Rethink

The past few years have been challenging, to say the least! First with COVID, which caused many small businesses to collapse or go deep into debt. I chose the latter thanks to Johnson’s ‘Bounce Back Loan’ scheme, which is now requesting unaffordable repayments each month. Then BREXIT happened and suddenly our shelves were empty and the cost of living sky-rocketed to say the least, which had the knock-on effect of triggering a rise in interest rates. Then the Tories had a cabinet shuffle, a new leader and a moronic chancelor, who caused the markets to crash, with his new budget in late 2022, which had the knock-on effect of freezing the UK’s spending, as the Bank of England rose interest rates AGAIN!

The end result of this clusterf**k was that I took no new bookings between October 2022 and March 2023, leading to much stress and concern on my part. I found myself in survival mode, selling my material goods, applying for menial jobs (to no response) and claiming Universal Credit allowance (£300 pcm) to put food on my table, while my debts rose and loomed heavier daily.

Meanwhile the caricature community swole and welcomed dozens of new artists to the business, thus depleeting available work even more. Fortunately for me, I somehow managed to go viral on Instagram, which saw my following grow from 2000 to 162,000, almost overnight! I quickly made use of my new audience, advertising my studio commissions to a hungry public, the resulting orders kept me ticking over until late 2022, for which I was grateful. My new-found popularity also lead to invitations from abroad, to draw and speak at European caricature events, in Zurich, Izmir (Turkey), Buzau (Romania) and Vienna, which meant a whirlwind of a summer in 2022 for me!

My trips abroad also found me new love and a future wife from Bucharest – Daniela Balan, who occupies my heart and my time, with plans for a future together, so 2022 had its hi-points to counter the lows of my country’s failing economy.

In October of 2022 we became engaged, to my great delight. Daniela has certainly becme the catalist I needed for change and my life is now flowing towards a very different future ahead. We have explored ways for us to be together, but thanks to BREXIT this has become impossible in the UK; a Spouse Visa costs around £5000 to apply for, plus inflated tax bills to prove my income, costing an extra £5000 before our application can be considered and possibly rejected. After 6 months of constant brick walls in my country, I decided our future had a better chance in a warm, welcoming country – Romania. I have decided to leave the UK and make a new start with my young bride in Bucharest, Romania, where Visas are simple and inexpensive, the cost of living is affordable and opportunities for work are plenty, in this blossoming European state.

So our challenges begin, firstly with our forthcoming wedding in Bucharest which itself saw many hurdles, including the procurement of my divorce papers from South Africa, but the necessary paperwork has now been sourced and translated, ready for our big day! Then we must apply for a Long Stay (spouse) Visa for Romania, so I can live and work there for upto 5 years, before becoming a citizen and applying for domestic status. But I am fortunate to have many new friends in Romania, all willing to help make the transition smooth, which makes me grateful. Our living situation is uncertain as yet, as is my work status, but I hope to register a new company and generate work by the beginning of 2024, working alongside my beautiful artist wife, Daniela.

Meanwhile, my business challenges at home continue, as wedding exhibitions flop and Google ads have limited resuts, I must assume the market here is either flooded or stagnant, as people hang on to their pennies and make entertainment their last priority. I occasionally receive requests for quotes, where I am competing with dozens of new, cheaper artists, for drawing jobs. But I had no work in January, February or March and May is also baron, so my future here looks bleak to say the least – not much reward for 30 years of hard work, championing my industry and teaching future generations of caricaturists. Always the survivor, I have channelled my skills into lectures and workshops, backed up by my first book (written during 2020 lockdown) which has given me the confidence to teach others and share my knowledge, knowing it is valued.

So I am rethinking my future, my role as a husband, a teacher and an artist, with bold new plans for Romania, while wrapping up my business in the UK. My days now are spent selling the contents of my home and office, which will have no place in Romania. This includes discarding my new advertising banners, 32″ monitor and advertising parephenalia, along with my book collection, my A0 drawing board and art materials, thus limiting my Romanian office to just a PC, printer and iPad. Its hard to dismantle a 30 year old business, but very cathartic at the same time – realising what basics I need to survive and put cash in my pocket. A large part of my future plans involve Passive Income – a trickle of cash from book sales, video sales (my lectures), Instagram income and online commissions. Its not a bad thing to plan ahead for a future where I can live in the Transylvanian hills, with my wife and children, surviving on passive income and workshops… Life could be worse 😉

As for the UK? I can no longer afford my inflating mortgage or my loan repayments, so I have successfully consolidated my finances and intend to rent my property out, while I build a new life in Romania. I must say, after 13 years of Tory rule, I simply cannot take any more selfishness or lies and I no longer feel at home here. Romania may be 30+ years behind the UK in economic and social development, but we could learn a whole lot from them when it comes to family values and community care. I feel welcomed and appreciated in Romania and I look forward to my new European family 🙂

Unethical

I thought my days of dealing with unscrupulous agents were over, but apparently not.

