It’s the weekend, and instead of putting paint on canvas or fussy-cutting collage images, here I am, sitting at my keyboard just like a normal business day. But instead of working for the man, today I’m working for myself by battling through what feels like a more difficult than it should be process of creating a website. Yes, I’d much rather be making art, but if I’m going to follow through on my creative aspirations, this must be done.
This struggle is a perfect metaphor for the life of an artist with a day job. Balancing creativity with the demands of a 9 to 5 can feel like a juggling act, where making art often takes a back seat to the realities of life. Yet, every time I make the effort to put my art out there—whether for sale or simply for show—I’m reminded yet again that there’s so much more involved with being an artist than just making pretty pictures. Day job or no day job, there’s no escaping the work.
Crafting art is only part of the equation; the true challenge is the unseen workload that goes into marketing that art. Today, for example, I have spent hours on this website only to have the equivalent of a “coming soon” page. Seriously? So much time spent for so little accomplished. I think it’s time to take a break and walk away (for now).