Carl:
> Carl:
> In Ireland, if a poet manages to get a book published, the govt. will
> provide a stipend so they can write full-time.  Here, poetry is the
> poorest paid genre there is.  It's a different attitude.  Does Finland
> provide a stipend for artists?  I know in some countries in Africa,
> when a child is discovered to have an artistic talent, they are set up
> with a place to live and practice, and produce art.  That becomes
> their job.  The people of the village or whatever all chip in and
> support the artist.  Their attitude is that everyone in the village
> benefits from the art, therefore it's only appropriate that they
> support the artist.

Tuukka:
Not that I know of. There are grants, sure. But there are many problems.
My work is politically incorrect. I'm primarily a cartoonist who seems
to be considered somehow elite by some, but does not get into
mainstream. Well, actually I do. I've had my strips published in
mainstream publications, such as student magazines, or a pharmacy
magazine distributed to all Uni Pharmacies in Finland, and what not. But
they don't pay me for this, and I don't know why they should. It's just
a couple of strips, and some 50 euros which they conceivably could pay
doesn't pay the rent, so I'd rather have them just publish them and pay
nothing, than to not publish because they would have to pay. That's why
I made the strips - I didn't aim to get rich.

I get money by being diagnosed as insane. I'm basically quite well,
popular, not unhappy, in good physical health also, but I have psychotic
symptoms if I try to work or study at the Uni. I've tried many times
because I have wanted to seem socially more acceptable or normal, but I
resent the establishment so much I do not really have a choice. I
consider myself lucky to be unable to do work nobody pays for, but I
tried to be another kind of a person, and only after repeated failures
did I come to the conclusion that since I can't live in a different way,
I am entitled to be happy living this way. In the USA I would probably
be very unhappy and downright ill, and produce next to nothing.

My works are rather controversial. It's not like the govt. would give a
stipend to a person like me just like that. I think I'm much more likely
to get sued because of my art than to receive a grant. This is just a
neutral observation, and I of course value my art extremely highly.

>
>
> Carl:
> That is the flaw in the American system.  Here, it is believed that,
> "If it's any good, somebody will pay to hear/see it."  Commercial
> success becomes the gauge for art here.  I worked as a free-lance
> writer for several years, and ended up writing a bunch of crap that I
> had no real interest in just to make enough money to live on.  Doing
> that actually kills your soul, I think.  It certainly kills any
> innovation.  You have to do what everyone wants in order to get paid
> to do it.  Instead of writing stories about the human condition, I
> ended up writing about truck suspensions.  Bleech.  I finally stopped
> because I didn't like what I was becoming.  There is a saying here:  
> "You can make a million dollars writing, but you can't make a
> living."  That's not totally true, if you don't mind writing about
> truck suspensions....

Tuukka:
I know how you feel. It turns people into something bad.

>
>
> Carl:
> The majority of Americans view education as a path to more money.  
> Period. I went to a small private college here for a year, and met so
> many young people there that were filling in a box on their resume it
> was ridiculous. Because I'm older, (56) many of them asked me why I
> was there.  I told them because I love to learn.  They gave me a
> non-comprehending look.  It was really sad.

Tuukka:

It is sad.


>
>
> Carl:
> I listened to the song and actually had a visceral reaction to it.  
> Thank you.  I don't know what it means, but it was an interesting
> experience.  My personal preferences are for melodic music with
> distinct, understandable lyrics.  Either that, or Jazz. <G>  Anyway, I
> liked the song.  I don't know if I would buy it, but I know my
> worldview in regard to  music is now broader.

Tuukka:
I made that song intermittently for maybe eight years. Gave up many
times, now very happy with it. Glad to hear about your reaction! Truly. =)

It's not about getting paid. I like money very much but I don't think I
should be paid for any single thing I do. I would very probably accept
the payment - I'm not Grigori Perelman - but I don't understand the
rationale behind paying me for some one thing instead of just giving me
money for no particular reason. If I would do things I strongly dislike,
I would understand why I should be paid for that, but if I have
sustenance, I will do these things regardless of whether I get paid.

Best regards,
Tuukka
Moq_Discuss mailing list
Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc.
http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org
Archives:
http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/
http://moq.org/md/archives.html