Creative Habits Podcast

No specific topic, we're just having conversations and play a good game of "would you rather"

Kofi Shepsu is a jazz drummer residing in NYC

Tekiah Jones is a native Washingtonian, attending Howard University for college and earning a

BFA in Fashion design and color theory. After graduating and becoming a mother the same

year, she became a certified paralegal to maintain her household. In the 2020 pandemic, Jones

experienced the uncertainty and stress of a desk job and chose to put her design skills to use.

She spent over a year developing and being very fickle about starting a new brand. In august

2021, she filed for an LLC and designed a website, with only two products featured. Needing an

intro to her brand, tekiah settled on a home goods brand, combining fashion and home luxury.

That was how WelcomeHome DC began. As she continues to build her brand and develop

products we love, she is also pursuing her dream as a costume designer.

In my mind, I imagine that some people who request services from an artist do not know the time or effort that it takes for an artist to prepare, create and produce a commissioned piece. As a result what often happens to artists Whether one is a fine artist, graphic designer, book illustrator, writer or photographer, or what have you, often than not, creatives get seller’s guilt, underprice their work, and therefore undervalue themselves. Some people question the price of artwork when requesting quotes from artists, but would these people question the amount of money their accountant charges when doing their taxes? Probably not. These are the type of people who don’t value the time and effort you invest into your art commissions and are perhaps not your ideal client.

Advice for artists

Money is a difficult subject.

The stereotype of starving artists has prevailed throughout history with the depiction of artists sacrificing material wealth to follow their life’s passion and focus on their artwork.

Undervaluing yourself and pricing your art too low will result in you working harder to attract more clients (who don’t value you) and working longer hours to make ends meet. This isn’t very time effective and can be quite stressful.

Money is a difficult subject.

The stereotype of starving artists has prevailed throughout history with the depiction of artists sacrificing material wealth to follow their life’s passion and focus on their artwork.

Undervaluing yourself and pricing your art too low will result in you working harder to attract more clients (who don’t value you) and working longer hours to make ends meet. This isn’t very time effective and can be quite stressful.

Art is a real job

is a real job. But you, as a client or a consumer, probably find it difficult to even entertain the notion it is a real job. Why? Because if you have ever bought artwork online or otherwise, you will have never paid for a piece as if it was the product of a ‘real’ job or service.

When worth and value in our society are tied so closely to money, how can you think art is a real job when what you pay does not even come close to approaching what you would pay others for a ‘real’ job, a ‘real’ skill, service, product (all of which art is?) When you are even afforded a choice to continue to believe that art is not a real job? There might be one artist charging appropriately for their work, but hundreds of others that aren’t. I doubt one in a sea of many is enough to convince you of the worth of art.

I feel artists charging so lowly for their work breeds an attitude of entitlement in clients. This manifests in the messages artists receive begging them to lower their prices, telling them their art isn’t worth x or y, showing shock at the extravagant amounts that artists ask for their work (‘extravagant’ often being ‘enough to buy one meal in return for six or seven hours of work’). It does not help that art is often marketed as ‘cheap’ therefore worth buying (‘you should commission this artist, their work is so cheap and affordable!’) versus the fact it is worth buying because it is beautiful, custom-made, one-of-a-kind, everything else that art is and can be.

What's up Village!!

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Nick Butler - Animator

Nick Butler is a multimedia artist with a bachelor’s in computer science and a master’s in visual effects and animation.

Nick is also the creator of Turtledust media.

Turtledust Media is a black-owned and operated studio that focuses on developing and creating black illustrated and animated content. Their mission is to increase black representation on screen and behind the scenes in the animation field. They do this through education, advocacy, and the application of industry-standard animation tools and techniques.

https://www.turtledustmedia.com/

Hey Family, today we have the pleasure of speaking with Marquis M. Lupton the creator of The Cultured Professional (TCP) Network. (TCP) aims to share the stories and voices of marginalized people and groups and to keep an underrepresented population educated on the happenings in their backyard. We do this by providing information, inspiration, and entertainment from the people directly to the people with no filters and no borders.

https://www.thetcpnetwork.com/

Have you ever asked yourself, Why is this so familiar? Didn’t this already happen, how did i experience this again when I think it already happened?

According to an article from the new scientist entitled ,mystery of de ja vu explained by Jessica Hamzelou researchers suggest that déjà vu is a sign that your brain’s memory checking system is working well, and that you’re less likely to misremember events.)

How Could Parallel Universes Explain Déjà Vu?

Finale thoughts

Quote of the day.

Even the slightest deja vu are supernatural incidents.

Sushmita Sen

Starting Sunday, April 10th, the National Gallery of Art invites the public to witness Afro-Atlantic Histories. Prior to the official opening, The hosts of Creative Habits Podcast were invited to view the exhibition during an exclusive press preview. Phil and Indigo were afforded the opportunity to interview Stephen Nelson, the dean of the Center for Advanced Studies in Visual Arts, and the National Gallery of Art's first African American and Diasporic Art Curator, Kanitra Fletcher. Afro-Atlantic Histories explores the historical and cultural narratives of the African diaspora. The exhibition includes historical artifacts and breathtaking contemporary art from the Americas, Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. Afro-Atlantic Histories is open to the public from April 10 to July 17, 2022. To learn more about the exhibition, upcoming events, and performances, please visit nga.gov. 

Creative Habits Podcast would like to thank Zsudayka Nzinga Terrell and the National Gallery of Art for making this special episode possible (Thank you Isabella Bulkeley, Kanitra Fletcher, Molly Donovan, and Stephen Nelson).