THE STATE OF THE ART ADDRESS
MY FELLOW ARTIST,
UPON ENGAGING IN A GET TOGETHER AT A SOCRATES CAFÉ WITH A FEW OF MY PEERS IN THE ART AND DESIGN WORLD, IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO WHEN LOOKING TO DO BUSINESS WITH AN ARTIST VERY OFTEN TAKE A LOT OF THE HARD WORK AND TALENT PEOPLE LIKE OURSELVES DO TO HELP MAKE YOUR VISION AND DREAMS A REALITY FOR GRANTED.
THROUGH OUR DISCUSSION SOME FELT DISRESPECTED WHEN PEOPLE TEND TO BELITTLE THE AMOUNT OF DETAIL AND HOURS THAT IT TAKES TO CREATE A DESIGN OR OTHER WORKS OF ART FOR YOU. SOME PEOPLE OUT IN THE WORLD FEEL THEY CAN TREAT US AND OUR WORK LIKE IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL AND THINK THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER TO US JUST BECAUSE THEY THROW A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY IN OUR DIRECTION TO DO A JOB.
WELL, ALLOW ME BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU ON BEHALF OF ARTIST OF ALL KIND (INCLUDING CULINARY, PAINTERS, DANCERS, DESIGNERS, MUSICIANS, SINGERS, OR ANY OTHER FORM OF CREATIVE CULTURAL ACTIVITY), WE DON’T NEED YOUR MONEY, YOUR RUDENESS, AND ESPECIALLY YOUR IGNORANCE OF WHAT AND HOW WE DO THINGS IN OUR RESPECTIVE INDUSTRY.
FOR THE MOST PART, A TRUE ARTIST CAN CARE LESS ABOUT THE MONEY AS WE ARE VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE CAN CREATE AND ACCOMPLISH (NOT TO SAY THAT IT DOESN'T MATTER TOTALLY, JUST NOT AS MUCH AS OUR DIGNITY AND RESPECT.) THERE ARE SOME FREELANCE DESIGNERS THAT DON’T EVEN CHARGE YOU HALF THE MONEY THAT THEY REALLY SHOULD BE CHARGING YOU. THIS ESPECIALLY GOES TO THOSE WHO COME ALONG WITH A PARTICULAR STORY ABOUT THE LACK OF ASSETS THAT THEY CLAIM THEY DON’T HAVE TO GET THEIR BUSINESS GOING (BUT THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED SHORTLY).
OUR DIGNITY FOR WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO FOR YOU MEAN MORE TO US THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. IF IT SEEMS EASY TO YOU WHEN WE COME UP WITH CONCEPTS FOR YOUR PROJECTS OR BUSINESS VENTURES ON THE FLY, IT IS ONLY BECAUSE WE WORK VERY HARD STUDYING, LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD AROUND US IN ORDER TO MASTER OUR PARTICULAR CRAFT. IT TAKES QUITE A WHILE TO MASTER ANY FORM OR TECHNIQUE. WHEN WE MASTER IT, THEN IT ALLOWS A TRULY SKILLED PROFESSIONAL TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST AND COMPLETE WHAT IS REQUESTED OF THEM.
I MYSELF HAVE COME ACROSS CLIENTS OR EVERYDAY PEOPLE WHO TEND TO TAKE WHAT I DO FOR GRANTED. I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW THAT UPSETS ME AS WELL AS PEOPLE IN MY FIELD. SOME WILL MAKE THE EXCUSE THAT IT IS A PART OF THE GAME THAT YOU HAVE TO PLAY. NOT TRUE. WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO PICK UP OUR BALL AND GO IF WE FEEL THAT WE ARE NOT GETTING THE PROPER RESPECT.
AS GRAPHIC DESIGNERS IN THE BUSINESS INDUSTRY, WE HELP BUILD FOR YOU WHAT COULD BE YOUR BRAND WHICH IN FACT CREATES YOUR LEGACY FOR YEARS TO COME PROVIDED THAT YOU HAVE THE RIGHT BUSINESS MODEL TO BUILD IT OVER THE YEARS. WE BECOME FRUSTRATED WITH PEOPLE TREATING REALLY TALENTED INDIVIDUALS LIKE THEY ARE CONDIMENTS TO DECORATE YOUR FOOD ONLY FOR YOU TO THROW US AWAY AFTER ITS USE. WE ARE NATURAL BORN PRODIGIES WITH THE GOD GIVEN GIFT OF PERSPECTIVE AND ACCURACY WHICH ALLOWS US TO TRANSLATE IT INTO FORM. WE HELP BUILD THE FOUNDATION AND IMAGE THAT YOU WANT THE WORLD TO SEE. WE SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT WHEN WORKING WITH YOU?
WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE TAKE CONSIDERATION OF THIS AND REMEMBER THAT WE WORK DILIGENTLY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY TO GIVE YOU THE SATISFACTION THAT YOU AND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE SO RICHLY DESIRE. WE ARE NOT DISPOSABLE TOOLS BUT TOOLS OF VIRTUE AND QUALITY.
THE BUSINESS SIDE:
THE OTHER SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION IS THE BUSINESS ASPECT.
PEOPLE, WHEN YOU WANT TO DO BUSINESS YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK. IF YOU ARE TRULY THE REAL DEAL, CHANCES ARE THAT YOU HAVE ACTUALLY MAJORED IN BUSINESS OR EVEN TAKEN A COURSE AT A UNIVERSITY, WHICH MEANS YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO RESEARCH, ESTIMATE, AND FORECAST WHAT IS REQUIRED TO GET YOUR BUSINESS GOING FOR THE LONG TERM.
THERE ARE TIMES A LOT OF US FREELANCERS COME ACROSS POTENTIAL CLIENTS WHO WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH US TO CREATE THEIR WEBSITES AND/OR LOGOS TO START THEIR BUSINESS, BUT DON’T HAVE THE REQUESTED FUNDS TO DO GET THINGS STARTED. SOMETIMES (DEPENDS ON THE PERSON) IS CONSIDERED A RED FLAG AS PEOPLE LIKE THIS WILL MOST LIKELY CONTINUE TO LAG IN THEIR PAYMENTS OR WORST. IT IS NOT THE MOST PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS ARRANGEMENTS AND THEREFORE WILL COME WITH ITS COMPLICATIONS IF YOU CHOOSE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE LIKE THIS. IT IS SAID BEST THAT IF YOU LACK A PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL.
FOR THE RECORD, THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL CLIENTS AS I MYSELF HAVE DEALT WITH BOTH TYPES OF PEOPLE WHERE ONE LAGS IN PAY AS WELL AS OTHERS WHO OWN UP TO THEIR PROMISES AND DEADLINES. TO THOSE PEOPLE I SAY THANK YOU AND WE COMMEND YOU. WE (ARTIST IN THE BUSINESS WORLD) ALL HAVE WORKED OR COME ACROSS PEOPLE LIKE THIS BEFORE AND WILL CONTINUE TO IN OUR ROAD UNFORTUNATELY. CLIENTS LIKE THIS ARE CONSIDERED THE WORST OF THE BUNCH AS THEY WILL TAKE YOU FOR GRANTED THE MOST IF YOU ALLOW THEM TO. SOME OF THEM COULD TELL YOU THAT THEY WILL BE LATE WITH THE PAYMENT ONLY TO PUT IT ELSEWHERE.
THEY CAN SOMETIMES PUT ASIDE YOUR MUCH DESERVED AND OWED MONEY IN ORDER TO CATER TO THOSE THEY THINK ARE MORE BENEFICIAL TO THEIR CAUSE. IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, WE ASK THAT YOU REMIND THEM AND MAKE THEM REMEMBER THAT WE HELP BUILD YOUR FOUNDATION.
YOUR AUDIENCE WILL NOT HAVE KNOWN WHO YOU ARE UNTIL YOU HAVE THAT IMAGE THAT SYMBOLIZES WHAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. WE CREATE THE ART THAT THE WORLD WILL SEE ON THE INTERNET, YOUR BUSINESS CARDS, BROCHURES, PAINTINGS, SONGS, YOUR THEMES, YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS, YOUR PORTRAITS, YOUR DELICACIES AND MUCH MORE.
THE LAST PERSON YOU WANT TO TAKE FOR GRANTED IS US. SO FOR THOSE THAT TAKE US ARTIST FOR GRANTED AND NOT PAY MY COLLEAGUES OR MYSELF WHAT IS OWED TO THEM OR SHOW THE PROPER RESPECT, WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY THEN SHAME ON YOU!
REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN’T CALL YOURSELF SUCCESSFUL OR PROFESSIONAL IF YOU CAN’T TAKE CARE OF ALL OF YOUR BUSINESS VENTURES.
I HOPE THAT THIS DISCUSSION WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE PASSION THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR CRAFT AS WELL AS OUR DEDICATION THAT WE HAVE IN MAKING YOUR DREAMS A REALITY. THIS WAS NOT A MEANS TO OFFEND ANYONE BUT A MEANS OF GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE GO THROUGH.
I HOPE THIS WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO GAIN A SENSE OF EMPATHY WHEN LOOKING TO WORK WITH A POTENTIAL DESIGNER OR FIRM.
BY THE WAY, A MAJOR DESIGN FIRM WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY OF THE ACTS THAT I MENTIONED IN THIS ADDRESS. SO WHY SHOULD ANY FREELANCER? THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY TO YOU ALL.
LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT, TAG, BUT MOST OF ALL SUPPORT THE GREAT AND CREATIVE ARTIST IN THIS WORLD OF OURS.