Comments on: Jack of all trades (or at least some relevant ones)

By: Kill the Jack of All Trades - Rasmus Rasmussen dot com

Kill the Jack of All Trades - Rasmus Rasmussen dot com — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:38:37 +0000

[...] post was inspired by a 3-year old kvetch of mine, Michael Nobbs’ recent post on a similar note, and the post by Seth Godin that inspired [...]

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:36:48 +0000

I like the idea of being a jack of all trades but i feel as though having a focus helps me to progress. I would like to be master of a few trades such as paper cutting, illustrating, photography and hand drawn type and having these skills that i would like to develop narrows down my focus but i still dabble in other things as i always like to learn new things.

By: Susan Hemann

Susan Hemann — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:57:31 +0000

I could never stick to one type of art. I love trying new things.
I would love to learn how to use Photoshop. I’ve had it for two years and cannot figure it out.

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:33:08 +0000

I agree with the idea of jack of all trades. Being multiskilled has saved me numerous times. I feel like if I place all of my focus on one thing I’m afraid I may paint myself into a corner.

“I also doubt that creative people can stick to one thing, and one thing onlyâ€¦ Their minds usually wander.” I agree Tanja that is deffinitely me

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:59:04 +0000

While I do admire artists who focus all their efforts toward mastering one thing, I could never see myself being one of these people. I think it just comes naturally to some of us – being a jack-of-all-trades. And really, no one is a “jack-of-ALL trades,” usually just a HANDFUL-of-trades.
Nice post. Thanks.

By: Kurt Settles

Kurt Settles — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:42:30 +0000

I have a professional artist friend who, when I asked him if he was (just simply) blogging, said that he hadn’t gotten around to it yet (although his wife set up a Facebook fan page for him). While he is an amazing artist in his own right, but I cannot begin to think that he will be successful except through serendipitous means if he fails to broaden his skill set to include the all-important self-promotion that comes through our online world.
Thanks, Michael, for a thought-provoking post today. Seth can’t always be right.

By: MJ

MJ — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:35:26 +0000

As artists we have always had to wear many hats and acquire additional skills to our main practice. Successful artists such as Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin are very much in control of their work and have always done various things. I recall going in the mid 90s to the tiny shop Tracey Emin had set up as a museum for her work. In the shop were a collection of Eminâ€™s mono prints and in the centre was her famous tent, the work â€˜Everyone I have ever slept with.â€™ Emin was present all day every day. She carried out work in the â€˜museumâ€™ and shared various stories of how she became an artist. The fantasy of an artist working away in the studio who is somehow discovered by some gallery owner and doesnâ€™t have to do anything but make the work is the fantasy of first year art college students. It is the lot of the artist to learn to master the various trades and skills we need to promote our work. With the advent of the web those skills are more accessible and for that I am very grateful as I suck at the traditional forms of marketing and promotion.

By: Tanja

Tanja — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:41:53 +0000

I also love that I can buy books, art, music online, from self-published artists and know that my money goes to them. To the person making the something.

Yes, recordlabels and publishers do work to, but this is the same type of work for every book and every album and I honestly doubt that they put their hearts in like most self-publishing artists do.

I also doubt that creative people can stick to one thing, and one thing only… Their minds usually wander