I’ve had a free online profile with PT (agency) for many years, with limited success, they introduced automated quotes and packages a couple of years ago and problems started to arise. I recently had to turn down an August booking, for which they had quoted, taken the booking and accepted the deposit, all in my name, without consulting me! I decided this approach was not for me and so asked to remove my listing – then the threads unravelled. I had accepted a booking via them some months earlier, for which they had been paid and had no further involvement. PT apparently called my client (just two weeks prior to their wedding) , advising them to cancel and book an alternative act, via their online site! This much I know from my client, who was put in a quandary. I managed to ease my client’s worries and cement the agreement, with their payment. They seemed unaware of the fee paid to PT from their deposit.

This was blatant sabotage by the agent, who claimed to be protecting my client’s interests, despite my having already confirmed with them just a week before. Instead they massively stressed the client and nearly ruined their wedding, and for what? Pettiness!

As an Artiste; if an agency sends out quotes, accepts bookings, sends invoices for deposits, all in your name, without your knowledge – steer clear!!

As a customer; if an agency is not transparent about who gets your deposit and client/act/agency liability or they do not put you directly in touch with the act you’ve booked, then search for the act via Google and book direct!

When the going gets tough…

So after ten months without live work or any hope of future bookings, I had to take a long hard look at my future. I cannot survive on £100 per week benefits, God knows how people do! So I applied for work with Royal Mail, as a postman, which is the one job I have always wanted to try. I started in early February, with short daily walks of 3 miles or so, which expanded to 5 miles and now after three months, I just walked my first 10 mile loop!!

I love the outdoors and exercise is one sure way of getting my daily endorphins and dopamine spike! I’m really enjoying the new job, the daily challenges as I stand in for absent workers, all over the county. Its only part time (25 hours a week) and temporary, but I have already applied for a longer contract and look forward to carrying my role on for the remainder of 2021 at least.

As for live drawing? New enquiries are trickling in and work looks like picking up this summer for sure, but with my new perspective, I am being far more selective than I was before. Having a second (albeit minimal) income now means that I can afford to turn away possible nightmare bookings, in favour of more enjoyable events. If a Bride emails me constantly, transferring her stress, I simply withdraw my services. The last thirty years of putting up with nightmare scenarios and Bridezillas has burnt me out, my resilience is low.

Similarly, my enthusiasm for studio work is waning, after thirty years of drawing professionally, with only limited success in the publication field – I have to ask myself “Why bother, if its already been done before and better?”. Those who toil away, producing the same results for years, are a mystery to me. If you’re not pushing the boundaries, you’re just towing the line and that’s not my style.

Price of Covid for Artists

I started drawing professionally in 1991 and somehow stumbled into art as a full time living by 2000. Since then I have dedicated my energies to learning how to maintain a successful business, retraining in new areas, learning new skills and perpetually pitching for work. This momentum has been hard to maintain and I have made many sacrifices, in my social life, my personal relationships and my quality of living. Being a freelance artist means never owning a new car, rarely taking a holiday, having a limited circle of like minded friends, living within your means and (for event artists) living your weekly life in reverse; on the road all weekend, then at home all week, which leads to difficulties in ‘normal’ relationships.

Never the less, I have endured these trials for thirty years and become accustomed to my life outside the lines of society, for the sacrifice is worth it, to know yourself and live with passion (to paraphrase Nietzsche).

Life was good, skating along the paper thin path I had created, forging my own destiny, my own identity, earning a good living and caring less about the nine to five world I avoided. Then Covid happened and within days, my entire marketplace had collapsed and my career was ended, by order of the Government. All social gatherings were banned, weddings were cancelled and overnight I lost at least 35 (life giving) bookings. The world became a very scary place, full of uncertainty and division, between the left and right, the rich and poor, black and white, workers and furloughed, believers and non-believers, the dying and the deniers… then there were the artists. Those creative, resourceful, self employed individuals, who ‘never got a proper job’ reached out for help from the government, to be told they were ‘no longer viable’.

