Strictly Personal

So few can be called “a patron of the arts”. People will spend an eternity deciding to spend money on a book, cd, movie and such. But the same amount for food, gas, clothes and general crap is not an issue. And I am not talking about people who have no money to spend. Giving money to an artist or buying something from them meets a complicated approval process.

• Is this artist worthy of encouragement?
• I don’t really need it. I can cut this out of my budget.
• It can’t be any good if I am dealing directly with the artist?
• I don’t really need it. I can donate the money to a cause and get a tax break.
• They are living the dream life, I must make them struggle.
• I don’t really need it. I can get a cheap or free version of it.
• It might challenge me, or my life or the people and things that I like. Why should I pay for that?

If people get past their issues with art, then they have to deal with the stereotypes that artists themselves love to paint:

• Artists should not be interested in money.
• Best art comes from poverty.
• They also die in poverty.
• Best art makes no money.
• The best work of an artist always fails to make its money back.
• Best art comes from a great struggle.
• Art should never simply be easy or fulfilling.

I often find myself being cheap with my favorite musicians, filmmakers, writers and so on. It needs to end.