We were lucky to catch up with Assétou Xango recently and have shared our conversation below.

Assétou, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been a full-time poet for over 6 years and I have never made more money than when I started making money from my art. If you are thinking of taking that leap of becoming a full-time artist I have a few pieces of advice:

1. DO IT WHILE YOUR SCARED: There is no perfect time to do it but there are better times. If you are one of those people who likes security, than secure 6 months of living expenses or go part-time at your job and dedicate the rest of you time to building your creative business. Securing your funds should not be time consuming. There are TONS of grants and fellowships out there that can give you some of that money and applying for them will help you clarify exactly what all this is for. The trick is not to let funds be the reason you don’t take the leap, or any other excuse you take for that matter. No matter where you are or what you’ve got, make BIG steps now.

2. NO ONE ACCOMPLISHES ANYTHING ALONE: Tap into your network. Ask around. Ask for help on your social media accounts. Find artists who are doing what you want to do and ask them how they did it. Rugged individualism is a myth. No one accomplishes anything alone, especially not the wealthiest or successful among us. Being talented is on a third of the battle. Sometimes one phone call can take you from, “I have no idea how to do this” to “Wow, that’s practically done” in 30 minutes flat. I kid you not. If you are worried about someone stealing your idea or taking advantage of you, than use broad strokes to talk about your project until you find people you trust. But if you are worried about looking foolish or weak, get over it, anything worth doing is worth doing poorly and there is far more at stake if the world never gets to experience what you have to offer.

3. ASK FOR MORE The number one tip I can give to those wanting to make money of their art is to ask for more than you think you can get. This is really scary, especially when it comes to money. People often fear that they are going to be blacklisted if they go over market value in their field, but the truth is, there is no market value in the art world. There is only what people are willing to pay for and most artists are GROSELY undercharging. I used to charge $50/hr for a poetry workshop. Then, one day, without explaining myself, I began charging $250/hr for a poetry workshop!!! I was so afraid people would laugh me out the door. They didn’t. I was sure they would begin hiring me for less hours…they hired me for more!!! At one point, one single organization hired me for $7,000 worth of work and the next year up their budget to $10k. Again, for poetry! If I can do it, so can you.

When someone approaches you, they want YOU. Your art is uniquely yours. No one can do it like you do and so the people looking to hire you are not trying to go for the lowest bid, they’re trying to get the best work. Some trick happens in the brain when they see your high price tag, they believe, “Wow, if they are charging that, they most be worth it.” The people who paid me more were generally more satisfied with my work and were better clients overall. And of course, there will be some organizations and clients who are simply not able to pay for your services but by charging more from the people you can, you can afford to pass up the people who can pay or to do it for less because your income. is being filled out by ther projects.

All in all, it is completely doable to make money off of your creative endeavors. Get visible, seek funding and charge more. Your work is too important to keep hidden.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have been a full-time poet for over 6 years and it has been more rewarding than I could have imagined. If you are thinking of taking a similar leap I have a few pieces of advice:

1. DO IT WHILE YOUR SCARED: There is no perfect time to take a risk, it is a risk after all. If you want some security before you do it, than secure 6 months of living expenses or go part-time at your job and dedicate the rest of you time to building your creative business. Either way, put a time limit on it. Securing your funds should not be time consuming. There are TONS of grants and fellowships out there that can give you some of that money and applying for them will help you clarifyyour projects and intentions. The trick is not to let funds or anything stand in the way of you taking the leap. No matter where you are or what you’ve got, make BIG steps now.

2.USE YOUR NETWORK. Everyone has one. Don’t buy into this idea that you need to go to networking events or be introduced to the right people before you can launch. You already know the right people. Ask around. Give a shout on your social media accounts. Find artists who are doing what you want to do and DM them! Rugged individualism is a myth. No one accomplishes anything alone, especially not the wealthiest or successful among us. B Sometimes one phone call can take you from, “I have no idea how to do this” to “Wow, that’s practically done” in 30 minutes flat.

If you are worried about someone stealing your idea or taking advantage of you, than use broad strokes to talk about your project until you find people you trust. If you are worried about looking foolish or weak, get over it, anything worth doing is worth doing poorly and there is far more at stake if the world never gets to experience what you have to offer.

3. ASK FOR MORE The number one tip I can give to those wanting to make money off their art is to ask for more than you think you can get. This is really scary, especially when it comes to money. People often fear that they are going to be blacklisted if they go over market value in their field, but the truth is, there is no market value in the art world. There is only what people are willing to pay for and most artists are GROSELY undercharging. I used to charge $50/hr for a poetry workshop. Then, one day, without explanation, I began charging $250/hr. I was so afraid people would laugh me out the door. They didn’t. I was sure they would begin hiring me for less hours…they hired me for more!!! At one point, a single organization hired me for $7,000 worth of work and the next year up their budget to $10k. For poetry! If I can do it, so can you.

When someone approaches you, they want YOU. Your art is uniquely yours. No one can do it like you so they are looking for the lowest bid, they’re trying to get the best work. When they see your high price tag they believe, “Wow, if they are charging that, they most be worth it.” The people who paid me more were generally more satisfied with my work and were better clients overall. Of course, there will be some organizations and clients who are simply not able to pay your rate, but by charging more from the people you can, you can afford to pass up the people who can’t pay or to take on thos passion projects without skipping meals.

All in all, it is completely doable to make money off of your creative endeavors. Get visible, seek funding and charge more. Your work is too important to keep hidden.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My poetry career has been filled with healing, mine and others. I have used my artwork to rewrite and reclaim my story.

My initial goal was to be a full-time artist that creates space for other artists, especially Black Femmes. I achieved this purpose in 2016 and have spent much of that time nurturing younger voices. In 2020, I started a business as a Healing Life Coach, exclusively serving Black Femmes. Since then, I have helped half a dozen Black Femmes start their own careers doing what they love.

The ultimate dream is Dark Goddess Collective (DGC), an organization that works for and with Black Femmes of diverse backgrounds. This organization would help prepare and advocate for Black Femmes to have successful careers in creative fields. Eventually, with enough capital, DGC will fund thousands of creative endeavors by Black Femmes worldwide.

The more resources and connections I have, the more I can help others in my community. That is why it is important to push my career forward and make way for others.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

It took me a long-time to identify as a poet with no qualifiers. I felt that I had to be a poet and: a poet and activist, a poet and community leader, a poet and an educator. Because the world undervalued my art form, I felt it was insufficient.

I am learning that poet is a full sentence. As a poet, I am everything I mentioned and so much more. Poets hold the emotional tenor of society. Most fields document what happened, poets do the mess work of capturing how it felt. Across centuries, we can report the indescribable in a way that brings you there. We name the nameless. We challenge the culture and change the course of ourstory. I am constantly relearning this role and the weight of this responsibility.

I am poet. There is no higher calling.

Contact Info:

• Website: assetouxango.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/assetouxango/

Image Credits
Vasant Marur 2013 TedXMileHigh 2016 Karson Hallaway 2020