Sometimes the difference between profession and hobby is your lifestyle.
I recently had a conversation with a good friend about a trip to Oregon. She really wants to go to the Oregon Country Fair in Eugene and was telling me that we should go with our spouses. Now, I don’t really know towns in Oregon because I have only been to one place there. I do know areas of landscape and when I looked up Eugene I exclaimed, “I’ve always wanted to paint the Wallowa Valley!” She told me I could go there some other time to paint, this would be a trip to see the fair. I began to realize that she and perhaps others that I run around with don’t quite understand how my lifestyle choices work.
I have a large group of friends who are creative; that is to say they either create art or crafts, run creative non-profits or artistic businesses. Several of them are professional artists but many just like making art while doing other things. When I realized that I was going to actively choose a professional career as an artist, there were certain sacrifices I was going to make for quite a while. My car was going to be used and probably not be as pretty as I would like. Chances are I would eat out once in a while but that there would be things like Top Ramen on my menu (lots of fresh veggies and I add either canned chicken or roasted). Shopping would be second hand, not for the fun of treasure hunting but because I wouldn’t be able to afford new for the same amount of time as a new car. Travel, was not for being a tourist; it was strictly for business. If I was going somewhere interesting, it was for a purpose; either for a show, to teach a class or to get material and create inventory.
The afore mentioned conversation brought clarity to a misunderstanding, I don’t go places for the same kind of fun that others do. Other artists who are living the lifestyle that I am talking about understand what I am saying. We journey to scrubby hillsides and love the subtle colors and textures that hide wildlife. We look at our vehicles and wonder, “how off-road capable is it? What is the number of the nearest tow company just incase?” When looking at the possibility of purchasing a commuter car we look at the ground clearance and weigh that along side the fuel milage and cargo space. Housing is considered only if there is a place for a studio and the type of lighting that space will have. I drive through areas of the city and look at empty store fronts wondering what kind of studio/gallery space could be put in them and how I could possibly make it work.
When I was in my 20s, I centered my life around a creative endeavor. I looked at fabric for how it could be used for costumes, sang songs and listened to music for performances or that would work for the genre. I hung around with only people who were involved with that specific project and for 5 years; I lived and breathed; slept and dreamed only that one thing. All of it depended on a specific group and at one point, I had to walk away from it because it didn’t belong to me. My art practice is mine, and my lifestyle is the choice I make for it. For those of you who know, you know; you wake up every day making that choice. When you go somewhere, you are taking that choice with you. Those who don’t, expect that when you leave town; you are on vacation. Artists who are professionals are never on vacation, and we never regret it. We understand and accept this is a choice. For those of you who don’t understand think of it this way; You can load a horse into the starting gate but if they don’t want to run, they might leap out at first but they will quit chasing everyone and come in very last if at all.
To my friends I will say this; I do not expect all of you to be professionals with me. I hope most of you will have more sense and just create art because you enjoy creating. For the others of you who are pursuing a career; I am putting together a trip to chase waterfalls….