But with who shall I network with? If I’m going to spend a lot of time on these habits and projects I better jump right into networking with the right people.
The wise move is to find a stable source of income then jump right into developing your network on the right places to help you do the projects you most gravitate towards while assuring that you find material and financial support in those places when the main source fails.
You need to have a utopia, a world to aspire to. And then align your lifestyle towards that.
Everyone contemplating about doing creative work in a capitalist world must read The Gift by Lewis Hyde. Hyde’s main thesis is that art wasn’t originally connected to money and an economy where goods have exact equivalent values. Art originated from ancient societies were creative artifacts were distributed around communities as gifts. Therefore, there will always be an uneasy relationship between art and money.
Hyde suggests three ways to navigate an exchange economy as a person who produces art:
- Sell your art in a way that does not compromise it.
- Find patrons.