Early on in Martin Scorsese’s career, he divulged a framework that allowed him to make it in Hollywood without selling his soul: One for them, One for me.

Scorsese would direct one film that had mass market appeal and then he’d use the money he made from that film to finance a film of his own.

While nowadays, Scorsese has both the dough and the reputation to work only on the projects that excite the hell out of him, his One for them, One for me approach to filmmaking allowed him to find tremendous success in Hollywood without compromising on his creative vision.

Every artist sells out to some degree. Those who tell you otherwise are full of so much shit they should be sponsored by Charmin Ultra Soft.

Rapper Jay-Z once went to work as an executive at Universal Music to earn 100% ownership of his masters.

Writer Denis Johnson once agreed to write a book of short fiction in exchange for $10,000 to get the IRS off his ass.

Artist Pablo Picasso once penned a sketch of a Golden Eagle for Xerox to advertise their latest copy machine.

The world’s most successful musicians, artists and writers recognize that in order to possess the freedom to make the art they want, they must have the necessary funds; and that to achieve those funds, they must be willing to compromise on something.

By Cole Schafer.

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