Sweet friends, I am raising the prices on all of my art work as of 12:01 am, October 19th, 2013. That day is my 42nd birthday and it marks a fine time to grow up a little in terms of my art career. This is not a decision I am making lightly, but maybe my reasoning is helpful to others out there struggling to assign value to their work as well.

Quick edit: here is a link to one store of my work, and here is the link to Ennui Free, my last project. Get it while it’s cheap!

My updated art-making standards

• I will not give away work unless I get a grant to pay for the entire production. I cannot pay for it out of pocket.
• The Valentine will be a subscription from here on out. I will send out word when one is being produced to a few hundred people who will be given the opportunity to order the work at a reduced price. Everyone else who orders one will be charged full price.
• I will be producing work more suited for galleries in addition to the products. I’m not saying it will comprise the lion’s share of work, but it will be there as well.
• I will use higher-end materials for physical work, and I will consider making one-of-a-kind pieces more frequently.
• I will no longer treat my art as something I do on the sidelines. I’ve had to work day job after day job, trying to fit in my art when I could scrape together time, money, and space to do it. I have slowly drifted into a position of treating my work as little more than a hobby. An all-consuming, terribly expensive hobby.

Why the change?

Starting out back in 1996, I wanted to make a difference for everyone, especially people with no money. I grew up rather poor so I felt compelled to make art I myself could afford. To that end, I chose printmaking–with its glorious heritage of the multiple–as my principle means of conveying some light into the lives of my fellow wo/man. I have given away thousands of prints and objects over the years to let people know I cared. In the end, I was just giving work away to my friends, rarely did the circle expand beyond that. For all my highfalutin ideals, I didn’t get out enough to really start a movement.

I wanted to be for the people, my people–the poor, the uninsured, the artistically inclined and badly financed. To this end, I have actively priced my work as cheaply as possible and have never made enough to pay for the print run of even one of my pieces. I have actively sought poverty and obscurity, thinking that it would somehow lead to credibility and acclaim. It doesn’t, I assure you. I also had a little bit of a beef with gallery-friendly work: I didn’t want to alienate the crowds of people who don’t attend art shows. I stuck to mail art, hand-held objects, products for some imagined utopian department store. I ditched loads of ideas over the years as being too gallery-friendly.

This way of operating made sense for nearly 15 years, although I admit the last few years I have been getting a little resentful that all those prints I sent out never led to a huge retrospective at the Whitney (never mind that whole gallery embargo). Hell, I was getting pretty sore that so few of the people I sent work to ever managed to say thanks. My motives had gotten a little cloudy, to say the least. I need to seriously engage the art world in an informed way as I want to be a professional artist with a body of consistently well-developed work.

Another quick edit: I did get invited last year to be in a group show called Tomorrowland, curated by Sam Fields. I was flown out to LA to do workshops and an artist talk and everything. It was tremendous in terms of validation and recognition. I am sorry I did not mention it in my original article, it was a huge moment in my career so far. It made me keenly aware that I had been operating outside of the gallery system for way too long.

I launched into becoming an artist with absolutely no training as to the business of art, or to the art of making a living doing what I love. I did not know how to account for overhead or how to make a profit. I thought that would all just… happen. It does not. I have to educate myself and cultivate an art practice that actually makes enough money to pay for itself at the very least. I have to redress my working ethos as what I thought would work when I was in grad school can only get me so far.

Here is what I am working to learn:

1. To treat my art-making as a way to earn a living.
2. To earn this living using workable business practices: time-management, sustainable spending, and project management.
3. To promote my work with the vigor it deserves: I cannot rely on my personal network of friends. I have to take a stand professionally. No one is going to discover my work in the proverbial soda shop, I have to hustle to get it seen.
4. To make my art-making my top priority over any day jobs because it is my life’s work. (Luckily, teaching has proven to be a lovely compliment to making art.)

Looking back, I unwittingly shortchanged myself and my artwork in the name of a few youthful ideals. There is more than enough working against us as we start out as artists in this world, I just made my path harder for the first decade or so. The experience will probably work to serve me well in the end, but I cannot afford to make myself or my artwork a bargain anymore. I am lucky to have realized that it is my responsibility to change things instead of getting bitter and giving up entirely.

Now, I just have to find out how to do all of this. I’m lucky that I’ve worked as a freelancer for so long as there are a lot of good habits that I can transfer. I just have to get over feeling dirty: there is no sin in making work that sells for a good price and I am not a sell-out for expecting people to pay for my work. I deserve to make a living doing what I love to do, if I do it well enough.

This summer, I was asked by several students for recommendation letters for jobs and other such opportunities. Each request resulted in a slightly different journey and I learned a lot from them all. I realized I need to come up with a policy for writing them, so I sent out word to all of my professor friends and did some research: there were a lot of horror stories and funny anecdotes. I could easily illustrate this essay with lots of eye-roll-inducing tales of badly mannered students and lazy professors, but I am taking a more positive approach: I am writing this essay for all of my former, current, and prospective students in hopes that I help you make better choices in this area. You are worth the effort, to a one.

One thing: I mention “class” in the title. I am simply referring to the fact that you can, right here and now, choose to treat the people around you with respect and thereby slowly sculpt your life’s trajectory. You can be circumspect and polite, convey how lovely a person you actually are, and pave the way to connect meaningfully with those who surround you. It is all too easy to be presumptuous or inadvertently rude if you only rush towards goals and forget that relationships are far more important in life. The job you seek today is fine and dandy, but honestly, the community you build around yourself will take care of you far better in the long run. Possessions and money are one thing–but to have a little class? Priceless.

The Value of a Recommendation Letter

Why do I write them?

Writing well-earned and beautifully crafted recommendation letters is part of how I work to create the world I want to live in. I want to be in the universe where you succeed for all the right reasons. This is not for my health or your glory, this is for the greater good. This is also why you need to help me do the very best job I can for you: it’s is bigger than the both of us.

Why do you need them?

You are not an isolated little meteor out in the ether: you have a history, a present, and a future. You affect others with your choices and actions and are a vital part of the communities you inhabit. The only true and meaningful relic of your swath though life is the impact you make in relation to other people. We references are here to convey your true quality for others who may be able to then take a chance on you. You need our testimonials to fill in the gaps in your resume that grades, purported achievements, and degrees just cannot cover.

What are they to an employer, anyway?

When an employer (or coordinator, or committee) puts out word of an opportunity, she may very well be deluged by applications. These will vary wildly in quality, but should provide enough information to do the initial sort and cull. Rec letters help identify the best candidates in later phases of selection: they will either distinguish you in a field of equally worthy competitors or take you down entirely. They are of subtle importance, but in times like this when there are a lot of people competing for the gig, that influence can tip the balance just enough to get you the job. 

The Ground Rules
for Asking Me for a Recommendation Letter

RULE ONE:
Please do not assume that a rec from me is a given

A recommendation is not a right but a privilege—that we both earn, by the way.

Did I earn the privilege to write this letter?

1. Did I make a difference in your learning of the subject? Did I help strengthen your resolve to dig deeper and excel?
2. Was I a good teacher for you in that I was consistent, fair, and tough?
3. Am I doing good work in the field you want to enter?
4. Am I an appropriate choice to write this letter? Would my word be valuable to the people receiving it?
5. Am I responsive and trustworthy? Will I actually get it done on time?

If I pass muster with the questions listed above, then I may be a good choice to write you a rec letter.

Did you earn the privilege to receive this letter?

