H Barnes
How did you get into debt?
I took federal student loans to help pay for my BFA and MFA. During hard times when I first started teaching and could not meet all of my living and studio expenses, I used credit to make ends meet.
How does your economic reality effect your art?
The money I spend on debt is money I would put into savings each month. I am not currently able to save. This prohibits me from investing in my own studio practice in basic ways. I must be careful and frugal with every studio decision I make. I use watercolor for a variety of reasons; one of them is that it is cheap. I also am unable to take certain risks such as time off from teaching, and am limited in opportunities I pursue such as travel, workshops, and residencies that
Would your work look different if you weren't in debt?:
I believe my career would look different. Debt has caused me to have to teach during the summers and make certain financial decisions that sometimes conflicted with my available studio time and prohibited me from taking risks with my career.
www.hannahbarnesart.com