John Bishop Fine Art : Podcast
Artists Working Abroad: Podcast
Let me set the stage for our dilemma. We have a bit of cash now between our savings and money we inherited from Mom and Dad. We’ve looked around Houston, and indeed around Texas, and we simply can’t afford to purchase a property that would support our goals and dreams for the business. We do not qualify for a loan, since we’re freelancers and don't have a steady source of income. Art sales have been improving after Covid, but those sales could evaporate at any time. Selling art has severe peaks and valleys, and with no other stable income source, we cannot sustain this pattern forever. We will eventually run out of money.
Here’s what I’m thinking. We could also move someplace else, where we actually could afford to live, and still have access to a large art market… We’ve done a couple of reconnaissance trips to Mexico, where our dollars would stretch farther, but Bogdan is feeling a real pull to return to Europe. There are places like Portugal and Spain that offer a cheaper life, but not all that much cheaper if you ask me. Then there is Romania… where we could afford quite a lot with our dollars, where we could live cheaply, have access through the EU to the rest of Europe as a market, and where we would be close to Bogdan’s family and aging parents. So we’re considering Romania as a strong contender.
After living in Texas, the distances aren’t that daunting in Europe. I believe I could drive from Bucharest to Vienna in the same time as driving from Houston to Dallas, and I do that without a thought. We also wouldn’t have to give up on the States completely at first, and could spend a bit of time traveling between the two places for a while.
But the most significant benefit I see is that I can purchase a piece of land, develop it into a place to live, to work, to expand the business, to house guests and collectors, as well as Bogdan’s parents when needed. I can live a simpler life, with more natural foods, access to adequate and affordable health care, and a rich tradition of support for the arts. So that’s what we’re thinking. If we can’t afford the life we want here, let’s find a place where we can. Once we are rich and famous, we can make other decisions for our lives and business. For me, right now, this seems like a simple choice.
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“Art Life with John & Bogdan” is a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between creatives in all sorts of fields at all sorts of levels. We want to discuss what we’re learning, what we’ve experienced, and whom we’ve met in our journey of running a freelance creative business. John Bishop is a visual artist living in Houston, Texas. His work is largely abstract, and explores how to turn mythic, archetypal symbols into individual experiences allowing us to see them in a new way, with fresh eyes. Bogdan is a videographer and fine art photographer who constantly seeks to stretch the boundaries of traditional photographic work, with the added flare of his artistic eye. Both artists’ work can be seen online, or at their studios at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, in Houston.
John Bishop: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com
Bogdan Mihai: http://www.bogdanfotoart.com
Bogdan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogdanoninstagram/
John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbishopfineart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnBishopart
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnbishopfineart
Buburuza Productions: http://www.Buburuzaproductions.com
Let me set the stage for our dilemma. We have a bit of cash now between our savings and money we inherited from Mom and Dad. We’ve looked around Houston, and indeed around Texas, and we simply can’t afford to purchase a property that would support our goals and dreams for the business. We do not qualify for a loan, since we’re freelancers and don't have a steady source of income. Art sales have been improving after Covid, but those sales could evaporate at any time. Selling art has severe peaks and valleys, and with no other stable income source, we cannot sustain this pattern forever. We will eventually run out of money.
Here’s what I’m thinking. We could also move someplace else, where we actually could afford to live, and still have access to a large art market… We’ve done a couple of reconnaissance trips to Mexico, where our dollars would stretch farther, but Bogdan is feeling a real pull to return to Europe. There are places like Portugal and Spain that offer a cheaper life, but not all that much cheaper if you ask me. Then there is Romania… where we could afford quite a lot with our dollars, where we could live cheaply, have access through the EU to the rest of Europe as a market, and where we would be close to Bogdan’s family and aging parents. So we’re considering Romania as a strong contender.
After living in Texas, the distances aren’t that daunting in Europe. I believe I could drive from Bucharest to Vienna in the same time as driving from Houston to Dallas, and I do that without a thought. We also wouldn’t have to give up on the States completely at first, and could spend a bit of time traveling between the two places for a while.
But the most significant benefit I see is that I can purchase a piece of land, develop it into a place to live, to work, to expand the business, to house guests and collectors, as well as Bogdan’s parents when needed. I can live a simpler life, with more natural foods, access to adequate and affordable health care, and a rich tradition of support for the arts. So that’s what we’re thinking. If we can’t afford the life we want here, let’s find a place where we can. Once we are rich and famous, we can make other decisions for our lives and business. For me, right now, this seems like a simple choice.
_______________________________
“Art Life with John & Bogdan” is a weekly blog/vlog/podcast that creates a community, a conversation, between creatives in all sorts of fields at all sorts of levels. We want to discuss what we’re learning, what we’ve experienced, and whom we’ve met in our journey of running a freelance creative business. John Bishop is a visual artist living in Houston, Texas. His work is largely abstract, and explores how to turn mythic, archetypal symbols into individual experiences allowing us to see them in a new way, with fresh eyes. Bogdan is a videographer and fine art photographer who constantly seeks to stretch the boundaries of traditional photographic work, with the added flare of his artistic eye. Both artists’ work can be seen online, or at their studios at Silver Street Studios, 2000 Edwards Street, in Houston.
John Bishop: http://www.johnbishopfineart.com
Bogdan Mihai: http://www.bogdanfotoart.com
Bogdan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bogdanoninstagram/
John’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnbishopfineart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnBishopart
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnbishopfineart
Buburuza Productions: http://www.Buburuzaproductions.com