Ep 100: Artistic Teen? Time to Get Creative...

Bill Deresiewicz, bestselling author and our first ever guest on
the show, re-joins us for our 100th episode to talk about his
latest book The Death of the Artist. We discuss if art is even a
worthy pursuit for young people today and if so, what can young
people expect.


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Full show notes


When our kid says they want to pursue art as a career, we can
sometimes be hesitant to support them. We have no doubt that
they’re talented: we’ve seen them receive standing ovations at
the end of a musical theater performance, rack up trophies and
medals for photography, maybe even have their creative writing
featured in the local paper. But that’s now--pursuing work as an
adult creative conjures up the image of the starving artists, of
young people struggling financially and emotionally as they try
desperately to make it big in the fast paced world of art and
entertainment.


We want our kids to be financially stable, instead of living hand
to mouth. Should we be encouraging our kids to pursue careers as
bankers and programmers, even though it means they’re talent will
go to waste? Can our kids really make enough money from their art
to live happy and healthy lives?


If only someone could tell us what it’s like to pursue a life as
an artist in the modern age, so we could know if a stable future
in the arts is truly possible. If only there was a person out
there who knows exactly why it’s hard to make money as an artist,
and whether or not we should encourage our kids to go after a
career in art…


Luckily, our guest today, Bill Deresiewicz, knows a thing or two
(and much more) about artists in today’s world. He interviewed
almost 200 artists—-filmmakers, writers, illustrators, and
more—-for his recent book, The Death of the Artist: How Creators
are Struggling to Survive in the Age of Billionaires and Big
Tech. In his book and our interview, Bill dives deep into the
realities of being a modern creative.


In today’s episode, he explains why he thinks young people should
continue to pursue careers in the arts, even though it's harder
than ever to break through. He talks about the serious obstacles
facing artists today, but also the important role art plays in
our society and in the lives of young artists.


The Value of Art and Artists


Many kids spend their whole life thinking they’re unintelligent
because they aren’t great in a traditional classroom setting,
can’t solve equations or memorize dates--until they discover art.
Suddenly they find that they have a treasure trove of talent and
buckets of passion. They may have been called lazy or stupid for
not execlling in chemistry, but what they really needed was
someone to hand them some sheet music or a camera.


Bill speaks on how our education often mistreats these kids, how
they aren’t taught to foster their talents. Instead, they are put
into certain boxes that they just don’t fit into, and are
constantly being told they’re just not as capable as other kids.
If we can give these kids a chance to flourish, they can become
shining stars, instead of barely keeping up.


Ok, you might be saying to yourself, but what about that whole
financial stability thing? Sure, some kids are better at art than
math, but if we know there’s not a lot of money in art, wouldn’t
it be more valuable to just find a better math tutor? What could
they possibly gain from painting or dancing that could equate to
time spent doing calculus?


Actually, there’s a lot of incredible, widely applicable things
our kids can learn from practicing in the arts. Bill tells a
great anecdote that demonstrates this. He interviewed a professor
of theater for his book, who talked all about an enlightening
experience she had running into an old student. The student had
studied theatrical lighting design, but had gone on to become a
manager at a major electronics company. As she told the
professor, the student got her start with the company through
theater work. Not only that, she credited theater with giving her
all the skills that made her qualified to be a manager: the
ability to meet a deadline, to finish projects under budget, and
to collaborate with others towards a common goal.


We often overlook arts education, but it can be more valuable for
our teens than we might think. If kids are passionate about art
and spend time perfecting their craft, they’ll learn skills that
transcend far beyond watercolors or improv. They’ll learn
dedication, self efficacy, and grit. Then, even if they decide to
branch away from the arts at some point in their life, they’ll be
able to carry these skills into other roles and occupations.


It’s easy to dismiss young artists, but when it comes down to it,
we all need a little art in our lives. Whether it’s the TV shows
we watch to unwind after a stressful day or the tunes we listen
to on the radio while driving to the grocery store, art makes
life a little more enjoyable. This raises the question however:
if we all need art, why is it so hard to make a living as an
artist?


Why Modern Artists are Struggling





We know that creating works of art is never going to be as stable
as crunching numbers or prescribing medication, but Bill says
making money as an artist is even more difficult now than it was
twenty or thirty years ago. Why?


Bill points to the fact that nowadays, a lot of music, film, and
visual art is available for free or cheap online. Instead of
paying $20 for a DVD copy of a movie, you can find it online at a
free website where pirated films are bountiful. Instead of buying
a book in hard copy, you can probably find a PDF online somewhere
you can download at no cost.


It’s not just piracy driving this free-art society; there's been
a general cultural shift. People have gotten used to enjoying
music and movies without being charged, whether that’s on
Instagram, Spotify, or Youtube. These platforms make it easy for
artists to upload—-no labels, publishers, or managers
necessary—-but they also don’t provide an easy way for creators
to make money.


Even if there is a wider audience online with more accessible
materials and outlets, it doesn’t mean your teenager will be able
to stand out against the millions of other people putting art
online. Nowadays comercial book publishers publish about 75,000
books a year—-meanwhile, there are about 1 million books self
published online in the same amount of time. With all that
competition, it’s hard for your teen to stand out. This in turn
makes it difficult to make any money.


So when it comes down to it, is it a good idea for our kids to
pursue a living in art? And how can we make art a more feasible
career for young people?


In the Episode….





Bill answers these questions and many more in our conversation.
He’s talked to working professionals from many different fields
of artistic expression: film and television, visual art, writing
and music--all with varying degrees of career success. His tips
provide a lot of context for the parent of any teen hoping to
make a career out of creativity. We talk about:


Why we expect artists to work for free--and why we think art
should be free

How opting out of a creative career can be just as brave as
pursuing it

What we can say to our teens about what to expect in career
as an artists