• Did you make a B or higher in my class? Did you make qualitative strides in my class that indicate deep learning?
  Grades are not always indicative of the progress you make. Let’s say you end up in a class in which you fail for a bit, but you make a heroic effort and bring that grade up to a C by the end of the semester. If you have really connected with the professor, you may have a relationship that would allow for a glowing rec. If you didn’t care enough to try in my class, do not waste your time or mine by asking for a rec I could not possibly give.
• Have you maintained a professional relationship with me beyond the class(es) you took with me?
  That would ensure a much richer letter, filled with the small and telling details for which employers and selection committees really look. Besides, you really need to network with people doing quality work in your chosen field. I am one of those people, hopefully.
• Have you kept me up-to-date on your research in a meaningful way?
  Please enlighten me if not, I will use this information gladly.

Be polite and thorough when you ask me to be a reference. Be the person you want me to think you are! The more you practice, the more of a reality it will become, I promise. When you realize that I may be a good candidate to write recs for you in the future, pull me aside and ask me if I’ll be willing to be your advocate well before you need one. Follow up at the end of the semester, check in every once in a while. Maintain a relationship with me, it makes the letter all the more meaningful. Do not ask me for a letter if you have given me little reason to recommend you heartily. I cannot lie about your abilities or accomplishments, that would render my word worthless.

RULE TWO:
One month’s notice is seriously preferred

I want to write a good letter, but I have many things on my plate. In order to slot in time to craft a worthy one, I need fair notice. Certainly, there will be times when an opportunity falls into your lap unexpectedly and you need a quick turnaround, but you need to be on top of the process 99% of the time.

RULE THREE:
Please do not use me as a reference without letting me know

I’d like to know each time I am to be a reference. If you give someone my name without telling me, I have no way of prepping. If he sends me a form to fill out with no warning and a tight deadline, I will not be able to say much of value on the fly. That will result in a low quality rec, and I may refuse the next time one of these surprises occur.

RULE FOUR:
Do the footwork because I can’t do it for you

• Send me the job description. It is also helpful if you can send information about the hiring institution: culture, any relevant details that I can use to craft my writing about you working there
• Research the person the letter is going to if at all possible: name, title, relationship with the role for which you are applying. Bonus points if you can look up their specialty or history as it is applicable to the situation.
• Send me your peripherals: the letters you wrote, your portfolio, your resume–BEFORE you send them to the potential employer. I will do a quick read and alert you to any errors or possible issues. I want you to look the best you can so I don’t look like a chump recommending you, frankly.

I will not track this information down for you. Send it and I will absolutely use it for good.

RULE FIVE:
Do not expect to see the letter after it’s done

I need to be able to speak my mind. I will not send you a copy of what I write for your records. I will only send my letters directly to the employer or give you a sealed copy to send in your package. If it is to be a digital submission, I will only send non-editable PDFs of my letters (with my actual signature), unless there is another way I can send my letter directly to the employer. Remember, I do not write generic letters, they must be crafted each time for the specific purpose at hand so there is no use in your having one on file to use whenever.

I actually had one student try to “update” a rec letter I had sent to her inadvertently as a word doc. Never again. Another one decided I needed to really pump up my praise once he saw what I wrote. It made me unwilling to write him another… Actually, I haven’t, now that I think about it.

After the Letter Goes Out

Suggestion One:
Say Thank You

Your success is a part of my success and I am investing in our collective future with every word I write. I am working very hard to do all of this. Say thank you–in person if possible, or in a well-written email at the very least. Make some effort, have a little of the aforementioned class this world is so often lacking.

Suggestion Two:
Send an update so I know how your quest ended

If you get the job, great! Let me know! If you don’t, send word. Maybe we can do a quick postmortem and help you improve your materials and approach for the next go.

Beyond the Letter, There is You

Consider writing rec letters for your professors’ professional files as you go through your student career

Your words have power as well. If a professor has impressed you or made a difference in your life, offer to write a rec letter for his/her professional file. Having evidence of our impact as instructors and mentors is essential to our continued ascension in the academic ranks. This is not about you kissing butt, by the way–a fawning, ridiculous letter will be easy to spot (and will be worthless).  This is also not about writing a letter in exchange for a rec for you, either. If a prof ever makes that proposition, report him/her to the nearest authority as that is seriously bad behavior. When someone shows he has some class in how he treats you, take steps to make sure that person is able to continue doing so. This is about helping good people when the time is right, helping to build the world in which YOU want to live.

