The Stigma Placed On Professional Artists | Maya Philip | TEDxERMurrowHigh

I I here to talk about the term starving

I I here to talk about the term starving artists and the stigma works on artists

artists and the stigma works on artists

artists and the stigma works on artists as a result of that because the stigma

as a result of that because the stigma

as a result of that because the stigma of being starving artists and not being

of being starving artists and not being

of being starving artists and not being able to make it on your own stems from

able to make it on your own stems from

able to make it on your own stems from that phrase this is my early beginnings

that phrase this is my early beginnings

that phrase this is my early beginnings as the team you baby and as you can tell

as the team you baby and as you can tell

as the team you baby and as you can tell I’ve probably come farther than that and

I’ve probably come farther than that and

I’ve probably come farther than that and I as a young child as a little baby was

I as a young child as a little baby was

I as a young child as a little baby was not afraid of becoming a starving artist

not afraid of becoming a starving artist

not afraid of becoming a starving artist I was told that if I pursue being a

I was told that if I pursue being a

I was told that if I pursue being a professional artist and just doing that

professional artist and just doing that

professional artist and just doing that full-time without anything else that I

full-time without anything else that I

full-time without anything else that I would starve but that didn’t scare me

would starve but that didn’t scare me

would starve but that didn’t scare me and so I chose to pursue art but other

and so I chose to pursue art but other

and so I chose to pursue art but other people do not some people are convinced

people do not some people are convinced

people do not some people are convinced that they won’t be enough they won’t be

that they won’t be enough they won’t be

that they won’t be enough they won’t be able to make it and they lose confidence

able to make it and they lose confidence

able to make it and they lose confidence within themselves and they become

within themselves and they become

within themselves and they become alienated by the phrase starving artists

alienated by the phrase starving artists

alienated by the phrase starving artists they’re afraid to truly invest in their

they’re afraid to truly invest in their

they’re afraid to truly invest in their skills and develop their craft and

skills and develop their craft and

skills and develop their craft and become a full-time artist because

become a full-time artist because

become a full-time artist because they’re told that they can’t do it and

they’re told that they can’t do it and

they’re told that they can’t do it and that’s a shame

as you can see by my graph artists are

as you can see by my graph artists are not the only people starving according

not the only people starving according

not the only people starving according to this graph unemployment is up all

to this graph unemployment is up all

to this graph unemployment is up all over if you’re trying to enter any

over if you’re trying to enter any

over if you’re trying to enter any industry there’s going to be problems

industry there’s going to be problems

industry there’s going to be problems with getting in where you fit in and

with getting in where you fit in and

with getting in where you fit in and getting a stable job and the poverty

getting a stable job and the poverty

getting a stable job and the poverty line is why I these days

line is why I these days

line is why I these days you can work at McDonald’s and still be

you can work at McDonald’s and still be

you can work at McDonald’s and still be a starving McDonald’s manager Oh

as you can see I got better I had

as you can see I got better I had support from my family and that is why I

support from my family and that is why I

support from my family and that is why I was able to continue and move on and

was able to continue and move on and

was able to continue and move on and invest in my skills I was encouraged by

invest in my skills I was encouraged by

invest in my skills I was encouraged by my art teachers and both of my parents

my art teachers and both of my parents

my art teachers and both of my parents and other members of my family to

and other members of my family to

and other members of my family to continue to invest in my art and I was

continue to invest in my art and I was

continue to invest in my art and I was told that I was doing great and so on

told that I was doing great and so on

told that I was doing great and so on and so forth earlier this year obviously

and so forth earlier this year obviously

and so forth earlier this year obviously I got way better but um not everyone is

I got way better but um not everyone is

I got way better but um not everyone is as lucky as me to have so much support

as lucky as me to have so much support

as lucky as me to have so much support take my grandmother for instance she is

take my grandmother for instance she is

take my grandmother for instance she is an artist and she makes the most

an artist and she makes the most

an artist and she makes the most beautiful dresses you can imagine but as

beautiful dresses you can imagine but as

beautiful dresses you can imagine but as a young girl she was told that she

a young girl she was told that she

a young girl she was told that she shouldn’t invest in that skill of hers

shouldn’t invest in that skill of hers

shouldn’t invest in that skill of hers so she took a job as an accountant

so she took a job as an accountant

