Top 5 reasons tshirt artists do what they do
Why do t-shirt artists spend all this time and effort on their art when, especially if you're relying on contests for your work, you don't have that much chance for a proper return on your time investment? I can think of a few reasons. I put these in a very specific order -- I really believe that, with some slight modifications, most artists would rank these the same way. Cash is on the bottom because it is the necessary evil of staying alive. If you were a trust fund baby or won the lottery, would you care that much about the money?
- Creativity: For most artists, you do what you do because you NEED to. The creative urge impels you to make something -- sometimes no matter how stupid it might look to someone else.
- To Life: When you do your best work, the work you look at and say, "wow, I'd buy that" regardless of the fact you did it yourself, you want to see that shirt live -- you want to transfer it from a concept to real life.
- Wardrobe: The extension of having the real life version of your art is wanting to wear it yourself. There's nothing cooler than wearing clothes that you designed yourself and being able to say, "thanks, I designed it myself" when people compliment you on your shirt.
- Home: The next thing people might ask after hearing about your shirt is, "where can I get one?" It's nice when your shirt is at a shop that, unlike Woot, keeps your design for months or years at a time.
- Cash: We can't forget the obvious one -- money. We want to get paid. Not only is cash useful for paying bills and such but, depending on the amount, it's also a nice indicator of what value has been put on your work.
Do you agree or disagree? How would you rank your motivations? What else motivates you?
Comments
Ressamac
Hi Robert,
I think you nailed it for me. I love my freelance graphic design work and my clients are awesome but it is just wonderful to be able to be totally creative with a design. I have as yet :) to be printed by Woot but I don't get discourage (too much) when I look at the body of work that I have and I would NOT have had if I didn't do the derby each week. I was told in the beginning of this career not to fall in love with my work and I do try to follow that advice for my clients because it is their vision I am trying to represent but for my tee designs it is harder. I sometimes have a design that I love so much then it is harder when it doesn't resonate with others. But the process of designing tees is fun and freeing and exhilerating and it has pushed me out of my (artistic) comfort zone many times. It's all good. Thanks for bringing this subject up.
ThatRobert
That's cool Ressa. I've enjoyed this t-shirt designing more than I expected to as well. It's a great mix of practical craft and artistic expression.
jasneko
Nice ThatRobert, this was very well put.
ThatRobert
Thanks Jas!
