Lots to think about …

After many months perhaps years since I graduated, I have reached a point where I have to decide … hobby or professional?

After two successful residencies at Reading Museum and an amicable collaboration with a publisher and filmmaker I am in a position to create something viable … a film and two books.

The Reading Museum have tentatively agreed to make space and time to show the film and market the books but there will be no funds. While this came as no surprise it did draw my attention for the need for me to consider how I actually finance such an event.

The books require professional production, and the films need expert editing, also my costs need to be considered … all of which cannot be funded from my retirement pension.  

My plans were thwarted, unless I begin a fund-raising exercise. This is the language of professional artists and alien to me.

After finding a potential benefactor I have begun the process. It has been arduous and alarming. I was blissfully unaware of the costs of professional procurement and indeed my own costs.

Financial needs aside the emotional input is also astounding. Putting a price on the endeavours of anther person is one thing, thank goodness they provided me with fair estimates of the work involved. My funds, described as research and development costs was so much more difficult to reconcile.

However, with all this understanding that I may become ‘professional’ there is a sense of hope. Thinking that I may yet be rejected with some constructive feedback, with newfound knowledge I may find myself on a platform to apply again it would be churlish not too.