We recently connected with Brett Beasley and have shared our conversation below.
Brett, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
The facts: 2 year apprenticeship in production pottery (Palms Up Pottery in New Smyrna Beach, FL), interested by what the art field has to offer, I completed my BFA at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. Still interested, I accomplished my MFA at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. After graduation, I began my career as a full time self-employed ceramic artist. For two years I paid all my bills directly from the sales of my artwork. For more experiences and social interactions, I peppered in teaching opportunities at various institutions (Graceland University, The Octagon and more). Feeling a bit isolated by month-after-month of independently creating my work (no employees or apprentices) I searched for a studio to manage. For the next three years I managed one of the largest non-profit community arts centers, Clayworks (www.LearnClay.com). While there I fixed kilns, fired gas & electric kilns frequently, ordered literal tons of clay and dry materials, managed many assistants, volunteers and studio monitors. Wonderful experience, lots of labor. Now I embark into a new and exciting chapter of my life… I will once again be a full time studio artist!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My goal of being a self-employed artist is to have a harmonious balance in areas of my life that are not ‘work’. I have a serious interest in being self sufficient. My extensive garden allows for canning, pickling, and other preservation techniques. The food that goes into my body is valuable… I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 26 and there is nothing more important than the high quality nutrients I consume. Sustainably sourced fish and ethically harvested venison is literally the highest quality source of vitamins and nutrients for my body. Fishing and hunting allows my mind time to relax while simultaneously adjusting my perspective on my idealized life’s path. The chosen path. Cheesy I know, but it is all about the ‘pursuit of happiness’.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
It is called artwork, right? The majority of society forget the second word… WORK. The artist’s lifestyle is socially idealized (flexible work hours, bohemian tendencies, allows creativity to guide decisions, etc) however, being a full time artist is an immense amount of work. Driving several hours to work craft shows/festivals/galleries/museums, being away from home for several days, bookkeeping, packing & shipping, advertising, market research, labor of moving materials: 2000 pounds of clay, loading/unloading kilns, mixing glazes from raw materials, equipment maintenance and much more. The actual creation of art objects is maybe 25% of the process.
It would be neat if society realized being an artist is just work. Work. That is all. Nobody is born an artist. We all work our asses off to be an artist!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.BeasleyCeramics.com
- Instagram: BeasleyCeramics