In NYFA Current, a web publication of The New York Foundation for the Arts, filmmaker and artist advocate Esther Robinson writes about managing debt and credit as an artist.
Robinson approaches debt with caution but is pragmatic about the usefulness of credit as an artist (she funded a film that way, though smartly avoided wreaking havoc on her personal finances).
On reducing personal debt:
The truth is, the money that you spend on interest payments is money you can’t spend on making art. If you finance a current project with personal credit you can’t pay down, you’ll still be making payments on that project five years from nowinstead of using that money to make new work.
You need to look your debt in the eye and:
* Figure out how much you owe.
* Figure out what your upcoming costs will be.
* Determine how much you can realistically spend each month to pay down your balances.
* Use on-line credit calculators to determine the fastest way to rid yourself of debt.
She also offers advice about raising your credit score and keeping credit available, always with an eye to the artist’s particular circumstances.
“As artists we’re skilled at making a lot happen with little money,” she writes. “Let’s use that skill to shape our lives and our work.”
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