Is Art Really a Job?

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This week Kevin is flying solo to unpack the big question many creatives wrestle with: what happens when your passion becomes your job?

We kick off the episode by talking about the video that stopped Kevin in his tracks: “I tried to follow my passion for art, but now I'm 32 and unemployed” by Kamikaze Shortbus. That makes us wonder – what does it really mean to be an “artist,” and why does that label often feel so…uninspired?

Next we explore the tension between being a “true” creative and working for someone else, and how Pierre Bernard from Conan O'Brien’s team walked that tightrope so seamlessly. Is it still your art if you're just executing someone else's vision? Or is it something else entirely?

We also break down why creative skills are often undervalued, why some of the most artistically gifted people perform terribly in school, and why it’s so difficult to measure creativity compared to more quantitative talents.

To round things out, Kevin shares his own experience with curbing his own passions, his paradoxical revolution against the corporate cubicle, and how he balances those two sides of his brain out to make something and MEAN something.

If you're an artist, creative, or anyone who's felt conflicted about turning what you love into what you do, this one's for you.

Big thanks to our listeners and patrons, Matt will be back soon!

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CREDITS:

Hosts: Kevin Lieber and Matt Tabor

Executive Producer: Ben Webster

Editor: Spencer Vann

"Created in the Unknown" theme by Basswaite: https://linktr.ee/Basswaite

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Opening Animation: Kidmograph

City Animation: Eric Langlay

"The Create Unknown" is produced by Unknown Media.

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