What do you think?
Rate this book
Funemployed: Life as an Australian Artist
Funemployed goes beyond the press releases and the hype to show what it’s really like to be a working artist in Australia. Through candid interviews, brutal honesty and lacerating wit, Justin Heazlewood (aka The Bedroom Philosopher) provides a fascinating portrait of life in Australia for artists and aspiring artists alike.
Justin explores every dark corner of the arts. From starting out to giving up; running a business to burning out; the trappings of fame to the advantages of failure; the obstacles and opportunities.
This is a landmark book, written with the raw passion of someone with over a decade in the ‘trade’. Part confessional and part rogue self-help book, Funemployed is a wholly fascinating insight for everyone who appreciates the arts in Australia.
Funemployed includes interviews with over 100 artists including Gotye (Wally De Backer), Clare Bowditch, John Safran, Tony Martin, Amanda Palmer, Christos Tsiolkas, Tim Rogers, Adam Elliot and Benjamin Law.
Justin explores every dark corner of the arts. From starting out to giving up; running a business to burning out; the trappings of fame to the advantages of failure; the obstacles and opportunities.
This is a landmark book, written with the raw passion of someone with over a decade in the ‘trade’. Part confessional and part rogue self-help book, Funemployed is a wholly fascinating insight for everyone who appreciates the arts in Australia.
Funemployed includes interviews with over 100 artists including Gotye (Wally De Backer), Clare Bowditch, John Safran, Tony Martin, Amanda Palmer, Christos Tsiolkas, Tim Rogers, Adam Elliot and Benjamin Law.
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2014
8 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Justin Heazlewood
12 books16 followersJustin's new book is called Dream Burnie and is a time capsule / memoir / art book championing the achievements of artists from his home-town on the North-West Coast of Tasmania.
His previous works include Funemployed: Life as an Artist in Australia (2014) and Get Up Mum (2018). In 2020 he gave a witness statement for the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
He is an ambassador for Satellite Foundation who support young people caring for a mentally ill parent. He also performs as The Bedroom Philosopher and has twice had songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100.
Get Up Mum was adapted into a theatre show. It premiered in Hobart in March, 2022.
It was also made into a radio series for RNs Life Matters in 2019. You can listen here: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
Benjamin Law, author of Gaysia & The Family Law says:
“Justin Heazlewood is nothing short of one of Australia’s most versatile and important storytellers. Music and comedy fans know him best as the ARIA award-nominated Bedroom Philosopher, a moniker under which Heazlewood has released several albums of incisive, brutally funny and often heartbreaking songs.
However, it’s Justin’s written work that really hits me in the guts. In his journalism and personal essays, Heazlewood demonstrates a remarkable capacity to not only make the reader laugh, but think critically about important issues often poorly discussed, such as mental illness, unemployment and the frailty of human relationships.
He has also written two critically-acclaimed books: the memoir The Bedroom Philosopher Diaries (2012), followed by Funemployed (2014), which focused on the ecstasies, horrors and realities of being a working artist. The book earned praise from Tony Martin, Dave Graney and international writer Neil Gaiman, and featured interviews with over 100 local and international artists including Gotye (Wally De Backer), Clare Bowditch, John Safran, Tony Martin, Amanda Palmer, Christos Tsiolkas, Tim Rogers and Adam Elliot.
It’s a testament to Heazlewood ambidexterity that Funemployed found new life on other platforms. Soon after the book’s release, it was commissioned into a radio series for ABC RN (Radio National) under the same name. Heazlewood also recorded the Funemployed LP, described as “a soundtrack to life as an artist in Australia – from rejection to fame to selling out and giving up”.
He has written for Frankie, JMag, The Big Issue and literary journals such as Voiceworks, Sleepers Magazine and Going Down Swinging. Heazlewood is also accomplished in the world of television. In 2013, he was commissioned to make two station ID’s for ABC2, then he won ABC’s Fresh Blood competition in 2014, allowing him to produce three episodes of Crazy Bastards – a parody of Mad Men set in mid-80s Australia.”
His previous works include Funemployed: Life as an Artist in Australia (2014) and Get Up Mum (2018). In 2020 he gave a witness statement for the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System.
He is an ambassador for Satellite Foundation who support young people caring for a mentally ill parent. He also performs as The Bedroom Philosopher and has twice had songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100.
Get Up Mum was adapted into a theatre show. It premiered in Hobart in March, 2022.
It was also made into a radio series for RNs Life Matters in 2019. You can listen here: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/...
Benjamin Law, author of Gaysia & The Family Law says:
“Justin Heazlewood is nothing short of one of Australia’s most versatile and important storytellers. Music and comedy fans know him best as the ARIA award-nominated Bedroom Philosopher, a moniker under which Heazlewood has released several albums of incisive, brutally funny and often heartbreaking songs.
