We’ve all probably thought about what we want to do with our talents. Unfortunately, most of the time it seems as if the world has no place for them or won’t even give them a chance. I still cynically joke that most artists only become rich and famous after they’ve long since died and people come to marvel at their innovations and their problems when it’s already too late to offer any assistance or criticism. I mean, when was the last time you joked about Vincent van Gogh’s ear being sent to his girlfriend? We tend to look at artists' lives after the fact, just like we do their work. They’re basically exhibits.
It’s gotten better, I guess. There seems to be more of us around nowadays, though that could just be the Internet’s influence. More people are willing to learn and practice to become better at their craft and at spilling their thoughts onto blank white canvas. Graphic designers have been on a steady payroll in recent years, but a lot of artistically inclined people still find themselves faced with dreadful circumstances and decisions, particularly “is this worth my time or the money I lose?”
When I first entered college, I started off as a Chemistry Major. Don’t get me wrong, I did love General Chemistry but as it turns out, that was all I was good at. I’m terrible at math and at most forms of upper division science like Physics and, you guessed it, Organic Chemistry. Before I knew it, my brief love affair with science was over and I had to find a new major or risk being stuck in a college Groundhog Day loop for the rest of my life (and all the wonderful student debt that comes with it). But in the end, that important decision led me to return to my roots of writing and drawing, things I’d always loved since I was a child.
Artists are not stupid or crazy like some stereotypes make us out to be. We aren’t lazy, just misunderstood. A lot of our work goes on in our heads where it’s never quiet. Sometimes we stare at a blank piece of paper or wall or page in our drawing programs for a while to figure out what we want to do, but we aren’t perpetually covered in paint nor do eccentric things every moment of our lives. We don’t all own cats either or live in our parents’ basements (although this is an optional phase). Many of us are intelligent and talented at multiple things. Our other interests inspire us. For years, I’ve followed artists on Tumblr and other art sharing sites who are medical school students, engineers, and scientists. At some point, they struggled with having to sacrifice their craft for something that will better put food on the table. They’re brilliant minds who just so happen to see things in color as well as in technicalities.
I was never quite willing to make that sacrifice. I did, at a few points, stop drawing and writing for other reasons. It hurts sometimes when you feel as if you’re going nowhere or that you’re wasting your time on something you love so much. Sometimes, coming to that conclusion makes the act too painful to follow through. You stop for a while but it doesn’t feel right thinking that this is how it’ll be forever. Most artists who try giving up art to do their residency or focus on their jobs have come back to it within a year or two because it was too great of a sacrifice for them to bear, even if they had to scrape ungodly hours together to pull one piece art for themselves.
I never quite understood why anyone would want to abandon a hobby that they put so much effort and time into, as well as their entire heart and soul. But then I realized that the job market sometimes doesn’t allow for that extra time. Art is still just considered a hobby and hobbies are higher on the list when it comes to “what can I sacrifice?” Most people wouldn’t choose to sacrifice their car, house or food that they need to survive. Some people can drop their hobbies just like that but I can’t see how anyone can honestly walk away from art and not regret it. Most of the people I know are extremely passionate and invested in their artwork and it’s physically and emotionally taxing to even think of giving it up.
Despite what many non-artists and newly exposed artists think, in the end, art isn’t about how other people feel about it. Most artists, unless they’re doing commissioned work, don’t create specifically for other people or for the greater good of an audience. They do it for themselves and their own pleasure and that’s perfectly okay. It works the same way for social situations. You can’t always do things to please people because, in the end, you just resent them and feel like they’re only using you. Art is meant to be a personal form of expression that helps people who have trouble expressing their feelings (like me) communicate with themselves. It’s a release of energy and creativity. Using that same medium to communicate to the world comes second and when it’s successful, it can really be worthwhile.
