Aye! I’ve grown, foraged, planted, farmed, fermented, brewed, baked, butchered and eaten roadkill, skipped (dumpster dived), mass catered and mass washed up many many times. :-)

Edit: But I could always do more of all that!

I repeat, it’s not about money at all. It’s not about virtuosity either (no chance). Neither is it about competition, fuck that noise. Music is just what I do. It’s not my hobby, it is life, like breathing. That is the artist’s struggle - it’s in you and it’s got to come out. It’s not an optional activity!

Of course I do lots of other things too and have grown food - though not currently, got burned too many times from having to leave rented properties after I set up the garden. I will do more growing for sure.

I spend most of my time alive looking after other people, which also doesn’t help me afford to eat. I cook and clear up most days.

Pro tip: don’t have disabled family members! /s

Exchanging time alive, or art, for money is a fucking scam which we’re deliberately artificially pushed into. We’re not supposed to be able to make it - I’ve given up on anything like that but I still have to make music.

I didn’t mention virtuousity. Practise is just forever, because creativity is practical, in the doing. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday. Breathing yesterday won’t keep me alive today.

I wish I had time to jam with friends but unfortunately it’s rare. I guess I appreciate it more when it happens.

But it could be every day, alongside growing food and looking after each other in a community. This is legal but effectively impossible under capitalism unless someone is well-off and able-bodied to begin with.

Anyway I sense we’re on the same team and not arguing over much. I’m just a permanently frustrated musician because there could never ever be enough time alive for it. That’s the struggle, and it used to be manageable but increasingly is not. Fascism kils art.

Thing is, it literally takes forever to create art. I’m a musician. How much time do I spend making music? All of it that’s available. One lifetime isn’t enough. Infinite lifetimes wouldn’t be enough - there’s no end to creativity, it’s never done. You can’t just dabble in it for fun - it’s not about fun, though it can be enjoyable. Practising is every day forever.

I don’t care about money at all beyond meeting my basic needs, but there’s no way to support my family from any of my creative activities (which I do sometimes get paid for) under capitalism.

You can’t imagine how much practise is required. I can’t imagine it because it’s impossible to fully comprehend, like trying to tangibly imagine infinity.

Capitalism wants people like me to be the full-time servants of the wealthy. Capitalism and art can’t coexist, not ultimately. You can’t understand this unless you’ve spent your life making art. Have you? Sorry, I doubt it.

For a few weeks a year I participate in some events where I get to be fully a musician for the benefit of a community who support the musicians who make the events happen. That’s the way. It’s not about money, just that art takes forever and people gotta eat.

There’s no reason not to be living like that all the time except capitalism says get back to Real Work™.

But… making art is infinite work already!

No wonder a lot of artists and musicians go crazy and end themselves.