Artist’s Bill of Rights: 40 guiding principles for a healthier life in the arts
Updated: Feb 21, 2021
An artist’s career is a winding thing. It cuts through dense thickets and carves magic out of stone. Through art, we turn possibility into reality, understanding raw materials as tools for revealing truth. A life in the arts can be beautiful, brutal, enlivening, ephemeral, frustrating, traumatic, gratifying, brilliant, confusing, focused, scattered, and spontaneous. More than anything, though, it is a path of constant change. Art is subjective and is multifaceted. Because of this, arts centered careers can be tricky to navigate. Regardless of the approach you take, or at what stage you find yourself in your career, here are 40 basic rights you, the artist, should have at ALL times. If you find yourself in a situation that dampens or eliminates any of these principles it’s time to make an essential shift.
As an artist, you have the absolute right to:
Determine your own values
Do work you align with
Be treated with dignity and respect
Ask for information
Connect with others
Have an opinion
Push artistic boundaries
Set personal boundaries
Seek transparency
Question existing power structures
Work for a fair wage
Receive a compliment
Say yes
Say no
Change course
Strive for clarity
Think critically
Negotiate confidently
Reevaluate regularly
Stand up for yourself and others
Work hard
Solve problems collaboratively
Share information generously
Seek mentorship
Request help
Find feedback
Create your own definition of opportunity
Preserve, protect, and improve your state of well-being
Assemble a support system
Accept failure
Pursue mastery
Feel proud of your work
Know more than somebody else
Know less than somebody else
Befriend the people who know more than you do
Embrace multiple learning styles
Be unconventional
Take courageous action
Sharpen your leadership skills
Evolve