By this I mean, creating art that is true to the artist and which simultaneously generates enough bakshish to pay for the basic needs of one human being, much less a family, or even... perish the thought, covering the cost of unnecessary items like vacations, DSL service, or a car that doesn't crash and burn every 3000 miles.

It does happen. Contemporary artists point to Picasso, Georgia O'Keefe and Edward Ruscha and think, "That could be me."

It could. Absolutely. Given dedication to your muse and to getting her the attention she deserves.

Or it may not.

In my mind, either possibility is just fine. After all, who knows what our children and our grand-children will accomplish long after we have left this reality? Does that make them less vital, less a rich and rewarding part of our existence?

Giving up on the making of art because it isn't paying the electric bill is like refusing to take a shower because it doesn't put food on the table. Art, for the artist, is an essential part of living, like doing laundry and putting gas in the car. So is going grocery shopping and paying for health care.

We artists often indulge in endless jokes about our "day job" that make it sound like it has nothing to do with creating art. I think the reverse is true. The "day job" is a wonderful way for most artists to feel good about continuing to create art. If we are honest with ourselves, the "day job" is worth honoring. There is a Hindu saying that I often call upon when I am frustrated with the details of my own "day job": Work is worship.

How true. The act of creating anything is just that, a creative effort. Whether we are talking about carpentery, web design, working at the post office, managing a project, or teaching Spanish classes, these activities are one more opportunity to find joy in the most creative act of all, living. The fact that the "day job" provides us with the means to buy art supplies and internet connections and marketing materials is simply a bonus. Creating art is like raising a child: essential to our happiness, and therefore well worth the time and effort we put into other activities that support that part of the wholeness that is the "I", the artist-mother-benefit-analyst-activist-cook-writer-whatever. Ultimately, the "day job" is art... art that creates more art. Resenting or denigrating the act is as useless as being annoyed with the creative process because it doesn't happen as smoothly as we "think it should" or finance itself. Making art is, and always will be, part of something larger. Our art is a contribution to the world as we find it, and as it may be in the years to come. It's important to remember that whatever we are doing, is worth doing because it connects us to every other person on the planet. "Day job." Sculpture. Poem. Painting. It's all a reflection of who we are. We can choose to perform each task we have accepted in our life as if it were the most important creative effort of the moment, or we can ignore the fact that even the mundane details of living demonstrate our "self".

I choose to celebrate. I am fortunate to have found skills and experience that offer me a "day job" that allows me to live comfortably... and more. This isn't true for everyone. In my case, I've persisted in learning skills that have nothing to do with painting or marketing in the art world. Does this make me less of an artist? I'm not sure. Perhaps, if I lived a more frugal life, I would have more time to create my own unique brand of art. Would I find this more satisfying as an artist?

I don't think so. I enjoy my life, the community of my career as a project manager, and the world of my life as an artist. They function together in a balance with which I am constantly tinkering Part of what makes both aspects satisfying to me is the tension between the two. Would I have as much focus on the painting at hand if I had a week to work on the next elements? Or does the miracle of the moment happen because I have limited time to actually execute the next steps?

Who knows? ... and I have to admit, that I don't care. The reality of my life as a painter, and a project manager, is that I am determined to make time in my life for both. This is the "day job" vs. art balance. In my ideal world, I would be a designer... of furniture, luggage, clothes... even fountain pens. I would create forms that are functional and beautiful. This would be my ideal "day job". Yet somehow my life path has led me along a different road. So I paint... and I commute to the project of the moment, knowing that this too is part of the larger process. My "day job" serves my work as an artist... and in my heart I know that my art serves to make my work on my "day job" more ... effective.

Life. It's all art.

-Lindley-