Meanwhile, some people died, some people carried on earning a living, some businesses boomed and some government cronies were awarded lucrative contracts. The world went on in a state of bemusement, as the gulfs widened between rich and poor. Most artists however were forced to suck a really shitty stick and totally re-think their existences. Some did retrain, some took unskilled jobs to survive, some were resourceful, and changed their business model to fit the modern market, and went online, while others were left floundering.

I personally applied for numerous menial jobs, none of which would cover my cost of living or mortgage and all of which had no use for an unskilled 52 year old artist. So I applied for Universal Credit, along with any other government help available, which came eventually in the form of a 20% wage subsidy, for which I am thankful. But this post is not a political one and I don’t intend to point fingers at the clowns responsible for letting half the UK survive on Food Kitchens, no. Neither will I compare the UK’s response and support to other European countries, it is what it is. This post is more existential, questioning where I (and all artists) stand in society, now I have no identity, no cause and indeed, no viable business or reason to trade.

I wake each day and wonder how I will pay my mortgage this month and where I might make a wage. Then I go online and I see dozens of posts from other artists around the world, happily scribbling away in their favourite mediums and styles and posting their results for the joy of it. The thought of competing against other artists by drawing some obscure subject for an online challenge seems utterly pointless to me, but maybe I’m missing the point? So I pick up my Apple pencil and begin to draw on my iPad, then wonder “why bother?” If I am not a professional, paid artist, then what am I, an amateur? This thought is often enough to kick-start my creative process and encourage me to find more paid drawing work. So I get a commission for a few GBP, then the government stops my Universal Credit and Council Tax benefit, leaving me broke once more.

So I am left pondering my existence in this Pandemic restricted society. Were all the sacrifices worth it and how did it all come down to this feeling of emptiness? No job, no money, no cause, no future, no self worth, no personal contact and no life structure. Well if necessity is the mother of invention, then I need to re-invent myself and my life! I have changed my marketing plan to incorporate online business, learned new virtual skills and more importantly, used my life skills as a Hermit to survive the loneliness of lockdown. I also plan to become an Air BNB host, to supplement my income, which will see me moving into a caravan for the foreseeable future. Again utilising my skills at living cheaply and thinking outside the box.

I have also used my spare time to write and publish my first book, with a second in the pipeline, not for the sake of money, but as an output for my creativity. So while society moans about the isolation and boredom, I utilise this as an opportunity to expand my skills and my thinking, while diversifying. Let them be bored, a creative mind isn’t allowed that luxury!

Sometimes it is great being a creative thinker and I would have it no other way!!

Life Laundry

So after 7 months of Covid worries, the financial impact is taking its toll, with millions more out of work and finding themselves homeless. The outlook for the next 6 months is no better.

I find myself in dire straits, unable to afford to live and pay a mortgage alone, with no income or housing support. So after some soul searching and brain storming, I have concluded that I need a Life Laundry and severe change in direction. I am planning to decorate my house, then let it out (rent or Air B&B) in order to pay the mortgage and accrue some equity on my house, while I downscale and move to a caravan, somewhere in the UK. This is a major decision and will involve me losing my office, garage and several vehicles, indeed 80% of my living space, hence I will need to sell everything I own.

The process begins today and I hope to be installed on a site by Summer 2021.

As for work, I am struggling by on UC benefits, but I hope to up my workflow next year, to pay for my new minimalist lifestyle. Watch this space.

Book Out Now!

I’m proud to announce that my first book of illustrations has now been published and is available from Lulu.com and Amazon.co.uk.  Its a collection of around 50 movie star caricatures, many are new artwork, plus a look behind my technique and construction.

Signed copies are now available direct from my website here Spot On Caricatures

When Covid19 hit in March 2020, many complained about being bored at home, but not me – I relished the chance to get some new studio work done and embark on a new project; my book. I already had many images available, but had to create a further dozen or so, to complete the set. I’m very proud of the result and confident that if you are an aspiring designer or caricaturist, it will intrigue you.

