Hector Serna
How did you get into debt?
Art School. Kansas City Art Institute and California College of Art
How does your economic reality effect your art?
Budget Artist means space and materials are limited. I cannot afford a studio and I work from home. The scale of the work stays small,manageable and fairly clean. It has taught me to be creative and resourceful with what I have. Most of my materials I use are relatively inexpensive. I try to make more expensive purchases using coupons or taking advantage of promotions. Working as a freelancer my schedule varies week to week, I commute on the NYC subway daily. I started drawing on my train commutes every morning in order to squeeze in a little drawing time everyday. Sometimes this is the only "studio" time I get.
Would your work look different if you weren't in debt?:
Obviously I would have more money and time to invest into my work. I think that could definitely make it look visually different. But... It goes much deeper than that. It is hard to not think about such debt. It can cloud or even bring your creative state to a halt. I feel like every dollar I make is owed already. If I have money to spend it is because I am not paying something else on time. If I was debt free, I cannot imagine what that would do to me mentally let alone what direction my work might take. I do know that less stress and less bills are nothing to complain about. Mental health and stability go a long way into feeding your creative endeavors.
www.hectorserna.net