The Myth of "Being a True Artist means I have to make my entire living income from making Art"
I want to preface that, this is meant to discuss about the myth/idea of that "Making entire living income by being an artist" as something to put on a pedestal, than actually another job. There is a difference!
Okay back to the main topic!
As an artist in Southeast Asia, there is this entire narrative being told for generations to prove yourself worth to people in the overseas that they will notice your artwork. That, our work is worth it when the artist being hired by overseas, big client.
While there is nothing wrong to actually aim to get hired by overseas client, the actual focus on the narrative shifted as a mean to "put certain artists on a pedestal" than to say "hey, there are so much outside our local art space, there are many options!"
Honestly around when I got my gamedev job, and working with an International Client for both big client and individual; All those jobs are basically, a job. Yes there is nothing much difference (beside the different demand), you basically work for someone else's vision and you are there to fulfill that demand. That's the entire job.
I often see and hear any hobbyist who feel 'small' because they are not taking art into a professional level. There are types of people who would only talk to the professional working artist to get the most of it, like people would literally gathered around that person.
I mean, you do you, but I wanted to try something different. I want to give a safe space for folks who want to draw for fun, in their spare time.
This is something I want to try to slowly cultivate in my own local art community since not everyone is a full-time illustrator. I started my own mini-zine making coworking session in the local art community hoping to provide a space to create freely. Of course, I cannot expect how anyone will feel when perfectionism get them, but let's see!
To me, there is no such thing as 'true artist'. If you create art, even after your day job, even in your spare time with your own human hand, you are an artist. Full stop.
Being a full-time artist means they are fulfilling someone else's vision to create a product. That means, it is a job like any other. For clients to hire them, means that they are the ones who could realize their vision to become reality - Like any other job. It is not less than, or more than a hobbyist. They are, still an artist.
To finally accept that there are many kinds of artist, of all ages, of all kind of lifestyle, it will definitely open your mind.
For you, who is reading this and still create with human hands, thank you and let's keep creating together!