Art Work

I was talking with a new acquaintance who asked me what I did for a living. I was not offended by this question because I see it as a signal that someone wants to get to know me better. Unlike others who feel the question is a way for the person asking to socially position him/herself comparatively according to the response, I don’t mind being asked the question. Depending on your outlook, I either soared to the top or sank to the bottom of the social scale with my response, “I’m an artist”.

“Really?” came the wide-eyed response. “That must be so much FUN!”. I started to explain that while it is enjoyable, it is also challenging work. “But you get to play all day,” she protested. This is not an uncommon response.

I’m never sure if people mean fun and play are what come naturally to humans and don’t require much thought. I wonder if they feel that I’ve managed to skate through creating art while they are doing real work. Another part of me thinks that they might have pleasant memories of creating art as a child and envision that’s what making art is.

Art like many creative endeavors can be more demanding than the most cantankerous customer imaginable, more challenging than negotiating a contract with the cable company, more frustrating than just missing the train, more revealing than walking nude into a room full of people you know, and more ego deflating than leaving the restroom with toilet paper stuck to your heels on your way to trying to make an exceptional first impression.

When I create art that I am especially satisfied with, the world smiles and sings to me. At times, it feels like fun and it feels like play, and it is always work.