If you want a successful career in photography, you have to get rid of a toxic term that has plagued our industry: “starving artist”. It has caused more damage and lack of confidence to artists around the globe than anything else.
Before photographers could run into non-paying clients, we had to reframe the way we present ourselves. Starving artist, what does it mean or better, what does it do? It normalizes the struggle that artists have experienced over the centuries: that they must earn a living if they want to be considered a serious artist.
It normalizes the utilization of the advertisements and the work they produce. We must keep them starving to be grateful to them, and when they die, we will honor them. It normalizes stereotypes in our community because if a creator is making a lucrative salary, they must be a sell-out, right?
Who benefits from this phrase?
Who do you think benefits from this phrase? Who benefits from infighting and judging each other? Who do you think is promoting this concept? I think it’s the people who will hire you, the rich, the big corporations, the media. Watch the video to fully understand this saying and why we should all work to get rid of these two words.
They all benefit from our work. And if we understand our pure worth, they will pay more. Doesn’t matter what type of art you do, charge for it. You must never starve! In many cases, you have to do better than the clients who are hiring you.
The artists contributed a lot!
We build TV shows and music videos, songs and photos, commercials and book covers. We cover the ugly and beautiful walls with our work, giving it texture and stories. We can even make the darkest alleys relevant. We share stories with the world and build incredible dating profiles to get the ring on our finger. We, as creative artists, launch brand after brand. We are the brand shapers, we are the brand creators, and they couldn’t do what they do without us.
