Giving Back

“Giving is investing”

John D. Rockefeller

Within the first hour of publishing the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara’s story Are the Kids Growing Up? The Expat received a day’s worth of traffic. Nara’s Japanese fans came out in force. I was as surprised as anyone and I was also heartened that The Expat could help promote an interesting artist’s work so well. Hopefully Nara’s story will encourage more people to seek out and look at his work, attend his exhibitions and even take home one of his works.

For that is what The Expat is all about.

I have worked in the arts industry for over 40 years and I know just how hard it is for the majority of artists to build an audience for their work. Sure there are the rock stars in the industry but they are the exception rather than the rule. And when compare them against the number of people making art, some of which is much more interesting, in my not so humble opinion, than the art star’s work, their number is minuscule. Most artists have to have a day job to support their habit.

Over the years I have worked as a Theatre Manager, which was a pretty good gig actually, a phone jockey, not so good, a stage hand and an English Teacher, I suck at teaching. But throughout it all I have always found a few hours in the day to work on my art. Even today, as I write and publish The Expat, which chews up to eight hours a day, I still find time for my art. The upside is I don’t have to commute between job and studio. The downside is that like most blogs, it costs a lot more to publish than it makes.

So here you are at The Expat, reading this story. I take it that you have at least a passing interest in the arts, a profession, again in my not so humble opinion, essential to an enriching and enjoyable life. If you like the stories on the expat and would like to read more in the future click on this link to Enable the Expat and throw a few $$ in the cup and help The Expat to give back to the profession it loves by providing exposure and understanding for artists and their work from around the world.

And while you’re there check out the gallery to see my latest work, The Permissive Prints.