The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #108857   Message #2269615
Posted By: Bonnie Shaljean
22-Feb-08 - 11:15 AM
Thread Name: Do you think I could be a professional?
Subject: RE: Do you think I could be a professional?
And don't underestimate the amount of time you'll need to spend hustling - sending out endless PR shots, phone calls, chasing gigs, doing all the boring hassle-work (not to mention a lot of running around) which is a million miles away from what your artistic self longs to do. But it's a very competitive world out there, and you'll have to use up a lot of your energy and resources just selling yourself. It can feel sort of demeaning sometimes, too, if someone has the power to grant something that you and 50/500/5000 others want, e.g. one gig. Artists are often put in the position of having to please and be nice to people they don't respect, just for the sake of getting something from them (without which, no career). This is mentally unhealthy and doesn't do wonders for your self-image, so you need a strong one before you start out.

[A moment later] I've just re-read this in the edit box. Can you believe instead of PR-shots I originally typed "PR-snots". Typos speak Freudian volumes sometimes...