 

COVID19: Lockdown

Isolation… for me is no stranger, its not hard. Social Distancing for me is a pleasure and I prefer to keep my distance. Freetime during the week is my way of life, I take that for granted. Not knowing where my next wage is coming from has become my norm. Not seeing my family is an established tradition… so nothing much has changed for me.

 

Signing on the dole is hard for me.

 

Not being able to pay my bills, my insurance, my mortgage, my costs of living… this I struggle with. Sitting in my studio, producing artwork which I know will not pay my bills, just for Facebook popularity, this seems pointless to me. The feeling of helplessness as I watch 29 years of hard work disappear, this I struggle with. These are the unspoken internal daily struggles of being a self employed creative in these testing times.

 

Complaining about boredom is not an option, when my brain is packed full of ideas for survival, creative ideas and shots across the bough of unemployment. A bored brain has given up on hope and accepted defeat. I won’t do that. I have to believe that my talents will pull me through or else I could not go on.

 

Having my health has become a bonus and I am thankful for that. I feel a bond with all those who have survived this virus and live to forge a new future, while others squander their health with selfish gestures and deeds. I feel proud to have a healthy body and a busy brain and wish the same upon others.

 

We each exist within our own reality – this is mine. Have a healthy, productive day folks and believe things will change, as they must.

COVID19

On 24 January 2020 I first heard of the COVID 19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. At the time I was working at a Chinese stationery exhibition in Frankfurt and I was very nervous. I flew back to the UK, assuming I’d left the virus behind, on the other side of the world and continued with my business. The virus was hot on mt heels and claiming UK victims by the end of February. On 4 March I had my first cancellation email due to CV19 worries from a corporate client, followed by several general booking cancellations and finally around a dozen weddings. Luckily the weddings were able to re-arrange their dates and the bookings remained. The net effect of these emails was to wipe my calendar clear for the next 3 months! At this point the Government had issued no guidelines or restrictions, so bookings were in the hands of clients, at their discretion to cancel. By 13 March most major events in the UK had been cancelled and my industry was left devastated, with zero income for at least 3-5 months ahead. The Government started restricting large group meetings and limiting personal freedom of movement in late March, which then began to impact other regular workers.

As of 24 March, the UK is currently in lock-down, so work, socializing and freedom of movement has been called to a standstill. The lucky ones will have savings to tide them over this enforced holiday. The next luckiest will get full pay and those employees who do not have been bailed out by the Government to the sum of 80% of their wages. As for the Freelance community, such as myself; we are waiting to hear if we will receive any help or financial assistance, over the next few months, as our incomes have disappeared.

Tough and worrying times indeed. Stay home, stay healthy.

Square Peg!

Conformity exists in all corners of our society; the need to be a part of something widely acceptable and un-challenging for the sake of an easier life. I have been aware of this since childhood, but hoped it did not include the arts…

Just had my artwork removed from a Facebook group, dedicated to caricatures, with weekly challenges. I occasionally enter artwork, usually existing pieces, as I’m too busy to reproduce pieces just for a whim or kudos. Artwork is subjective, but it seems only ultra-realists are likely to win these challenges, therefor I am rarely considered and often removed from the page. This saddens me, as I draw inspiration from such groups, but it seems I am just a square peg to them. I don’t conform to their rules.

Creativity and individuality do not thrive in such atmospheres and I have removed myself from the group in question. I shall continue to evolve and produce unusual caricatures, without imitating styles or techniques, more widely accepted by my peers. I will never win a competition, but I’m proud to be a square peg and not afraid of being an outsider.

 

 

Payment

I always ask for pre-payment, which bemuses some domestic clients, who instead offer cash on the day. They are then further bemused when I ask for cash on arrival and I have to explain why. In future I shall use this example to illustrate my point;

A recent domestic booking promised me cash on the day, saying it was easier for them, to which I agreed. Upon the day I asked for my fee and was fobbed off with “see me before you go” which is already breach of agreement. I completed my set and was asked (by a drunk client) to wait while they withdrew cash at an ATM, which took a further 30 minutes. The client then claimed poverty and offered me a small cash sum, substantially less than my agreed fee. Second breach of agreement. I had no option than to agree and leave the event.

I had to wait three days for an email from the client, which demanded that I draw two more people before they would release payment. Despite having fulfilled my contract and remained polite and professional, I was still being held to ransom! I still await payment.

This is precisely why I ask for pre-payment before I lift a pen at any engagement.