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<TITLE>Re: [Groop] (off topic)</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Jason,<BR>
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Thanks for sharing this with us. You’ve certainly done a lot of soul searching and you’ve also worked hard to use your talents in a way that can make a living. My training is in communication arts, both illustration and graphic design. My heart is in drawing, but I realized long ago that it’s a hard field in which to make a living. I’ve done a lot of work in illustration, but the thing that has made my career has been design and art direction. The illustration field was red hot when I started, but now it’s so hard to make a living at it, there are tons of really good illustrators just hanging on. I wish I could be more encouraging, but even with your level of talent, it’s just really hard to make it. Add to that the fact that you’re trying to go in what is essentially a fine art direction, it’s <I>extremely </I>difficult. I hope that whatever job path you pursue, you will continue to do your art. I know from what you’ve shared that doing your art really feeds your soul. I talked with Terry Gilliam once and he told me that the best advice he could give me was to follow my passion. If you can’t make a living doing that, don’t give up on following that passion anyway. Do your art to feed yourself if no one else.<BR>
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Chris<BR>
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on 11/8/08 12:33 PM, jason nuttall at jasonnuttall@yahoo.com wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>I wanted to let possible interested parties know that due to the lack of interest and finances, if I do not get more business between now and December 6, I will no longer be working as an artist. I have obligations through December 5th that require I continue working, including the X-Cape Con 2 comic and sci-fi convention in Flint, Michigan November 22&23 where I'll be a guest. But in my efforts in the last ten years to advertise, solicit and basically aggravate to get interest in my services as a professional artist, I have become something I've never wanted to be, and that is a pest. But now I am forced to be a quitter, which is what I have fought for ten years to avoid. I always told myself that I would not be one of those artists who turns their back on their abilities because there's no money in it. But I now have three children ages 2,4 and 6 and a wife whose already given up on herself as an artist and has become one of the people most aggravated by my "career", or lack thereof. <BR>
I had a turning point last year when I met my lifelong heroes, Sergio Aragones and Stan Sakai. They were enthusiastic when viewing my artwork and made me feel like I was somebody important. My life had come full circle, as I met the man who inspired me to draw as a kid and shared thoughts and work. <BR>
Another turning point came this past summer, when my wife and I got free tickets into a Sammy Hagar concert in Lansing. He has been another great inspiration to me in my life, and have done countless pieces of artwork for him and his band. I've met them a few times over the years. Anyway, during the concert (and this was after I quit my miserable job and was looking for work and doubting my path) Sammy, ever the storyteller, spoke of his song "Dreams" and the meaning behind it. If you feel passionate about what you do and are good at what you do,don't give up, just keep your head up. Keep reaching for that goal that seems so far away. He went on, getting into greater detail, but for the first time in my life, I choked up at a concert as he spoke and went into "Dreams" acoustically. I know it sounds cliche, but it was like he was speaking to me. Everything he said and sang was ver batum how I've always felt about pursuing my art career. But these are also words coming from a man who has been very successful for over half his life. He doesn't ever have to choose between buying a $5 canvas or a box of diapers. And I have also come to realize that Sammy Hagar and his band and management are on the list of people I have come to aggravate over the years. I feel like a dog nipping at the heel of anyone who gives me the slightest bit of attention, and am now probably an e-mail address that is blocked or spammed. <BR>
I have come to realize that even though there is a select few who do support my path, on a day to day basis I find more roadblocks and uninterested parties. High praise and "good luck" pats on the back don't pay bills, and when I put my artwork out there with a price tag that's 1/3 of what it's worth, spending gas money I don't have to display work that people admire but don't purchase, I get the disappointed and "why do you bother" look from my wife as I walk through the door, that I also see when I look in the mirror. <BR>
If you want to take advantage of my services, do it soon. Otherwise, I won't be bothering this group with my shameless plugs and links to my sites after December 6. I will make comments where I feel like commenting, or if there's Sammy Hagar or Groo related topic I will post.<BR>
Jason Nuttall<BR>
www.nuttallart.blogspot.com <a href="http://www.nuttallart.blogspot.com"><http://www.nuttallart.blogspot.com></a> <BR>
www.myspace.com/nuttallart <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nuttallart"><http://www.myspace.com/nuttallart></a> <BR>
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PS This is not an attempt at getting business. This is not a pity thing. I'm not looking for people to feel bad and hire me or buy something. <BR>
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</SPAN><FONT SIZE="2"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.0px'>Check me out!</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nuttallart"><http://www.myspace.com/nuttallart></a> <BR>
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