There’s a popular internet meme bouncing around a lot lately that I’m sure means well, but has started to grate on my nerves. I understand that it’s meant to express support for artists like myself, but I find it kind of offensive, and if it’s irritating me, it’s got to be irritating somebody else, maybe a lot of somebody elses…
The text is as follows, sometimes a little different, but not by much:
“When buying from an artist /maker, you’re buying more than just an object/painting. You are buying hundreds of hours of failure and experimentation. You are buying days, weeks and months of frustration and moments of pure joy. You aren’t just buying a thing. You’re buying a piece of heart, part of a soul, a moment of someone’s life. Most importantly, you’re buying the artist more time to do something they are passionate about. You are allowing them to continue to create, and grow. You are supporting the local economy, and encouraging creative expression.”
I’m not going to argue that this isn’t all true – it absolutely is – but what does this say to me as a consumer, really? Why should I be buying someone else’s failures and experimentations, frustrations and joys? I get that it’s someone else’s passion, heart and soul, but what about mine? I know people that are passionate about all kinds of things, my husband has a passion for flying, but when someone hires him, that’s not really the concern. Of course I know art is different, but let’s be honest, if I ask you to buy something from me just so I can continue with what I love, that’s a pretty selfish thing. Shouldn’t I be offering you something? Are you supposed to just support my art habit because I’m addicted to it? (And trust me, I am.) At least this version mentions supporting the local economy and implies some greater good about encouraging creative expression, but it still grates on my nerves.
So why should I buy someone else’s artwork, their handiwork? Why do people spend their hard earned money on someone else’s passion? I’ve been on both sides of this kind of exchange and I think it’s much deeper than this meme implies.
When I am moved to purchase someone else’s artwork or handmade item, it’s because it does something for me as the consumer. It has made me feel something. I love little birds, sparrows in particular have special meaning for me, so there have been times when I’ve purchased artworks that depict little birds that touch that soft spot inside of me. I’ve understood that when the item was made by hand, that it will likely cost more than something reproduced by the thousands in a foreign country where workers are paid nothing near what would be called a living wage here in the States. Sometimes the creator is a friend of mine and I understand the skill it takes to create and that they are trying to make a living this way and I want to support my friend, but I still wouldn’t do it if it didn’t touch me on another level.
This is what I want as an artist, not for you to support my creating addiction, but for me to connect with you through a shared passion. Do you love nature, too? Are you ever awe-struck at the sight of a tree and filled with delight at the sound of a chorus of little birds singing? Me, too… I can’t even express in words how the beauty of a leaf affects me, but I can capture it in a work of art and share it with you that way. I’ve spent a lot of time learning and perfecting my techniques, studying and practicing, but I don’t want you to pay me for that, because I did that all for me. I want you to pay me for successfully creating something that touches you beyond words, something that I can’t reproduce even if I tried, because you value things that I value, because we are both part of a society that honors creativity and acknowledges the arts as contributing to that society.
Please don’t purchase something from me because I worked hard to get to where I am, or because I should somehow be considered better than someone who works in an office, as I most certainly am not. Purchase something from me because you fell in love with what I created and because it is going to bring you joy every time you see it and it will last for a very long time and it will bring back memories of this passion we both have shared.