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Topic: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Replies: 20 Pages: 2 Last Post: Sep 8, 2003 12:00 PM by: brenda vonahsen

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Michael Fallon

Posts: 201
Registered: Jul 3, 2003

Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 8, 2003 9:08 AM

edit

Michael Fallon

Posts: 201
Registered: Jul 3, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 8, 2003 10:18 PM

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mark lindsey

Posts: 1
From: stillwater, mn
Registered: Dec 13, 2001

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 9, 2003 12:28 AM

all I need is time, time to do the work that wells up inside of me. I don't care if anyone looks at it, or buys it, but I do have to create it.

Jeanette Paulson

Posts: 1
Registered: Aug 9, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 9, 2003 8:58 AM

This is a dream, more than a need, perhaps. How about a retreat community (There's one in the Berkshire's for big name composers) -- to get away and just do art for a week, a month, whatever. I make a living by a specific form of art, but there is little time or energy left for "playing".
Affordable health insurance is a need (I married a someone with health insurance) as is a 401K plan. My kids are out of the nest, but I agree that childcare would be great. Jeanette

Sarah Whiting

Posts: 15
Registered: May 12, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 9, 2003 8:58 AM

I have one for you.

I am a photographer and thus have a lot of overhead in terms of equipment. On Sunday, I was between two shoots and stopped by to visit a friend. My car was broken into. Every camera that I shoot with (Leica, Nikon, Hasselblad, lenses, digital) was stolen. It sums up to about $8-10,000 worth of equipment. My auto insurance does not cover it. I do not have renter's insurance. Most of the stuff I bought used, and I did not write down most of the serial numbers. So the likelihood that the police will find it is minimal. Right now I feel dumb for not having insurance, but it was one of those things I was skimping on to save money.

This kind of thing happens regardless of the economic times, so I encourage people to get renter's insurance if they are like me. I also encourage people to write down all serial number of their equipment, which is pretty much the only way they track stolen merchandise. Finally, if someone tries to sell you this equipment that I mentioned, I encourage you to call the police, for a broke fellow artist.

brenda vonahsen

Posts: 30
From: 240 1st avenue north
Registered: Aug 9, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 9, 2003 4:06 PM

i dont like the idea that it "sucks to be me" - a better way of saying it would be "my current situation really blows"

its more accurate

Michael Fallon

Posts: 201
Registered: Jul 3, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 9, 2003 4:53 PM

edit

Michael Fallon

Posts: 201
Registered: Jul 3, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 9, 2003 4:54 PM

edit

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 10, 2003 5:21 PM

Thanks for the advice Sarah and my condolences as well. I'm off to write down the numbers of my cameras right now...

I don't have any insider stories of wronged artists to relate, nor any (well, much) personal complaining. It doesn't suck to be me any more this year than it has been the last couple. I'm not selling anything but then again, I haven't sold anything for around 4 years so I can't blame it on the current economy. I have a good place to work, even if it is in a cultural backwater. And I have been pretty consistent about getting shows lined up to keep me busy. I'm still sleeping in the truck on my trips but I actually kindof enjoy that. And I've met some great people online here where I've become part of an art community for pretty much the first time.

And to top it off, it's great to see so many new faces in the forum lately.

Sam

jason schoch

Posts: 9
Registered: Feb 4, 2003

the course of non-ado
Posted: Aug 10, 2003 5:59 PM

I've been unemployed from my day-career as a graphic designer for 6 months. The deadlines and pressure are rough, but over years I've come to appreciate the corporate world as though it was a comrade that I have a combative fondness for. The day-career, well, funds my studio efforts. As long as school is being payed down, making it as a studio artist seems a long shot. My current involved project is stopped in it's tracks, no funds. So every week resumes hit the ether, and follow-ups. Responses are rare, my personal network is nearly used up. Sigh.

If anyone needs some graphics work done, maybe as part of an effort to better promote your own studio work to the marketplace, give me a holler. I'd be more than happy to help other artists scratch out a living.

jason

brenda vonahsen

Posts: 30
From: 240 1st avenue north
Registered: Aug 9, 2003

why things suck
Posted: Aug 10, 2003 7:07 PM

i sat here thinking to myself wondering if i really want to talk about it - if youre reading this it means i decided to

first suckie thing about my life is that im homeless - it is not fun - i may be getting a place at House Of Charity and im really crossing my fingers

second suckie thing about my life is that i have no family - none - nada - zilch - this is because i am a transsexual wonman and my family disowned me and moved to Wisconson - that is a major reason i had the depressive episode that led me to becoming homeless

third - no - this is not the proper place to discuss ArTrujillo

i may lose all of my personal effects along with all my past works and a good deal of my art suplies, maybe even my iMac - that would really suck

some good things: i had a successfull show at Outsiders and Others and i sold serveral pieces - that really helped both to have the extra cash and it helped my self-esteem a lot - i continue to draw even though some days its hard to find the energy to - i keep thinking about what i want to do and i have lots of ideas - just no way of executing them right now

and i have friends - having friends definately does not suck

Michael Fallon

Posts: 201
Registered: Jul 3, 2003

Re: why things suck
Posted: Aug 12, 2003 11:40 AM

edit

brenda vonahsen

Posts: 30
From: 240 1st avenue north
Registered: Aug 9, 2003

Re: why things suck
Posted: Aug 12, 2003 12:08 PM

art fits into my life because that is part of who i am and what i wish to do with my life - at some point i would like to go back to school and get some of those fancy letters after my name - they seem to help when you apply for work

ive always had an interest in art, it just wasnt permitted by my dad - he wanted me to be in sports and i hated it but i wasnt given an option - it was part of my comming out process i guess, and it was very theraputic but i discovered that i have some talent, i guess, and i really like the boost to my esteem when others like it too

i've been struggling with some pretty severe depression since about 2000 and my work has suffered - i am also at a place in my art where i feel like i could go in many directions and im unsure where i want to go or what i want to say through my art

things are looking better though and ive been drawing more and i have a clear direction of where i want to go -at least i am clearer than ive ever been that what i want is to be creative and do something creative like graphic design or whatever - i am open to whatever comes along

my belongings are at ArTrujillo - my advocate is helping me

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 21, 2003 2:29 PM

> Sarah, I don't want to make any bones about this, or
> risk that I'm coming across as City Pages-ironic in
> any way,

Doh! Looks like someone read my comment over in the Feedback thread... sorry Michael.

Well, I can't say that it sucks to be me right now, because it is awesome to be me right now - but I will bask in all that somewhere else. Misery loves company and slaughters the happy-go-lucky that wanders into the frey...

I do remember when things really sucked, and it was because I was very young, without guidance, and lacked a basic support system to help get me out of where I was. I hope that you find the help you need, Brenda. I was homeless once, too, with no family around to help. It sucked bigtime, so I get where you're coming from. I got through it by the skin of my teeth and the love of my friends and most importantly, Karlyn and Matt. My family has done a lot of healing, and things have turned out better than imagined. Let me know if you need some help, some practical advice, or just an ear (or a set of eyes - I'm best reached through email). Good luck.

And to Sarah - as a photographer - hearing that your equipment was stolen made me feel for you, bigtime. Good luck!! You might be able to replace some of what was lost at the F-stop swap in October - they have some pretty good deals there. Let us know how it turns out.

lauren

Michael Fallon

Posts: 201
Registered: Jul 3, 2003

Re: Sure sucks to be me right now.
Posted: Aug 23, 2003 12:01 PM

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