Artist to Artist
- Sean O'Dell
- Apr 9, 2020
- 4 min read
The support of a creative community
Being a full-time artist is hard. It can be more physically, psychologically, and emotionally taxing than anyone gives it credit for. No matter your art form, genre, or style it can become so cutthroat that you have to be constantly at the top of your game, and even then, you have to fight through a field of other artists to get work. Now, some may say that this is nothing different than any other profession, and in many ways you would be right. But when you are first starting out one of the biggest constants is being told that art isn’t a “real” profession. You learn to brush off the negativity, but sometimes that is the hardest part. You get all of the headaches with none of accolades. So why the hell would anyone do it?
Here’s why.
That same artist that you are competing against, the one that may mean the difference between you getting a gig or having to delivery Uber Eats for a week to pay the light bill, the one that you have battled with time and time again to get that gig that you really wanted…they are your biggest supporter. That artist will give you advice to help you grow, encourage you when you are questioning your abilities, support you when you put out a new piece, and celebrate your achievements with you. As a creative, there is an unquestioned desire to see something new and unique. It doesn’t always have to come from you, because that same piece coming from someone else means something completely different to them. Even if it’s just a feeling, a different emotion that has been evoked during the creative process, it could change the whole piece.
I have been a writer all of my life, this is my comfort zone. Even at ten, when I had already been writing for years, if you had told me that, one day, I would be a designer, a videographer, an editor, a recording artist, a music producer, and a promoter, I would have laughed in your face. Nobody can do all of that. Obviously, I have varying degrees of expertise and passion in each art form, but each one holds it own level of beauty and expression. And that is why each piece is going to be unique in its own way. That’s why each artist is going to express the same sentiment in a wildly different fashion. And, that is why we are always going to support each other. Art is never finished and an artist is never done trying.
There have been artists in my life that have encouraged me to embrace new art forms. Cus The Artist is a graffiti artist that can take any idea and turn it into something you didn’t even know it could be. He has done work for charity, I think last year he did cleats for nine or so of the Seahawks for Cleats for a Cause. He never takes anything for granted. We’ve been friends since we were kids and when I thought about designing myself, he pushed me every day to be better, encouraged and taught me when I didn’t know what to do next, and became not just a friend, but a business partner when we opened DownLowPins together. Sean O’Dell Studios would not exist without him. He is why I am an artist.
Then there have been artists that encouraged me to find my own voice in my art form. Seven Da Pantha is a rap artist from North Carolina that currently resides in the PNW. In my humbled opinion, he is one of the last great lyricists in the game. But, ironically, through his words, I learned that in order to perfect your art form it can’t just be about the words. The words are nothing without a platform created by knowledge, respect, and power. Once you have embraced those aspects of yourself, your words will resonate through the ages. As if that were not enough, he does a podcast called Pantha Politix that is meant to shine a light on artists, escalate the hip-hop community, and celebrate black culture. He is why I am a writer.
Last, there have been artists that remind you that artists all share one pivotal quality, endurance. I have known Abdul Rauf for less than twelve hours. He is a Software Engineer in Sri Lanka that freelances as an SEO, SMM, and SEM writer. We connected on writing project and while Abdul could have said a million different things to me, he simply started the conversation with “I enjoyed reading your blog.”. Every artist has moments where they question their abilities or wonder if they have what it takes to go the distance. Abdul and I talked for a while about writing, different business aspects, he gave me some great advice on a niche that I had never explored before. It was a great conversation, but more than anything it reminded me that an artist is only an artist if they can endure through those moments of doubt. He is why I stay an artist.
Of course, there are a whole bank of artists that I didn’t mention. Then there is your core support group. My brother is the first person to see anything that I am working on. Every time I start a new project, he is one of my first phone calls to get another point of view. Being a full-time artist is hard, but the physical, psychological, and emotion toll is nothing when you have an entire community holding you up.
Cus The Artist
Instagram and Facebook: @custheartist
Seven Da Pantha
Instagram: @sevendapantha253
Facebook: @sevendapantha
Adbul Rauf
Comments