working hard or hardly working

           Today, was a studio day for me. I had the day off, which meant I didn't really have it off, i simply had more hours to put in the studio. You see, usually I wake up, work in the studio, go to work, come home exhausted and then I muster up the energy to put a couple of more studio hours before I shower and go to bed.
             I was just talking to my partner Michael about little things that people say that irk me. We talked about how people do not really take working artists seriously. They will ask "What will you do when you get home from work?" To which I answer "Work. I will get home at around 11:30pm and i will put a couple of hours in the studio before I get to wind down and go to bed." It is at this point where they will take it upon themselves to belittle what I do and say "Oh, you're just drawing! My son draws (or at least he did when he was five but i somehow feel like thats comparable to what you're doing....dipshit) Thats not work! Thats relaxing!"
             Im writing this post to plead with everyone, don't be this person. As fun as art is, it is a lot, and I mean A LOT of work. You are not only creating art pieces and making prints so that you can be affordable to everyone. But you also have to market yourself (which I suck at), you also must have a social media presence (which i suck at too....I'm working on it). And this is not including the physical toll that making art actually has on your body. Making a painting for me pretty much comes with pain in my joints and in my back, not too mention the pain on my tailbone from the long hours of sitting. By the time I am finished, 1 studio day has taken a lot more out of me than one work day. I noticed that people don't really understand how much work actually goes into making and selling your own art. That is why it is so easy for them to say things like:

• Oh its your a hobby!
• I have a ___ who's a REALLY good artist.
• I can draw the same thing.
•  If you painted things that people can understand, maybe more people will buy it.
• Maybe you should pursue something more realistic.
• Can you draw me?
• "I see that you love drawing animals and landscapes, do you draw people too? Could you draw a portrait of me?
• Can you do this for free?
• "Can you draw me/pet/family/friends/everyone like a photograph?"
• "You should become a tattoo artist, and then you could tattoo me!

...To mention a few. So please, if you find yourself about to say something like the above, not exactly the same but related to. Please don't. It is not only belittling to the artists but it immediately makes an artists blood, sweat and tears worthless. I write this because I am tired of people saying in a patronizing manner that what I work so hard to do and have spent my entire life studying, is not really work. Thats just shitty.



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