Ambition, fame and money in the arts industry

Raisedon Baya

SOME years back I was asked to make a short presentation to a group of young people, mostly out of school youths. This was during a workshop on youth empowerment organised by a local NGO. My presentation was interestingly titled ‘‘Ambition, Fame and Money in the Arts industry’’. To be honest the topic sounded more like one best tackled by motivational speakers and I don’t consider myself one of them.

Anyway my first reaction was to try and take out the word money from the whole phrase. This was obviously premised on a shallow and myopic thought that there is no money in the arts. At least not the kind of money that would make any of the young people I was addressing sit up and want to have some of it, if not all of it. It was only later that I realised I had behaved like everyone else with a low opinion of the arts, particularly those who believe the arts are for people with nothing else to do in life but waste their time. But the arts are an industry — a sleeping giant. All over the world the creative economy is being touted as the fastest growing in the world. There are billions of dollars circulating in the arts worldwide. And Zimbabwean artistes have to find ways of taping into these billions of dollars.

On ambition
Ambition is the spur that kicks us in the back, making us run towards our goals. One needs serious ambition to survive in the arts. However, having ambition alone does not necessarily mean one will make it to the top albeit having it is a good start. Ambition can be as simply as wanting to get recorded, to publish a story or a book, to produce music or films, or just to travel around the world performing on different stages. Ambition might come in different sizes; big or small, crooked or straight. It might be big and broad — like one wanting to be the biggest artiste in Zimbabwe, the region and or even the world, bigger than Oliver Mtukudzi, Jah Prayzah. Ambition can be that push power; the brute spike one needs to feel so as to jump and move to the top.

If one is seriously interested in the arts then he/she needs to understand the sector first before plunging blindly in. One needs to know and understand the different disciplines or genres of arts that are practiced in Zimbabwe. One also needs to know which one of the several arts genres is best suited for one’s own talents. Don’t just plunge. Take your time. Know what you want to do? Have an idea of the opportunities in that sector. Ask yourself whether you want to sing or dance? Do you want to paint or do ceramics? Do you want to write or act? Once you have decided what you want then you need to focus. Don’t be a jack of all trades and master of none. Specialise. Let people, in and out of the sector, know you for your work.

Once you know where you want to go work for it. Hard work always pays in the end. Don’t wish others dead so you can succeed. No one owes you success. You are totally responsible for your own victories and failures.

On fame
Fame simply means being easily recognisable and well known in public. Honestly, one doesn’t have to be an artiste to be famous. However, it is much easier to get famous through popular culture. The arts are part and parcel of popular culture. Also one can be famous for the right reason — through talent and exceptional hard work. Also one can be famous for the wrong things — drugs, sex and other scandals — in this case one becomes infamous.

Fame can be good. It is usually good. It can open a lot of doors and bring one closer to a lot of opportunities. Fame, if properly managed, can bring one comfort, riches and a lot of pleasure. But if poorly managed can ruin anyone and be a source of great discomfort. Fame has a lot of pressures and can be very stressful. It needs a cool head and proper management. Fame can be used positively to influence one’s community.

On money
Is there money in the arts? Can one live comfortably through the arts? These are some of the most asked questions in the sector. And there are no simple answers to these questions. The general sentiment among many is that there is no money in the arts and those that belong to this school of thought are quick to throw a long list of artistes, very good artistes who have long laboured in the sector but have nothing to show for their sweat. Artistes with nothing but their names to show for years of toil. However, I believe there is good money in the arts, unfortunately most of it is not going directly to the artistes themselves. The likes of Oliver Mtukudzi, Dominic Benhura, Alick Macheso, Jah Prayzah, Winky D and a few others are living testimony that there is enough money in the arts for one to live comfortably. But how to get it is another question.