so she took a job as an accountant instead and yeah she’s a realtor

instead and yeah she’s a realtor

instead and yeah she’s a realtor accountant and she’s working in Realty

accountant and she’s working in Realty

accountant and she’s working in Realty now but you would not even imagine how

now but you would not even imagine how

now but you would not even imagine how different everything would be if my

different everything would be if my

different everything would be if my grandmother invested in being a

grandmother invested in being a

grandmother invested in being a seamstress and dressmaking because she’s

seamstress and dressmaking because she’s

seamstress and dressmaking because she’s amazing bragging but my mother on the

amazing bragging but my mother on the

amazing bragging but my mother on the other hand didn’t listen when my

other hand didn’t listen when my

other hand didn’t listen when my grandmother told her the same thing that

grandmother told her the same thing that

grandmother told her the same thing that she shouldn’t invest in her skill

she shouldn’t invest in her skill

she shouldn’t invest in her skill because she wouldn’t be able to make it

because she wouldn’t be able to make it

because she wouldn’t be able to make it and she would be a starving artist she

and she would be a starving artist she

and she would be a starving artist she didn’t listen and she pursued that

didn’t listen and she pursued that

didn’t listen and she pursued that anyways and she became a fashion

anyways and she became a fashion

anyways and she became a fashion designer and she’s very successful she’s

designer and she’s very successful she’s

designer and she’s very successful she’s a major asset to the company that she

a major asset to the company that she

a major asset to the company that she works for

works for

works for she’s never been unemployed for more

she’s never been unemployed for more

she’s never been unemployed for more than like three weeks and she inspires

than like three weeks and she inspires

than like three weeks and she inspires me all the time to pursue my art because

me all the time to pursue my art because

me all the time to pursue my art because I know that I could make it if I tried

I know that I could make it if I tried

I know that I could make it if I tried very hard and invest in myself however

very hard and invest in myself however

very hard and invest in myself however even if you try very hard and you invest

even if you try very hard and you invest

even if you try very hard and you invest in yourself there’s still a chance that

in yourself there’s still a chance that

in yourself there’s still a chance that you might fail

you might fail

you might fail unfortunately because I know this

unfortunately because I know this

unfortunately because I know this because my father is an artist as well

because my father is an artist as well

because my father is an artist as well but because of things not working out

but because of things not working out

but because of things not working out and you know life just getting in the

and you know life just getting in the

and you know life just getting in the way he ended up leaving his job at Mad

way he ended up leaving his job at Mad

way he ended up leaving his job at Mad Magazine as an illustrator and becoming

Magazine as an illustrator and becoming

Magazine as an illustrator and becoming a handyman at a spa company um then he

a handyman at a spa company um then he

a handyman at a spa company um then he went from being a handyman to a taxi

went from being a handyman to a taxi

went from being a handyman to a taxi driver and now he works as a teacher in

driver and now he works as a teacher in

driver and now he works as a teacher in a school for at-risk youth and at night

a school for at-risk youth and at night

a school for at-risk youth and at night he works as a bouncer my father is very

he works as a bouncer my father is very

he works as a bouncer my father is very skilled as an artist and he even still

skilled as an artist and he even still

skilled as an artist and he even still publishes his artwork and he works on

publishes his artwork and he works on

publishes his artwork and he works on the side as an artist

the side as an artist

the side as an artist but he is not able to get a full-time

but he is not able to get a full-time

but he is not able to get a full-time job

job

job as just an artist because he has too

as just an artist because he has too

as just an artist because he has too many things to juggle now but had he

many things to juggle now but had he

many things to juggle now but had he stuck with it he would have been able to

stuck with it he would have been able to

stuck with it he would have been able to have a stable art career

the moral of this story is support we

the moral of this story is support we need to support our young artists

need to support our young artists

need to support our young artists because the world is missing out on all

because the world is missing out on all

because the world is missing out on all of the artists and potential artists and

of the artists and potential artists and

of the artists and potential artists and the people who chose not to pursue that

the people who chose not to pursue that

the people who chose not to pursue that field even though they’re very gifted

field even though they’re very gifted

field even though they’re very gifted and talented we need to support the arts

and talented we need to support the arts

and talented we need to support the arts and we need to retire the phrase

and we need to retire the phrase

and we need to retire the phrase starving artist