Comments on: Writer’s Dilemma: Your Art vs. Paying the Bills

By: Naomi

Naomi — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:31:10 +0000

I’m just discovering the idea of reading other blogs about writing for help with my own crippled process (as pathetically prideful as it is, I’ve always believed searching for help from outside media might taint my creativity) and I would just like to say thank you. You have no idea how inspiring this was for me to read.

I’ll be looking for more.

By: Tedel

Tedel — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:47:24 +0000

I’ll give you my words in this one. Althoug I have been dreaming to become a writer since I was a teen, it was finally now in which I could find a job in which I’m being paid for writing (and designing) websites… and I feel happy.

The point is that I can continue writing my dreamt things on my own magazine and keep my voice “free from pollution”. I never imagined that in less than a year without promotion, that e-zine could get more than a thousand visitors a day!

My voice was nice to hear!

Yes, I know you know the feeling. You have a lot of people (more) listening to you… I’ll be there too. Just wait. =)

By: J. Wallace

J. Wallace — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:34:17 +0000

Just discovering your site…nice work! Would love to see more entries in the Freelance section, but then again, I am baised :-)

Keep up the great work!

By: Andrew Brunelle

Andrew Brunelle — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:40:44 +0000

As a fellow blogger/writer, I like your new site and it looks like it is going to be a hit. You have some very insightful tips. Thank you for clarifying this whole false dichotomy and how we can all make money and use our own creative self-expression to do it. Looking forward to enjoying this blog as much as Zen Habits. Good luck.

By: Joseph Arnone

Joseph Arnone — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:54:29 +0000

Leo, this is my favorite post so far on write to done. I have read all your posts. I would suggest writing more articles in regards to this topic because I feel that many writers struggle with this and you can provide solid posts based on your knowledge. All of us writers need inspiration. By the way, congratulations on your book with Hyper. I knew it was only a matter of time for you buddy. I’ll be checking out this new site. Thanks!

Joseph

By: Charlotte Babb

Charlotte Babb — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:30:29 +0000

Some of the false dichotomy is caused by the mass belief that artists must [insert verb of pain here] for their art, or it is not any good. I write a blog for the continuing ed department of my school, and to the extent that I write what I care about, what I think people need to know, and not just listing the classes that start next week, the more people read what I write. I’m not doing any traffic-building stuff because it’s not my voice, but in six months I’ve gone from 68 readers a month to 2200.

It’s because I think what my college does is valuable to the community,and the community needs to know about it. That’s authentic, even if it is commercial–and for someone else’s product.

By: Todd

Todd — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:43:05 +0000

Art and commerce can go hand in hand. Think of Dickens, who wrote his novels serially for magazines. Renaissance artists were commissioned by their patrons to create their art, whether the patron was a king or pope, and what, if anything, are some of the great religious pieces of art other than PR flak pieces for the church?

I think it’s a false notion that art can’t be “pure” or authentic simply because it’s allied to commerce. It’s a notion born of Romanticism, and I doubt the Romantics fully believed in it, except as an ideal.

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:19:41 +0000

Excellent article, and something I am currently struggling through. Sometimes it feels like having choices can be a burden rather than a blessing. Still, it beats the alternative of having nothing.

Anyway, thanks for the thoughts, and great Gaiman quote. I loved “Neverwhere”

By: Ben Goldman

Ben Goldman — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 23:59:59 +0000

Hi all,

Thank you Leo for this heartfelt, very inspiring article which surely will help those, like myself, struggling to figure out how to survive without compromising our true selves and artistic values. I am just starting out in the blog world and have yet to build a decent readership as my topic is a bit esoteric but I feel that with seriously devoted effort I will be able to do what I want to do, which is blog fulltime. Your writings on this site and zenhabits.net are so enlightening and encouraging. I am eternally grateful. Keep up the good work!

Ben Goldman
http://www.discountenlightenment.com

By: dandellion

dandellion — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 06:12:24 +0000

Thanks for all the great posts I have read tonight.

My problem in this is, when I write “for money” i.e. as a journalist’s task I experience all the “bad sides” of being a journalist: I start writing at the last possible moment. I do my research as I write and, too many times, I bang my head against writer’s block. Simply put, if I have to write it, I cannot write. It doesn’t matter if I would write the same thing for free and easily just one month earlier, the moment it became “for money” it is not easy-going and inspired one.