Why doesn't our arts scene take off? Because we really mistreat each other
What you need to know:
- If you are dedicated full time to your art, you have to deal with people not taking you seriously and asking questions like “That’s how you pay your rent?” or “That’s the only thing you do?”
- This is why we have artistic brain drain – we don’t treat people right, and we, the artists themselves, don’t care.
If you think about it, artists are their own worst enemies (much like women).
Being an artist is hard enough as it is. When I say artist, I mean anyone that has to be creative for a living; writers, painters, graffiti artists, fire throwers, acrobats…anything like that.
If you have a day job which has nothing to do with artistry, you have to try and juggle that, and perhaps moonlight as something else.
If you are dedicated full time to your art, you have to deal with people not taking you seriously and asking questions like “That’s how you pay your rent?” or “That’s the only thing you do?”
In addition, being a freelancer or a full time artist means that sometimes, unless you are at a super-professional level (i.e. have your own office or regular well-paying clientele), finding regular gigs can be hard.
SI IT’S JUST COLOURING?
Then of course, there’s the drama of people not wanting to pay you what you are worth, because, “Si it’s just writing a few words? Si it’s just colouring?”
On top of all this, there is the cutthroat artistic industry itself.
Many people have that one tailor who treats them terribly – who messes up a dress the day before the wedding you were wearing it to, makes a different article of clothing from what you ordered, or disappears completely.
Lack of professionalism is rampant. Ironically, the person said tailor is hurting is the tailor himself.
We artists shoot ourselves in the foot often; not just from our lack of professionalism, but also how we treat others in the field. Two stories come to mind.
One of my friends is a model, and as a result is friends with several photographers. Thus, when she was putting together her portfolio, she convinced a lot of them to do free shoots for her on the understanding that they were doing it as a favour; however, if they sold any of the pictures, she would get a cut.
She was giving them content for potential use, and they were doing her a favour in exchange.
Fast forward two years, when a girl comes up to her in the street and says “Hi! You’re so beautiful! You look great in that picture I bought of you.”
My friend, obviously shocked, asked where she bought that picture. It turns out a prominent female photographer was the culprit; she blew up my friend’s picture and sold it with nary a word to said friend.
Still in the modelling industry, yet another prominent fashion house in Kenya has been recruiting new blood for their house.
“SUBSCRIPTION FEE”
They are quite a big deal; the new kids on the block with all the fabulous models, attending all the hoity toity events – they even have a fashion week, which, forgive me if I am wrong, hasn’t been done the way they do it before.
It’s all tres glamorous.
During recruitment, they call back wannabe models to come in for a photo shoot to build their portfolios.
They take a ‘subscription fee’ from the ingénues, which is supposed to cover shoot expenses (Sh8000, to be exact) and keep breaking off the appointment.
One young model I know personally keeps travelling to Nairobi for a shoot on their instruction, but when she gets here, the phones at the agency are switched off, or they are rude, or they cancel the shoot when she is already here. This has happened repeatedly.
This is why we have artistic brain drain – we don’t treat people right, and we, the artists themselves, don’t care.
Surely this kind of treatment kills whatever arts we are trying to bring up. The disillusionment is immense for people trying to break into the profession, and let’s be honest, it’s just shady.
Why can’t we all just get along?
Twitter: @AbigailArunga
