your a what?

There are a few things in life that can atracked the look from strangers that you are a boil on the face of there "perfect" life, but telling them you are a artist is one of them. At many points in my life I found my self at get to gathers talking to strangers that looked at me like I was gulping up there oh so hard earned money...
Here's how those conversations go:
you are at a birthday party of a friend

"Hi"
"hello" Artist (a)
"Ben"
"Jay" (a)
"good party ain't it?"
"yeah,cold beer,chips,yep pretty ok" (a)
"So what do you do"
"I'm an artist" (a)

thunder rings across the sky,lighting shows the now stunned Ben with visions of yet one more unemployed freeloader eating his tax dollars.He takes a step back.By now seconds have crept by and he knows he needs to say something.

"Oh,so like what do you do?"
"I paint,draw,teach amongst others" (a)

That just reinforced his idea of a adult unwilling to grownup,cause you are not working for someone or better yet,you did not go to college..

"What kind of paintings?
"portraits mostly,but I can do most things" (a)

by now I get enoyed.

"yeah art school,6 years of college taught me enough to start my own studio and make a good living"

Eyebrows raise slightly..

"Really, 6 years hmm"
"yeah but I was done in 4" (a)
"so you work for your self"
"yep no boss,I can start when everrr I want"(a)

enter sip og beer and smurk smile.

Now I know, not all artists have been to art school or work for them selfs,yet we are cut from the same wood. We all have to endure the looks and talks of being less then them. What they forget or even do not know,we are better because we are close to what they have3 lost..a connection to our creativity.



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