From: Joe Portale (jportale@gci-net.com)
Date: 07/04/01-11:38:45 AM Z
Judy,
Maya Deren was an avant garde film maker in the '40's. Not that obscure of
a reference, m'lady. ;-)
If I may be so bold as to jump in here. Karen, it is not easy to seperate
your life from you art. If you work a regular job (depending on the job you
decide to take), there is usually very little physically, menatlly and
spiritually left at the end of the day Many of the artists that I know
around these parts have what can be seen as subsistance employement that
demands very little from them to keep the wolves at bay in order to be able
to do their art.
Being somewhat of a believer in Maslow's Pyramid of Self Actualization, one
can not seperate the need for monetary gain from the ability to produce art.
One must be able to support one's habits. I think Judy's story is wonderful
and it is a joy to see someone be successful in her life's ambition.
Looking back, from my perspective, it was easier to fall out in the '60's,
'70's and early '80's. Don't you think Judy?
PS you are right about if you unhook. Living sub-poverty levels to support
a non-main stream artist lifestyle by choice does have it's social stigmas.
I have a wonderful tape (hope I know where it is now that I'm opening my
mouth) about going artist full time. I would play it for my students during
my classroom years. It is a essay about a person who decides to announce to
the family and friends that he is becoming an artist full time.
Veeeerrrrryyy Manhattan Jewish, and very working class. The tape begins with
an older woman's voice almost screeching "YOU WANT TO BE A WHAT????" It is
hysterical. Now I have to go through boxes of stuff to find it. Why do I
always make work for myself?
Back to the task at hand. Karen, (switching to administrator mode), if you
want to live your dream, do it. Sounds too simple right? Yes, it is. You
need to spend a little time with your check book and find out what your
needs and necessities are. You would be surprised at how little you will
actually need money wise if you can drop your overhead. My wife and I did
something like that a number of years ago. I wanted to spend a year
photographing the rural Southwest. It took us two or three years of hard
discipline to pull it off, paying off all debts, selling off our cars and
the payment books that went with them, replacing the nice cars with a very
used Jeep Cherokee that was big enough for us to sleep in if things really
took a nose dive, moved from an expensive flat in a upscale neighborhood to
an above the store walkup in a not-so-nice area. My wife was an printing
estimator for one of the largest commercial print houses in the country and
I was the supervisor of the phot-department. We were doing very well
financially. We left NY on January 15, 1985 with exactly $6000 in cash,
three cats and a Jeep full of stuff. We landed in Belen, New Mexico. Lived
in the cheapest housing we could rent (actually did pretty well, depressed
agri-area), we lived on $50-60 per week. I would pick up work as a part
time mechanic to pay for film, chemicals and travel expenses. My wife would
run the press at the local printshop in town when they had enough work for
her. That year our total earnings came to about $12,000. At the end of a
magical year, and it really was, I went out and got back into the
mainstream. So, it can be done. You need to figure out what it takes to keep
you going with creature comforts and supplies. You do not, and I mean this,
do not have to be making tons of money to be successful, you just need to be
comfortable in your own skin with the decision.
Best of luck.
Joe Portale
Tucson, AZ
>
> Karen, you don't know what you're asking -- because I could use up all the
> bandwidth on this list with reply... In fact I have notes for a book (one
> of several) titled "Landlady of Maya Deren." Anyone know the name? She
> of the bongo drums and 17 (unaltered) cats?
>
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