Funemployed by Justin Heazlewood
What do you do? I’m a dancer. Wow! Your life must be so fun!
Almost every artist has faced a conversation similar to this one. There is a great resistance among ‘non-artists’ to acknowledge the technicalities of an artist’s life. In his second book, Funemployed, Justin Heazlewood outlines the intricacies of daily life for artists in Australia.
Heazlewood provides an insightful and personal account of what it means to live as an artist at different stages of life: What does it mean in university; when you have to get a day job; when you finally begin to think, Have I made it in this industry?
His previous belief in the capitalist fairytale is sorely challenged through his own experiences and those of other artists in Australia. Theoretically, if you study hard and complete a university degree, you deserve a full-time career, replete with car, castle and kids. But, when you’re spending full-time hours on your art, racking up debt and using Centrelink as a lifeline, it’s clear that your career choice isn’t enough to pay rent. You’re not employed, but you’re not unemployed, so, what are you? Heazlewood’s answer: funemployed.
While many have grappled with the question, Heazlewood’s response here is unique: his use of diagrams to illustrate the correlation between having no job, his dream job and his real job, or inserts of his messy scrawl (i.e. ‘Reasons You Are Failing’), make his insights into the arts industry personal. He draws a line between a subjective and objective account of the pitfalls and joy of being an artist in Australia – undoubtedly, his experiences will hit home.