However, it’s Justin’s written work that really hits me in the guts. In his journalism and personal essays, Heazlewood demonstrates a remarkable capacity to not only make the reader laugh, but think critically about important issues often poorly discussed, such as mental illness, unemployment and the frailty of human relationships.
He has also written two critically-acclaimed books: the memoir The Bedroom Philosopher Diaries (2012), followed by Funemployed (2014), which focused on the ecstasies, horrors and realities of being a working artist. The book earned praise from Tony Martin, Dave Graney and international writer Neil Gaiman, and featured interviews with over 100 local and international artists including Gotye (Wally De Backer), Clare Bowditch, John Safran, Tony Martin, Amanda Palmer, Christos Tsiolkas, Tim Rogers and Adam Elliot.
It’s a testament to Heazlewood ambidexterity that Funemployed found new life on other platforms. Soon after the book’s release, it was commissioned into a radio series for ABC RN (Radio National) under the same name. Heazlewood also recorded the Funemployed LP, described as “a soundtrack to life as an artist in Australia – from rejection to fame to selling out and giving up”.
He has written for Frankie, JMag, The Big Issue and literary journals such as Voiceworks, Sleepers Magazine and Going Down Swinging. Heazlewood is also accomplished in the world of television. In 2013, he was commissioned to make two station ID’s for ABC2, then he won ABC’s Fresh Blood competition in 2014, allowing him to produce three episodes of Crazy Bastards – a parody of Mad Men set in mid-80s Australia.”
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 29, 2024
The kind of book I want to put on "essential reading" for every young artist, especially in Australia, and also anyone who appreciates art. It's grim, but a true depiction of the challenge of being an artist, especially a performer, comedian, or musician, in this country.
If I'd had this book earlier in my career, maybe it would have saved me some heartbreak and trial-and-error. I want young artists to be realistic about what they're getting themselves into; what a risky industry this can be, its trap-doors of debt, substance abuse, scams, and general burnout.
I don't want to dissuade anyone from pursuing a true calling in the arts, but I do want people to go in empowered with some prior understanding, cured of any illusions of the possibility of a sudden jump into fame & fortune. And an understanding of what skills and tools they will need to survive - for example, accounting & financial skills, business management skills, and marketing skills.
The wider community who are not involved in the industry could also benefit from a real understanding of what the artists they know and admire go through. Please read this book and then go hug an artist. (And maybe give them some money.)
Thankyou Justin for saying what needs to be said, loudly, and often.
If I'd had this book earlier in my career, maybe it would have saved me some heartbreak and trial-and-error. I want young artists to be realistic about what they're getting themselves into; what a risky industry this can be, its trap-doors of debt, substance abuse, scams, and general burnout.
I don't want to dissuade anyone from pursuing a true calling in the arts, but I do want people to go in empowered with some prior understanding, cured of any illusions of the possibility of a sudden jump into fame & fortune. And an understanding of what skills and tools they will need to survive - for example, accounting & financial skills, business management skills, and marketing skills.
The wider community who are not involved in the industry could also benefit from a real understanding of what the artists they know and admire go through. Please read this book and then go hug an artist. (And maybe give them some money.)
Thankyou Justin for saying what needs to be said, loudly, and often.
July 25, 2014
A book that anyone who is foolishly contemplating an artistic career in the great sandy cultural desert that is Australia should read. Ah, the tyrany of distance... and small town obsession with rugby and other thugeries. But hey, Justin's book helps one accept this as just the way it is. Perhaps that's just the price one pays for Medicare :) It also enlightens the elder disenchanted idealist to another important fact - you are not alone in your misundersting of your mispelt youth - even Tim Rogers is hard up for dosh, that's just Oz baby...
November 10, 2014
First up, I am not an artist or an aspring artist so perhaps my criticisms are a little unfair. This book is a mix of memoir/guidebook. It was at times very interesting and engaging, though I would have enjoyed it more if it was more broadly researched beyond mainly comedy and independent musicians. I was a little tired of Justin's grizzling toward the end but I admired the fact that he was very honest in his portrayal of his less than stellar behaviour on occasion and his own hangups. It was eye opening and reminded me how very tough it must be to "succeed" as an artist in Australia.
October 25, 2016
This book is aimed more at comedians, musicians and to a lesser extent filmmakers and writers, than it is visual artists, but having said that the core realities are much the same. A bleak and entertaining view of why you should probably choose another career. But if you've decided "artist" is for you, this book is a great reminder that you're not alone with the roller coaster that is an artistic career and gives much food for thought on how to tackle particular challenges.
It's unfortunate to note that Justin Heazlewood appears to have dropped off the arts circuit recently.
It's unfortunate to note that Justin Heazlewood appears to have dropped off the arts circuit recently.