I am going to continue to refine this essay and policy into a downloadable checklist you may find useful. I would so appreciate your feedback, whether you are a student or a fellow educator. I am still developing my approach, so I will gladly consider your advise so I can make this the best it can be.

 I am just back from Los Angeles, having spent an amazing week there working with some incredibly bright students at California State University Northridge (CSUN). I was able to lead 2 groups (about 40 people each) through the history of protest posters and printmaking, and then we designed and printed our own using screen printing. I was invited there by Professor Samantha Fields, who had selected my work to be in a group show called Tomorrowland.

Before each workshop, I gave a short lecture on the history of protest posters and its relationship to different forms of printmaking, going through the last several hundred years and then focusing back on the 1968 student protests of Paris. That era was particularly well-documented, and the students were able to organize themselves into an efficient propaganda machine, all because they learned how to screen print. This method of printing enabled them to produce and hang posters that had been conceived only that morning. Of course there were other centers of student protest, but I have a certain fondness for the Paris uprising in particular.

Once we had discussed the history a little, we went over to the Printmaking studio and I taught them the basics of screen printing. Professor Michelle Rozic welcomed us graciously into the studio, and was even able to come and help me run the Monday-Wednesday workshop. I broke the students up into groups that would then have to work together to design their posters–I wanted to model the workshop on the Paris model, wherein each design was voted upon by the entire group.

The students took to the medium quite effortlessly, and were able to design some great posters by the end of the first day. On the second day, we dove into printing. Once again, I was pleased with how easily everyone found screen printing: it is one of my favorite ways of making art, and hopefully I was able to get some of the students excited about it as well. 

Here are some student reactions to the workshop:

• Emily Jones
• Marie Pascual

A note: In the third photo, the n is actually an upside down u. We didn’t have an n.

I am teaching Typography 1 and I have to say, I love this class. The students are eager and willing to take risks, the material is unfolding at a good clip, and things are just generally really rewarding. I have decided to take a more haptic approach to teaching the basic tenets of typography, which I will describe here for your perusal and evaluation.

What is Typography?

Robert Bringhurst says it best:

Typography is the craft of endowing human language  with a durable visual form, and thus an independent existence. Its heartwood is calligraphy – the dance, on a tiny stage, of the living, speaking hand _ and its roots reach into living soil, though its branches may be hung each year with new machines. So long as the root lives, typography remains a source of true delight, true knowledge, true surprise.

From The Elements of Typographic Style, pp. 11

Essentially, what I am trying to teach is the history and practice of type, of printed letters (not directly wrought by the human hand) on paper. In order for the student to gain an appreciation for this art and some skill in its application, I need to make it come alive for her.

What is my bias?

I did not learn typography in any class – I went to art school, and did not have to take a single design course. Nope, I had to learn it the direct way: through letterpress printing. Before I encountered that technology and art, I only had my gut to rely upon. My hand lettering was okay, but my typesetting was just crappy. I had no rhythm, no style. In letterpress, you physically select the type letter by letter and place it in line: there is no escape from the concepts of letter spacing, kerning, and leading. You literally have to construct your text, a letter at a time. That makes a person care quite a bit about the text, its meaning, and its final conveyance. Once I had gotten my sea legs (typographically speaking), I started to give a damn about the work set before me, and I became a better designer.

The basic tenets of typography that I need to get across

History

The students need to learn the origins and evolution of type. It’s not enough to have them memorize the five families of type, which is a great but necessarily simplified introduction. They need to realize the role technology has played in its formation in as visceral a way as is possible.

