Escape Artist

An artist friend and I were having a discussion yesterday about the self-proclaimed "artists" out there who use the internet as a vehicle for selling their art and marketing themselves as a brand.  We were both able to point out several different examples of this phenomena- from painters to jewelry makers to photographers, it seemed to cover a spectrum of different types.  There's nothing wrong with using the blog to market your art/connect with folks, or journal- everyone does- but there's a fine line between marketing and bragging, and the arrogance some of these types have is disgusting to say the least.  The one thing all had in common was the art of the b.s.- making their lives appear so rosy and Disney-esque, as though the only thing they had to do was sit on their glorified perches and let the muse reveal itself in technicolor glory, with very little labor involved, while everyone else waited and watched breathlessly.  For the rest of us, it's a little different in the real world.  

While it might come easier to some than others ("it" meaning the process of creation), for the real artists out there its less about plastering their sugar-coated reminisces and catch phrases online, and more about closing the door on the real and virtual worlds and making something tangible happen.  To shoot for contrast, I can outline a "typical day" in this corner that defies the explanations of the avid artist-bloggers out there.  It goes something like this: Wake up before daylight to face a 10-12 hour workday (yes, it counts even if you work at home).  Take care of puppy- and he's no slouch in the energy department or the needs dept.  Run errands, finish housework (indoor and outdoor), job hunt.  Gear up for the full-time job of making art. This artist is not posed by a picture window sipping cafe au lait and singing along to Yanni, while rainbow prisms beam out of my eyes as I stare out of some lofty Garden District mansion at the adoring masses huddled at my stairs.  Real world- I'm sitting on a hard chair for hours, covered in art materials and puppy slobber, every spare inch of the table crammed with supplies and half-finished works, frantic to get it all done in a day.   There's simply not enough time or space to go around.  I'm not like the blog diva artisan posing for my picture, as I gaze into the camera with rapturous joy (real or manufactured!).  Instead, I'm rolling sleeves up, gritting my teeth and hurtling into my work (that's about as poetic as it gets over here).  Instead of adorning myself in gauzy dresses, living in imaginary online worlds, ensconced in the loving praise of my online followers, warbling witticisms and leisurely tidbits about the ideal life I live and how wonderful I really am (or getting others to do it for me), I'm throwing on my oldest threads, grabbing a quick caffeine break and sifting through Yahoo and Facebook emails before hitting the ground running.  Work before play.  Because sometimes creating the art you love is a battle, and by the end of the day its not a popularity contest and fans singing accolades, its sweat and worry and the sensation of lost time.  My art is a gritty process, hard to finish, time consuming, slow to reward and never simple.  The #1 enemy is time, because it escapes out the window and is burned away on the computer and in many other myriad ways.  At times I'm buried in worries and stress, and it seems that progress is slow moving and even non-existent because you don't always see the results until the very end of the road, where it all tends to happen at once.  Being a real artist is full time work, and it is not for the faint of heart, or for those with one track minds- I've learned the importance of multi-tasking and dividing time between job hunting, taking care of the errands and household minutiae, and chasing a hyper and back-talking pup dog around and around the table- his game, my lack of punishment.  Its grueling at times, all the hats you wear in a day, and the self-discipline needed to make it all flow, but I wouldn't trade it for a typical office job working for a cynical boss and sarcastic co-workers (although there will come a time soon enough when that's exactly what I'll be doing- then I'll make myself be happy to trade freedom for a steady paycheck).  Obviously art isn't all work and sweat- its creating beauty out of raw materials and a vision, and it can be a celebration and a joy.  But you have to put in the time to make it happen, not just fancy up the process with empty words.  I love focusing on the sights of the world around me, the sounds of a string quartet or the way the light comes in through the window as much as anyone else- but that's not what inspires me to do my art.  What inspires me is the stack of growing utility bills, the hollow sound of the last pop tart in the box; the knowledge that our house needs updates and renovations, and the selfish wishes for new flooring in the kitchen, a fancy dress-up date with my hubby and Season One of Trueblood on dvd (not in that order).

What real artists' lives are like varies across the charts, and what works for me might not work for someone else.  But having experience with real-life people who earn their bread by their work, I can tell you that the "real" artists are spending less time collecting their fans in a butterfly net, and more time praying for the Muse to visit in-between a million other things, while they care for their families, and make their nests cozy and cook meals for their little ones in between making the time to paint and work- without the benefit of that glowing spotlight that others pull around them to gild the edges of their talents, or lack thereof.  The real artists spend more time doing, and less time talking about it.  They help their friends in their artistic attempts, and they listen and share ideas and dreams.  Its not one-sided like these fantasy art bloggers who are logging more hours online than in person.  They don't use catch phrases and local bywords to pull in a following.  Instead they are making some incredible art, art that sells like hotcakes on its own merit without descriptive write-ups casting an unearthly glow around them.    They share moments online, but don't make the internet their #1 calling.  To the folks out there who are too busy staring in mirrors and encouraging their online friends to do the same, I say, man up and put your money where your mouth is.  Let's see some real action and not a bunch of empty words on a one-sided computer screen.  Find your inspiration in nature and in positive landscapes, teach others what you discover, but be realistic and don't try to paint your lives as a too-pretty reflection of reality.  Look for the positive side of things by all means, but realize that life rarely happens in this idealistic little setting, and to attempt to portray it that way is both wrong and ridiculous, because you are setting standards that nobody, yourself least of all, can live up to.  Enjoy the beauty in this world- its not always easy to find.  But realize that there has to be more than poetry and flowers.  Find balance.  Relate to your readers as they are relating to you.

Now, back to work.