Its a living art for free#

Before I started full-time I worked flexible jobs: in theatres, a zoo. I’m from a working-class background I grew up with hardly any disposable income. I always have a long-term project I’m thinking about and developing, but I’m also thinking about money. But I just thought, “Sod it, what is important to me?” And that’s why I’m now quite specific in the work I make. When I started I kept getting swayed by social media, what people want you to make. A lot of it is about mental health, and trying to see photography as a therapeutic thing. Mostly my work is self-portraiture around women from history. My ideas developed while I was studying at Goldsmiths university. The only reason I fell into photography was because of mental health issues and trying to figure that part of me out, so having a support network was really important when I went full-time. Photograph: Andrew Tan The photographer: ‘I kept getting swayed by social media’ But I always knew this was what I needed to be doing.ĭaisy Dickinson, 26, is a director and visual artist. By always trying to put your energy into it sometimes you neglect other aspects of your life. You constantly feel like you’re trying to make this kind of life work. With my audio-visual project Adrena Adrena, it’s completely for the love of it and that’s what makes it so pure. The work is so much more interesting when you’re doing it for the love of making art. The endgame changes when you’re trying to make art for money it feels like you’re not making art any more. Money can be difficult while trying to survive as an artist, especially in London, but I’ve learned to separate my own creative work from commercial projects, which I do to fund the things that don’t pay.

Its a living art for free#

Unfortunately it’s the nature of today’s art world that people are expected to work for free in the beginning, and I guess you do need to do that to build up your portfolio and meet more collaborators. When I graduated I continued making music videos for friends and slowly began to get paid more and more for them – but I always had to balance it with part-time jobs. I began making art films and music videos during university. I always knew I wanted to do something in film. Photograph: Laura Hilliard The director: ‘Sometimes you neglect other aspects of your life’