Supporting The Arts, Individuals Artists, and This Substack

“Are we actually in the middle of a generosity crisis?” (‘Who Pays for the Arts?’, Esquire)

No, I don’t think so. At least not at the individual level. At a society level, the U.S. has never prioritized The Arts. It’s well-known that any great nation supports The Arts or dies a slow death. Instead of ‘publish or perish’, the government stakes should be weighed as support or perish.

The West Wing (tv show) addresses concerns about the National Endowment for The Arts (NEA) in a manner that I’ve always appreciated. It’s worth watching this short video clip if you have not seen it.

“In other countries, where governments have historically made arts funding a priority, laypeople seem to be more engaged with the arts. In Iceland—the world’s third-happiest country, where the government spends $936 per person annually on the arts—one out of ten citizens will publish a book in their lifetime. The government offers artist salaries for various lengths of time to support creative projects, and among other arts subsidies, publishing houses can apply for a 25 reimbursement on costs related to publishing a book.” 

“American artists themselves have long subsidized the arts for the public. […] That’s why residencies from organizations like Yaddo, MacDowell, and Hawthornden or grants from foundations like Whiting and organizations like Creative Capital are so important.”

In the Esquire article, they go on to call attention to the way nonprofits have, in some ways, become a less effective and less appealing model in recent times.

This brings us to what I’m trying to do right here, in this space, on Substack. 

“Kelly’s example is straightforward math—if a creator produces enough content to warrant a $100 profit per subscriber per year, then they need only a thousand subscribers to make $100,000. For individual artists, that’s a salary. But for institutions, that’s the equivalent of a check from a major donor.”

Let me be clear, I’m not expecting to make $100,000 a year.

My goal is to make a real living wage across all my income streams.

The audience I’m seeking are those who believe my writing, my community efforts, and the work I share and platform are valuable.