An old friend sent me this via email this morning. She didn't have the attribution for who originated it, and I couldn't find that. In any case, it's spot-on.
Artist’s Rights
1.
You
have the right not to care about what other people think. These days,
it seems like criticism is both endemic and a market for those who don’t/won’t
think for themselves. Spending too much time trying to please everyone results
in pleasing no one and will make you inefficient and unhappy. Bottom line?
Screw ‘em if they don’t get it.
2.
You
have the right to require time alone. Much of
the work that creative people do is done alone. Allowing yourself
precious private time is essential, as is keeping people who are full of shit
out of your circle and your headspace.
3.
You
have the right to take your time. Rome
wasn’t built in a day. Some books/films/paintings take years. Art that is
personally authentic and substantial is worth waiting for, and you have the
right to insist on taking the time you need to make something beautiful.
4.
You
have the right to claim some authority over what you’ve spent time doing. You are
allowed to insist you know what you’re talking about based on your considered
experience with, and practice in, your art. You don’t have to have a phD to get
people to listen to you if you have clearly devoted yourself to a practice.
5.
You
have the right to grow and change artistically. People
often tend to categorize an artist based on the first successful thing they
did. People will continue to pigeonhole you. Change anyway.
6.
You
have the right NOT to talk about your work. Art can
make some people uncomfortable. Intellectualizing art is a great way to
avoid feeling the emotions that can come up when experiencing it. When someone
insists you explain your story/song/picture you are not obligated to tell them.
Really. Allowing yourself some secrets will preserve you as a creative person.
7.
You
have the right not to market your work. Not
everything worth making must be sold. Structuring your work for the
biggest dollar can put instant limitations on work that could otherwise be
groundbreaking. Similarly, you have the right to not “follow the
rules.” It can help to know the rules, but it really isn’t a
requirement. What some call “Folk” or “Handmade” Art has a deep wisdom to it.
8.
You
have the right not to be a role model. Making
art that puts you in the public eye should not also demand that you become a
saint. The best work is often made by people who have explored all the vagaries
of the human condition. Give yourself a break.
9.
You
have the right to be passionate. Some
artists can get consumed by their work. These moments are like an illness that
overtakes them for a time. If this happens, try and allow yourself the
experience. Censoring your passion so that others will feel more comfortable
doesn’t do you, them, or the art any good.
10. You have the right to
keep your own hours. The muse strikes when she
is good and ready, and often it is in the middle of the night. If you tell her,
“Come back after I’ve had a cup of coffee,” she probably won’t. Don’t let other
people give you a hard time about WHEN you need to write, edit, practice, draw,
or compose. If you don’t listen when the call comes, who will?
