Over the past few months I have have been asked to participate in a few things, some of which I have leapt on and some I haven't, often to the bafflement of people around me. From placing print ads to consigning my work, to loaning stuff out to photographers to being involved in fashion shows, my decisions have been carefully made based on one simple principle:

Just because it's an opportunity doesn't mean you should take it.

That's not pessimism or laziness, that's common sense. True, there are some opportunities I've turned down that might have made some progress, but then again they might have cost a lot for very little gain. And as the experiences of my peers (some fortunate and some disastrous) have punctuated to me tacitly over the past few years, it is very, very important to be careful with what opportunities you choose.

So. How can you be artsy-farsty and practical (read: an ass-coverer) at the same time?

1.) Look before you leap. If you must rely on someone else, find out what credentials or experience they have and what that experience has led to. Do they have a history of losing money to frivolous causes? Have they worked with anyone in your field before, and if so, scewed anyone over? What is the common opinion of this person/venue/publication etc.? Do your research first, and do it casually so your sources don't bias themselves by getting defensive and thus not delivering useful details. It may be considered inappropriate to "look a gift horse in the mouth", but it won't be if you do it when no one can see you looking. :P

2.) If the person/organization has no "presence" in the field you're in (being a brand new venue for example), a) don't invest a large sum of money, b) don't rely on them to do absolutely *everything* that needs to be done (have a back-up plan or an alternative contact available), and c.) make sure you live nearby so they will be easy to find if things go sour. Yes, all three things apply, not jut one or the other. Just because they're doing something for free doesn't mean they still can't screw things up.

3.) Don't get your hopes up until the project is concrete (contracts are signed, the issue has gone to print, you've hung your paintings, etc.). In other words, "believe it when you see it."

4.) Be flexible. The more people that are involved with a project, the better chance it has of being altered (or delayed) along the way - so the less you picture what the final outcome will be, the better. Remain positive of course, but don't expect everything to fall into place exactly the way you think it will (or was first promised).

5.) Don't involve friends and money unless your friends have a few years of successful experience running a business which they OWN, or working for a financial institution. Nothing teaches professionalism with money more than having to be fully accountable for it.

6.) If is costs you (next to) nothing, requires very little time/energy investment on your part, allows you some degree of control over the outcome (which images will be published, where your work will be distributed, etc.), preserves your copyright, and will result in a decent amount of public exposure to a relevant audience, go for it. Even if it's just a free banner ad somewhere or a Flickr page, do it.

7.) People involved in the arts (and by this I mean stage, screen, fine art, fashion, literature, music, etc.) are flakes. Not all of them, but most of them. The sooner you realize this the better. Go into a project knowing that you'll end up having to play either cat-herder or bankroll, and you'll be just fine. People, I am speaking from experience in more than one field here. Flakes never, never, NEVER do everything they say they will, they never follow up, and they will NOT tell you in advance that they can't. Either you will end up taking on more of the project yourself than you first planned, or you will end up getting the short end of the stick, it's that simple. Relying on them 100% and getting exactly what you expected out of the project is a RARITY.

8.) Make sure the project is going to really benefit you. Will your name be mentioned? How many people are going to see this article/show? Will they be a sympathetic audience, or are they so removed from your genre that they will use your segment to take a bathroom break (or your article to line the bird cage)? Is your work so similar to everything that will be around it that no one will even notice it (or totally confuse it with someone else's)? Will your work be priced realistically so as to encourage your target audience to buy it? And how will it be displayed? Will people even be able to see it?

9.) Try to avoid burning bridges. If something doesn't sit right with you, listen to your gut and back out gracefully. Diplomacy can't save rejection entirely, but it's better than having a massive screaming fight in the end if the project went south.

10.) And besides, it's not what you know, it's not *who* you know, it's who knows YOU that is the ticket to fame. Sure, you went to the same high school as Dave Navarro and chat with him briefly at reunions and such, so yeah, you know him. But does he know you? Does he ask you to do the cover art on his upcoming album? Does he buy your jewelry as gifts for his female friends? Does he recommend your photography to his arts column editor pal at the New York Times? Anyway, I think you get my drift - if someone who matters in the public eye likes you, suddenly you'll matter to the public eye too. All the ass-kissing in the world can't buy someone's genuine appreciation (and recommendation) for you, whether it's a celebrity or not. So if no one famous likes you, you've got a lifetime of hard work to do just like the rest of us.

Even if you're good at doing all the things I've listed, there are no guarantees of course. But the point is to try, and try cautiously I think. With every success and failure I see around me, that notion is driven home repeatedly. I've listened to the horror stories my friends have told me - the idea being that others should learn from their mistakes (and hopefully I won't have to the hard way).

OK, so let's talk about this la-de-da "voice of experience" I'm using here. Who am I to talk? I am certainly not hugely successful in the business world but I'm at a level I am comfortable with, and after all I do make a living off it full-time. I suppose there are things I could do to whore myself more or people I could shamelessly suck up to if I wanted to ass-kiss myself to stardom, but I have no desire to "use" people or make myself into something I'm not. I like the pace at which I am progressing. As each month and year passes I get a little more workload, a little more daring with it, and a little more recognition for it. I can handle it. Sure, I'd love to be on the cover of Vogue. But for what? Jumping on bandwagons, not being able to keep up with my own orders and pissing people off? I'd rather go down in history for being a rock than a flake.

And you know, I think people respect that - they can tell when you're desperate for success and attention or alternatively, comfortable in your own skin and reasonably confident in your abilities. I think that's why some artists appear to succeed without really trying. It's not that they're "not trying", it's that they are being careful about how they flaunt their work and they are not rushing to do it. They take the odd chance but then again don't take every single one that comes along. And that's the kind of artist I am leaning towards being, I think. I know I will never experience overnight fame, nice though it would be (in theory anyway). I will always have to work my ass off to get anywhere, and rely on the goodwill of friends and strangers for an exchange of support (which is far preferable than relying on the whims of mainstream media). But the trick is, I know I am going to have to rely on my work ethic and I am comfortable with that. The successes my artistic friends have had only inspire me to work harder and do better at what I do, even though from time to time I do admit to feeling a bit jealous. But if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have the hunger to push myself and be creative. If they can do it, so can I! And I will do it with a level head so I don't put myself in the poorhouse OR the doghouse, thank you very much.