April 15, 2015
Highly recommend to any emerging or established artists as well anyone working in the arts. As an arts worker I could relate to a lot of what Justin wrote about but it also opened by eyes up to some aspects of an artists' life that I'd hadn't considered in as much detail.
Great writing and great insight; I also really enjoyed the references he made and the people he interviewed.
Great writing and great insight; I also really enjoyed the references he made and the people he interviewed.
July 18, 2014
Why not make this the first item on the required reading list for aspiring artists? Fitting also as a coming out gift for parents of artists.
June 23, 2016
Some timely reminders in this one about what it means to be an artist in Australia.
July 31, 2019
I used to be a big fan of Justine Heazlewood's but not as much now since he acted like such a tool at some of his shows. Big ups for him going in a different direction with the mental health thing even though him and Josh used to make fun of someone with a mental illness on their radio show.
I am quoted on page 184 in this book as one of the Mess+Noise rabble. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion" Justin replied.
Most of my friends are involved in the arts scene so not much of this is that new to me. I know hardly anyone who makes a living totally off their art and most people have to have at least one or two jobs to make ends meet.
I have been able to be so involved with the live music and arts scene in Melbourne and take photos and write about it for the last 20 years due to having work in another area that I could pay my bills with.
"I didn't know you could do that" is something I hear a lot from people, I did it all along I just didn't tell people that much. I hardly even tell people in my contract roles what I do outside out of work as it is not relevant.
It feels like having some sort of a superpower being an artist but one that costs you money and makes you not like stuff "normals" like as you have already seen stuff that is about a hundred times better.
I am sure copies of this book are being passed around by artists or stolen from the library. Well worth the read if you are in any way artistic and want to make actual money out of it.
I am quoted on page 184 in this book as one of the Mess+Noise rabble. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion" Justin replied.
Most of my friends are involved in the arts scene so not much of this is that new to me. I know hardly anyone who makes a living totally off their art and most people have to have at least one or two jobs to make ends meet.
I have been able to be so involved with the live music and arts scene in Melbourne and take photos and write about it for the last 20 years due to having work in another area that I could pay my bills with.
"I didn't know you could do that" is something I hear a lot from people, I did it all along I just didn't tell people that much. I hardly even tell people in my contract roles what I do outside out of work as it is not relevant.
It feels like having some sort of a superpower being an artist but one that costs you money and makes you not like stuff "normals" like as you have already seen stuff that is about a hundred times better.
I am sure copies of this book are being passed around by artists or stolen from the library. Well worth the read if you are in any way artistic and want to make actual money out of it.
April 17, 2025
DNF. Not because of a lack of interest, but because some of it was out of date and some of it I already knew. I love Justin Hazlewood for many reasons and in this book he is valiantly trying to do something very important. If you're starting out as an Australian artist, you should read it. As an artist, I wish more artists knew about money and how it works. But the Australian education system would rather spend a semester teaching us about Henry VIII and a mere hour on taxes and compound interest. The proliferation of this ignorance hasn't just resulted in a generation of vague hipsters, it's now expected. It's a cliche that's true. The practical effect that I've seen is that an artists inquiry into money is seen as being 'too commercial'. Yet this is the very mindset that supports the idea that artists should work for free. Cue poverty cycle. This book makes a strong attempt to quieten the manic pixie dreamer and bed it into the mind that you're actually running a small business.
May 30, 2019
Almost too close to home, this is a great example of reflective practice in the Australian creative arts. Particularly useful to those in the early stages of a career. Justin is able to articulate the pathways and the tensions of working in the creative industries in this particular cultural moment
September 13, 2024
Interesting personal insight about what it takes to have longevity in the performing arts in Australia in the early 2000s.
December 27, 2014
memoir/how (not) to/investigative piece into life as an artist in Australia. While I'm not an artist in Australia, I do consume lots of types of art and to have more of an insight into the difficult/depressing/poor life of artists can only make me a better arts consumer. I have been a fan of Justin Heazlewood (as the Bedroom Philosopher) for quite a few years and enjoy his new (to me) work as a writer. His writing is articulate, probing and both analytical and emotional. He draws not just from the world of music but also writing, visual arts, and theatre and film. It makes me feel assured in my career choice of a 9-5(ish) job as this creative world appears economically and personally challenging. However as someone who derives a lot of value from the arts, I have to acknowledge that while I don't want that life, my consumption of the arts requires someone to live those sacrifices. So in my actions I need to (financially and in being a regular audience) support artists.
and therein the essential problem: people like me who want to (and expect to) consume arts but who may not have much of an understanding of the harsh realities of an artistic life.
and therein the essential problem: people like me who want to (and expect to) consume arts but who may not have much of an understanding of the harsh realities of an artistic life.
