Issue #7, by Bill Russell

Winston Churchill said we make a living by what we get and we make a life by what we give.

One of the more rewarding things we artists can bring into our lives is by applying our time and energy towards an organization like the Graphic Artists Guild. Committees need help. Positions of leadership are available for nomination. You won't get paid but you will get educated and appreciated and you'll help make a difference in our community. The Guild makes a difference.

Bud Peen, a Guild member for ten years and founder of the Contract Monitor has his reasons for volunteering. He wants to "fight for the little guy, to keep hope alive, to do something about it and make the world a better place". Bud takes a bold view for change but applies himself in steady measured steps. He shows up. Which is why the National Guild awarded him a National Service Award in 1998.

Ask yourself why do you need to volunteer?

I would suggest that in volunteering you can learn a skill, have fun, be a leader or be part of a team. But you can also volunteer because there is no one else to do the job or just because I'm asking you.

Illustrator Michael Wertz, a NorCal Guild member for nine years is the quintessential volunteer as webmaster, peepshow coordinator, etc., etc. Michael says, "I volunteer because it makes me feel good to help somebody out who needs information or advice. When I volunteer, I feel like everybody (myself included) benefits from the work I do." I can appreciate the sentiment. Artists need our work to be relevant and beneficial. This is one way.

This column may sound like a sales pitch for the Guild, but it needs to be said. We're a volunteer organization. We don't exist without the participation of hundreds of individual working graphic artists. Think of this as an invitation for another way to find balance in your life. We are sole proprietors with minimal time. Many of us sell all the time. We give to the marketplace and often the market does not reciprocate. Giving to our organization will always give back.

Sara Love, Indianapolis-based illustrator puts it this way. "By volunteering I am able to get a glimpse of the bigger picture. It's all about the big picture." Sara gains perspective.

I also have a reason, a personal reason why I volunteer. My work with the Guild gives me the opportunity to be more complete. I find my potential in others I work with, in relationship and in action. I learned that can't be found in myself, alone.

Comments, speaker suggestions, etc. to Bill@Billustration.com

You can also see the archive of Bill's past columns.