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Helen S.'s avatar

I really connected with what Wiley says about feeling like an imposter. I feel like that all the time! When I think about it rationally I know that I have a lot of experience in what I do and shouldn't feel that way about myself. But it's interesting what you say about class, race and gender as systemic elements that make people feel like imposters. You can never take those things out of people. Add to that the language that is used around art as not being a proper occupation, and the difficulties of surviving financially, I think it must impact on identity and confidence for many many artists. It would be interesting to do some proper research on it.

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Kim Fay's avatar

Even the Detroit art microcosm is highly competitive with a distinct hierarchy of galleries and artists. You can’t show in the commercially successful spaces unless you’re selling and it’s difficult to sell outside of those spaces, particularly without the desired pedigree of the ‘right’ degree from the ‘right’ institution. There are definite prejudices and can’t emphasize ‘it’s who you know’ enough.

The ones who make it—and by ‘make it’ I mean enjoy a stable existence on an art and art related career—are the ones who are willing to do what’s necessary to keep it all going. There’s a woman in my realm who recently declared she isn’t going to make art anymore because she can’t support herself on it. She’s a victim of the fantasy which we have Van Gogh, Hemingway, etc. to thank for the image of what a ‘real’ artist’s life looks like. Most who are moderately to wildly successful have jobs. A lot teach, which, gratefully is considered ‘acceptable’ work for a ‘real’ artists. Many have some kind of help like a spouse who has a good job and can make a mortgage payment. Somewhere in there we never give up on the chance we might, someday, make to The Show. While we wait for that breakthrough moment, we’ve still got it pretty good.

Kudos on going mostly paid. We have the same bills everyone else has. If anyone should get paid more it’s those of us who contribute to the quality of life. What’s life without art and poetry? Pretty dull.

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