May 21, 2015
Attempting a career in the creative arts is a difficult proposition, as the author well knows: he achieved national notoriety as The Bedroom Philosopher, an artist who mixed clever wordplay with song. A decade performing in that role and sampling the highs and lows of the artistic life puts Heazlewood in good stead to write 'Funemployed', a must-read for any creative soul no matter their station in life.
What he has assembled here is not so much a how-to manual but a wry, singular account of his own experience while also drawing upon dozens of insightful interviews with fellow Australian creatives: musicians, filmmakers, writers, comedians and actors. It's a great premise for a book and Heazlewood nails it; his writing is by turns funny, pained and never less than self-aware. Many of its chapters resonated strongly with me, inspiring self-reflection, and the sections dedicated to networking, rejection, workaholism and 'the black cat' (jealousy, as opposed to depression, 'the black dog') contain plenty of food for thought on how best to conduct yourself as an artist in Australia.
What he has assembled here is not so much a how-to manual but a wry, singular account of his own experience while also drawing upon dozens of insightful interviews with fellow Australian creatives: musicians, filmmakers, writers, comedians and actors. It's a great premise for a book and Heazlewood nails it; his writing is by turns funny, pained and never less than self-aware. Many of its chapters resonated strongly with me, inspiring self-reflection, and the sections dedicated to networking, rejection, workaholism and 'the black cat' (jealousy, as opposed to depression, 'the black dog') contain plenty of food for thought on how best to conduct yourself as an artist in Australia.
November 29, 2014
An eye-opening account of what it's really like to be an artist in Australia. Life at the bottom, but more often, life in the middle.
The chapters are well-separated into their various topics, broken down into easily digestible lengths. The first few are chronological, building a picture of Heazlewood's early years, but there is a great deal of the personal throughout. I would have preferred a broader approach to art rather than the focus on comedy and music, but that's Heazlewood's area, it's only natural for him focus on it. These personal tales are interspersed with analysis from both him and others. These experiences, many coming from the mouths of those I respect, carry an affecting weight.
Often it can be construed as bleak or depressing, but ultimately I think it's an oddly uplifting message to be sending out. There are struggles, yes, heinous ones, but no artist is ever really alone.
The chapters are well-separated into their various topics, broken down into easily digestible lengths. The first few are chronological, building a picture of Heazlewood's early years, but there is a great deal of the personal throughout. I would have preferred a broader approach to art rather than the focus on comedy and music, but that's Heazlewood's area, it's only natural for him focus on it. These personal tales are interspersed with analysis from both him and others. These experiences, many coming from the mouths of those I respect, carry an affecting weight.
Often it can be construed as bleak or depressing, but ultimately I think it's an oddly uplifting message to be sending out. There are struggles, yes, heinous ones, but no artist is ever really alone.
February 12, 2017
Some good insights into the challenges of the artist's journey through various career stages.
I appreciated the honesty and strange mix of grandiosity and self-loathing.
I would have liked more exploration on how reliance on government financial support affects a good chunk of artistic life and content in Australia. The author touches on this but then moves on.
Observations from friends and colleagues were interesting, often more so than the intermittent drone of whiney whine whine whine. Hence 3 stars.
I appreciated the honesty and strange mix of grandiosity and self-loathing.
I would have liked more exploration on how reliance on government financial support affects a good chunk of artistic life and content in Australia. The author touches on this but then moves on.
Observations from friends and colleagues were interesting, often more so than the intermittent drone of whiney whine whine whine. Hence 3 stars.
March 26, 2016
This book should be handed out to anyone considering a career in the creative arts - performing, painting, writing, anything creative. It covers the realities like the erratic income, how rest enhances creativity and pushing yourself squashes it. Also talks about the misconceptions people have about working as a creative, and how creatives are regarded within Australian culture.
An easy to read and humorous book that includes information and tips from other creative artists as well.
An easy to read and humorous book that includes information and tips from other creative artists as well.
August 24, 2014
Such a funny and honest book that gets right to the uncomfortable nitty gritty of what it means to pursue being in the arts in australia. I was laughing out loud and could relate to so many of the opinions in this book. Highly recommend if your just wading into the confusing art world and a need a friendly dose of reality and bolstering.
January 28, 2016
Rigourously self-honest and self-deprecating account of what it's like to be a professional artist in this country. Which is to say, depressing and shot through with gallows humour. But, if you can read this and still want to give it a go, you've probably got what it takes. (Or you weren't paying much attention. One of those.)
September 6, 2014
Informative, honest, funny and intelligent - a book for artists, people who want to be artists, and people who like art.
Read
September 27, 2014Must read for anyone working in the arts in Australia - a great memoir and good insight into the challenges artists face.
October 12, 2014
Hands down, best book I've read this year and straight to a spot on my favourites shelf. Proper review coming soon; Funemployed meant that much to me.
August 31, 2014
Essential reading for all musicians, comedians, and every other sort of artist creating in Australia. So many technical and personal lessons to be learned.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews