"Being an artist is a real, full-time job and often a lifelong pursuit without guaranteed success. And yes, it is difficult! It’s painfully competitive, culture budgets are getting slashed left and right and AI is coming in hard. But it’s tired when the only narrative around being an artist is dismally pessimistic."
I am an expert knitter. I get a lot of that too. Everything from "You should sell your work" (No, it would then be a job and not my escape valve, also you can't afford me) to "You know you can buy that cheap, right?" (No, while I could indeed buy cheap sweaters, I can never buy this OOAK handmade bespoke one please go away now).
Ha! This. I have knitted and crocheted for years and I’ve gotten all these comments as well. Including my mother who taught me to knit and crochet. I have written and published patterns for $ but it kind of takes the joy out of it. Although it’s fun to see your name in a book
Felt this so much! One of my "favorite" comments I hear when I do live painting is "so are you an art student?". Like, sir (almost always from men) I have an art biz. 😆
As a writer, I heard so incredibly often "Oh, you're a writer? I have an idea for a novel..." (Then go write it!) and "Have I read anything you've written?" (How to even respond to that...) Also, totally with you on the AI: UGH. Killing the soul of creativity AND the environment with every "written" paragraph and stolen Studio Ghibli-style portrait.
People always have plenty of advice for creative people, and even more for artists. We’re labeled, and today more than ever, some view our “bubble of imagination for innovation” as a commodity.
If you have public success and the one that is undeniable, it can be easier to cope with. But, it doesn’t remove the "llabel" and the stories behind it.
You said it well! Everybody has a say, an opinion, a better way for you to get out of the label...
That constant perception is like a plague. It’s subtle, even if it's not meant to diminish decades of work, yet it so bluntly tries to fit us into a box.
The good news is, we are the ones who create boxes. No matter what, we define our own worlds, and our work eventually speaks for itself—constantly evolving and growing.
THIS 100%!
"Being an artist is a real, full-time job and often a lifelong pursuit without guaranteed success. And yes, it is difficult! It’s painfully competitive, culture budgets are getting slashed left and right and AI is coming in hard. But it’s tired when the only narrative around being an artist is dismally pessimistic."
I am an expert knitter. I get a lot of that too. Everything from "You should sell your work" (No, it would then be a job and not my escape valve, also you can't afford me) to "You know you can buy that cheap, right?" (No, while I could indeed buy cheap sweaters, I can never buy this OOAK handmade bespoke one please go away now).
Ha! This. I have knitted and crocheted for years and I’ve gotten all these comments as well. Including my mother who taught me to knit and crochet. I have written and published patterns for $ but it kind of takes the joy out of it. Although it’s fun to see your name in a book
Felt this so much! One of my "favorite" comments I hear when I do live painting is "so are you an art student?". Like, sir (almost always from men) I have an art biz. 😆
The children’s book questions… and how to get published. Relate so much to all of this.
As a writer, I heard so incredibly often "Oh, you're a writer? I have an idea for a novel..." (Then go write it!) and "Have I read anything you've written?" (How to even respond to that...) Also, totally with you on the AI: UGH. Killing the soul of creativity AND the environment with every "written" paragraph and stolen Studio Ghibli-style portrait.
People always have plenty of advice for creative people, and even more for artists. We’re labeled, and today more than ever, some view our “bubble of imagination for innovation” as a commodity.
If you have public success and the one that is undeniable, it can be easier to cope with. But, it doesn’t remove the "llabel" and the stories behind it.
You said it well! Everybody has a say, an opinion, a better way for you to get out of the label...
That constant perception is like a plague. It’s subtle, even if it's not meant to diminish decades of work, yet it so bluntly tries to fit us into a box.
The good news is, we are the ones who create boxes. No matter what, we define our own worlds, and our work eventually speaks for itself—constantly evolving and growing.
🎵 " Laisse parler les gens "