“Fame is the peversion of the natural human instinct for validation and attention.” -Heathcote Williams
“I was leery of the media glare that came with film roles. I saw the future for myself when I did repertory theater. These were plays that could change my life; these playwrights were prophets. They made me a better actor, gave me an education, offered me a deeper understanding of the world, and filled me with joy. Who wouldn’t be satisfied with that? I remember feeling I could be perfectly content doing just that.” –Sonny Boy: A Memoir by Al Pacino
Would you sign a “lifetime artist contract” if it included the below clauses?…
-You won’t be famous or recognizable. No one will ever know your name.
-You will make little, if any, money off your art. You will always have to work another job to make ends meet.
-You will rarely, if ever, get picked. More often than not, you will have to pick yourself. That means producing your own work.
-You will be artistically fulfilled. (Provided you consistently commit to finding your passion projects and producing them with excellence and generosity.)
-You will get to make art with your friends and others whose work you respect and admire. As a result of your producing efforts, you will create meaningful experiences for your artist friends as well as the audience who experience your passion in action.
-You will get to do the kind of work that lights you up and made you want to be an artist in the first place.
-You will always stay humble, hungry, motivated, creative, open-minded, and inspired.
Me: “Give me the pen. Where do I sign?”
How about you? (Comments relished!)
The Vs. Studio Blog 
Johnny, can we review #2 again? The one about still having to work a job?!
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absolutely. 🙂
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I WANT to sign this but in real life, I can’t. My roadblocks are money, and not getting picked. Because as good as I think I am, I don’t think I am THAT good that I can only make my own art. I have to participate in other people’s art too.
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Thank you for this Jo. First of all, you are THAT good. And second, I agree, getting to work with others is always the key. Sometimes you get picked. Sometimes they pick you. But being empowered to know that no matter what, if you want to do something, you can, as long as you’re willing to produce it.
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