Encourage an Artist

It Costs Nothing to Encourage an Artist.

The irony of this particular piece, for me, lies in the fact I was the kid discouraged from seeking art. My parents frowned on the idea of any kind of artist. My mother insisted it was no way to make a living, my father was a truck driver and the idea of work that didn’t involve sweat wasn’t work to him at all.

So there was no encouragement. I grew up to be a respectable military petty officer, then a college student then a digital design instructor (which was almost art) and then a college instructor and administrator. About as far away from art as I could get. Then the Economic Collapse of 2008 happened and just like that, my respectable career vanished in a puff of smoke. For the first time in 30 years, I didn’t have someplace to be. I began to explore art again. I started writing. Faster and faster. First Nanowrimo in 2010. Then I wrote my first 30 short stories and turned them into a book.

I haven’t been right since.

Funny thing. Now that I write nearly every day, I am hooked on writing in a way no other work has ever motivated me, even the work I grew to love as an IT guru and college instructor. Those jobs were fulfilling only because I hadn’t done art yet. Now I know I need to go back to some kind of day work, but I can’t imagine not ever doing art again. My only hope is to get good enough to sell it and retire someplace to keep doing art.

If you want to support art and artists, consider becoming a patron of the Arts. Using Patreon, you could support an artist, writer, videographer who may be just starting out and needing the help only you can give. And should you find yourself wanting to give to an artist; please consider my body of work and the possibility of being able to do even better work if I am not spending my day driving a taxi around town until the wee hours of the morning.

My recent bibliography, story placements and sales.

If you want to be a Patron of My Arts, click here.

Remember, art is the soul of a society. A society without art isn’t worth living in. It’s barely civilization at all.