Anatomy

I want my students to go beyond just memorizing the 10 or so basic parts of the letter and its space. Hopefully, they will get a sense of type as being a living, breathing creature, with tails and eyes and arms. Here is the type anatomy handout I prepared and gave them to show them as many of the terms as I could muster. I hope they keep it over the next few years as a reference at the very least.

The Usage of Space

Typography is all about the play of light and dark, of white space and letterform. If my students get to know the white space around a few letters intimately, it may make them more aware of it in general. Once you get a handle on the area in and around your letters, you can start modifying the kerning (space between certain pairs of letters), the tracking (the spacing between all letters in general on a line of type), and the leading (the spacing between lines of type).

The methods I am using to teach these ideas

Drawing of the letters

One traditional way of teaching the actual form of the letter is by having students trace letters over and over. I tried this in one class I was teaching and was met with resounding failure: the students found it boring and uninspiring. Also, they had no confidence in their drawing, so they never took risks. I was completely stumped until I went home and saw this woodcut by Albrect Dürer: 

It made me realize that what they needed was a grid to help them see the letter’s component parts. I hastily laid out a worksheet: 

The students were to translate the letter from one grid to the next as accurately as possible. I handed these out, anxious to see how they went over. The class set to work reluctantly (after all, the tracing had been so boring), but to my relief, they tucked in and ripped through the exercise with actual interest. The fact was, they were no longer trying to draw what they thought they saw, they were able to draw what they actually saw. The grid allowed them to split the letter up into parts, and that they could completely deal with.

In order to keep them from becoming too dependent upon the grids, I slowly reduced the number of grid lines in the grid. I also made the model letter smaller than the drawn one so the student would be forced to translate the letter entirely. Eventually, they had to draw the letters freehand.

In this way, I introduced them to the five major families of type and the parts of the letters, giving them a first-hand experience of the forms of each. They have done this work happily, for the most part, and their overall sensitivity for the letters has grown enormously.

Movable type the hard way

 As they worked on their drawn letters, I also needed to get them thinking about the white space around and between letters. To this end, I decided to use an old favorite: relief printing. I had the students carve their letters on blocks of soft eraser material, ink them up, and press them to their paper. I made sure to ask them to carve their letters inside the block, modeling the bounding box in some typesetting programs:

One week, they carved the letter, the next, they laid them out in words or nonsense words, which enabled them to work on their kerning. Next week, they will print two or more lines of words, working on their leading and kerning altogether. 

So far, the class has been so much fun. They seem to be really enjoying the exercises, and I have started to work these ideas into a tablet app that I hope to design this semester.

I am working on the next big Monstress product: the Game of Love. Right now, it is in board game form. I have decided that I will try to tap the power of crowdsourcing, just as I did with Here & Now. I will send out prototypes of this game to anyone who cares to try it out and will then adjust the design according to the feedback I receive.

The way I used to work went like this: I would get an idea, run off to my studio for a few months to perfect it in secret, then spring it on the world. The work was cute, idiosyncratic… it was okay, I am proud of it. I want to push myself past my own limits, I want to make something that could truly reach a mass audience. Some will say I risk losing that special touch of personality, but I don’t think so, not if I approach the process the right way. 

So I am looking for some testers. I will be testing the current version out in LA this fall, but I want as many people looking at it as possible. If you are interested, just email me and I will send you a copy via post.

Why mess with my process now?

I make work that examines the nature of persuasive design. I think I can add a layer of meaning by also following the production cycle I learned while working in the advertising industry, it may lend more credence to the final work and may improve the quality of the overall product. I am tired of only making art for my friends–I love you all, but there is no way I’d ever make my living sending you valentines. I want my art to get out there, make a difference! So this is what I am doing to make that happen.

I have so much else to do, but this is too much fun.

I am developing the next long-overdue print for Monstress Hearts You.

I’m putting together the rest of the Terribly Helpful Signs, having just sent a bunch out to my design heroes.