Making a Living

The safety net has been hobbled. Despite being in your business in an untold number of ways, from abortion to drug rights, never mind licensing requirements, now, more than ever, you're responsible for paying your own bills. But it gets worse. Because so many jobs don't pay enough to put a roof over your head and food on the table, never mind deliver health care and an automobile to get to and fro, and the gas and insurance for it. Now you don't have to go to college, but if you do not, you must be a self-starter, someone who can create something out of thin air that people will pay you for, sooner rather than much later. You might be a tech genius, but very few are. It's kind of like being a musician, many can play the guitar, but not may can earn a living at it. So... College is b.s. But without it, you're starting behind the 8-ball. Most of what you learn happens outside the classroom, which is why you should do your best to go to a residential institution. You need to widen your perspective by meeting others from different backgrounds and social strata. You may think you know it all, but when you go to college you will find out you do not. And you want to go to the best college you can afford. Here's a hint... Most of the best colleges are need-blind, meaning if you can get in they'll foot the bill if you can't afford it. So don't be afraid to reach for the stars, you never know. Assuming you've got the goods. Life is all about the people you know and the goods you possess. And almost always, the goods are between your ears. And it's not facts, but analysis, can you appraise the landscape and come to conclusions, gain insight. But even if you've got that college degree, you must still ask yourself whether you're a follower or an innovator. Working for yourself is a license to starve. But it's also a license to make a living unfettered by a boss. So... If you're an entrepreneur and it's just about making a living, making bank to foot your bills, there are trades, i.e. plumbers, electricians, etc., and numerous opportunities providing services. These may not be glamorous gigs, but they are low hanging fruit. Yet they require intense dedication and long hours. So, if you're not an entrepreneur, go get a job at a corporation. Or maybe the store down the street. But just know unless you own the enterprise, you're expendable. Now, more than ever, it's when you're going to get fired, not if. And if you are fired...forget the want ads, it's all about networking. So... If you want to play the corporate game, soft skills are the most important. You've got to be a good hang. Socialize ad infinitum. Do favors. Because you're going to need one, it's just a matter of when. But know other than family, you are not assured that those in your network will be reliable, will deliver the quid pro quo, especially if you're lower on the totem pole than they are. That's just reality. If you confront them regarding their lack of delivery, they'll just say "it's business," and it is. So that's a path you can take. Working for one company or another and trading yourself up to a better gig utilizing your network until you die. You might get enough money to buy a house, drive a foreign car, but your spouse will probably have to work too. And you will constantly be on call. When the phone rings on the weekend, you'd better answer it, doesn't matter if you're having a baby or there's a death in the family... You can never sleep working for someone, you must always have one eye open to the politics, the gossip, to making sure you're super-serving your boss, even if they're an a-hole. But if you want to go the entrepreneurial route in the arts... You must know that you are not needed. No one needs your music, movie or book. There are plenty out there. And you might create something better than what's successful, but that does not mean you'll get rich. If you go the artistic route you must have no bills, no obligations, be willing to walk into the wilderness unfettered, possibly for years! If you don't have the stomach for this, don't start and don't complain. Just go to graduate school, which is a glorified trade school. But know, unless you're an MD, graduate school does not mean you'll make a great living. Just that you will make a living. Should you borrow for your education? That's a tough one. I'd do your best not to. Certainly don't borrow expecting riches at the end, there are a ton of starving lawyers. But if you go down the artistic path, you must accept that you are an entrepreneur, you are running a business, that you're responsible for your career. This is the exact opposite of the pre-internet era. Then it was about attaching yourself to someone who could push the button. Distribution was controlled, and you needed access to it, which intermediaries like record labels provided. Now distribution is open to everyone and it's almost free. That challenge has been decimated. But the end result is the channel is clogged. With both the great and the terrible. How do you rise above? I'd say by being great, but that's not enough and that's not always definitive. It's all about gaining fans. Period. Don't try to impress intermediaries, go directly for people who will support you, buy your work, come to shows, tell all their friends about you. If you are not willing to dun everybody you know, don't start. This is where the rubber meets the road. Once again, don't even bother sending your material to an intermediary, expecting to be jetted into the stratosphere. They're already too busy and even if they want you, chances are they can't do much for you that you cannot do yourself. I know this is disillusioning, but it's the truth. So, can your art deliver a living, based solely on your own efforts? Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself that question. If the answer is no, stop. Forget the false encouragement, mostly from people who want to charge you or are afraid to tell you the truth. Careers are about attention and reaction. Period. If you can't deliver both... Don't shoot for the stars. Today no one has universal purchase. Those acts paraded in the mainstream press? Most of America, never mind the world, doesn't know the material. Accept this. Everything is cottage industry today. Can you build your own cottage industry? Now you must separate desire from truth. The truth is we're all great at something, but it may not be what you're emotionally attached to. Let me put it this way, if you're a great salesman you'll never starve. But if you're a great musician, you might. -- Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/ -- Listen to the podcast: -iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj -Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp -- http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz -- If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter, http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1 If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25 To change your email address http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25