collaborate?  Why did you make the effort to get here, today, now?  Decide one thing you aim to get out of each experience, or one question you can ask that will help get you where you want to be. 

Don't let well-meaning service providers or administrators convince you that the Arts are not a viable choice of employment for you as a person living with a disability.  Remember, it's not impossible just because it may be difficult for someone else to envision.  YOU envision it.  Literally hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide are found in the Arts and Entertainment industries.  There are administrative, technical, creative design, marketing, and human resource opportunities in arts employment.  Do not allow another person’s “illusion of limitation” to constrain your imagination or potential.  In our increasingly global economy, imaginative approaches to work and education are needed. Recent progress and ongoing efforts in physical and programmatic access need to be supported by an inclusive attitude.  And all trained and qualified workers need to be put to work, effectively and humanely, because all of us have the right to earn a living and be contributing citizens - and taxpayers !

Seek out your peers and talk to each other, share your work.  Reading, viewing, considering, discussing and assessing the work of your fellow artists is as important as applying those processes to your own work.  Make stuff with other artists. Get familiar with other artists with disabilities ~ find out who is out there and what they are doing.  When you meet other artists (with and without disabilities) talk with them; ask them questions and listen to the answers.  And when I say talk with your peers, I mean talk with them, not AT them.  Please resist the temptation to bitch and moan and complain about how hard it is and the many barriers you face.  It is sometimes helpful to vent about frustrations ~ but please keep it in perspective.  If you focus exclusively on “how hard it is” it never gets any easier.  Build a support system of individuals who believe in your abilities and affirm your right to choose your career and your life.

If you really want that professional arts job, then BE the best person for the job!  Take yourself and others seriously as artists. Take responsibility for yourself, as a professional.  Take responsibility for yourself as a person with a disability.  Don't allow other people to define you by your disability, but don't deny it to yourself or anyone else.  Respect your boundaries ~ stretch your limitations.  Get health care insurance; work on independence skills.  If you work with personal caregivers, manage them in a professional manner; take good care of your skin, your diet, your hands, your limbs, your heart ~ your sense of humor.

Participate in the growing global community of people with disabilities. Join an organization such the American Association for People with Disabilities, support the National  Organization on Disability, the Institute for Independent Living, and Disabled Peoples International; become a member of the United Spinal Association; keep your membership current, read the newsletter, use online resources ~ apply for funding and employment opportunities !  Join me as part of the VSA arts online Artists Registry.  Being well informed as a citizen and as an artist is one of the most effective strategies you can put into practice ~ and you have begun by being here today.

If you think you're gonna get a break because you have a disability, think again.  But please don't whine about it.  Remember - nobody owes you nuthin'.  If we ever allow ourselves to use disability as an excuse for mediocre work, we have already failed.  It feeds the mythical, stereotypical image that we "can't handle it."  And we can't just claim that we can handle it ~ we have to actually do it.  You may encounter ignorance, prejudice, assumptions, idiocy, rude behavior and perhaps even cruelty as you pursue your career as an artist.  Are you willing to educate someone who may see you as “a cripple,” someone who focuses only on what you cannot do?  Are you willing to challenge them to see what you can do?

If our ambition exceeds our willingness to make the effort, stretch our limitations, refine our skills, and deepen our commitment to professionalism, we do not do our best work.  As artists with disabilities we often face the dilemma identified by Feminists in the 70s – “In order to be half as good as a man, we have to be twice as a good as a man.”  In pursuit of our careers as artists we may encounter people who are willing to assess our work as “Not bad for a cripple.”  Do you want people to say that about your work?

If not, a passionate and persistent commitment to professionalism is absolutely vital.  And if you ever hear a voice in your head say “Well, that’s good enough…” ~ Beware !  Ask yourself instead, “Is this really the best I can do?  Am I satisfied with it?  What can I do better?”  We must hold ourselves, and each other, to the same standards of artistic merit that apply to artists without disabilities, not separate standards.  Separate is not equal.  All artists need to know that their creative work is being considered, assessed and supported based on artistic merit.

Some people emphasize talent as a key element of a successful artistic career.  Others think all they really need is that One Big Lucky Break.  I was taught that professional training, passionate hard work and good-humored persistence are at least as important as talent and lucky breaks.  And I believe that the so-called Lucky Break finds us by following that trail of endeavor towards excellence.  It finds us when we are in the right place at the right time, on task, on the job ~ and still open to unexpected opportunities.

So my suggestion for Aspiring Artists is simple:  Don't pursue a career in the Arts unless you love the Arts truly, madly, deeply ~ irresistibly.  If you do choose to chase your dream, dare to be authentic, genuine, truly Your Self – and true to your Self.  Celebrate your successes and achievements, honor your best efforts, learn from mistakes, challenges and even criticism; then get over it and get on with it.  If you rely strictly on the approval of otehrs for your self-esteem and equilibrium, you will be vulnerable to all manner of self-doubt.  Create a way to maintain your balance and perspective - whether it's meditation, exercise, games, sports, music, bubble baths (one of my personal favorites), pets, support groups - whatever.  For myself, I have found SARK’s writing inspirational, in her remarks concerning “How To be An Artist”:

I think she is encouraging us to find a personal discipline that calms, nurtures and replenishes our Self.  And I want to echo her advice by encouraging you to practice the care and feeding of your soul.  Take care of yourself and take care of business.  Find your passion, be persistent in your goals, and commit to professionalism.  Make passion, persistence and professionalism part of your action plan, today.  Now.  If you yearn for a career in the Arts, you have a creative challenge ahead of you, but it could be the toughest job you will ever love.  It will certainly transform your life in ways you may never imagine.  It will be - it IS - worth your every effort.  Go for it.