Why would I be asking this? First off, let’s clarify. There are many crowning achievements a man can strive for. For me, personally living a life in service of others, and eventually, being worth to return to my God and have him proud of how I tried to exemplify Christ would be the ultimate end goal for me.
But the question I’m asking is more career based. When someone has worked hard their whole lives, is finding and expressing themselves as artists a goal they should be working towards, or is art a waste of time for most people, and it doesn’t even register on their scale of importance?
For many of us, art is more than something we want to do, in a way, we feel that we have to do it. Even if we never get paid for it, its something we want more freedom to pursue. Whether its painting, crafting, writing, photography, filmmaking, or some other artistic expression; for me at least, these have often felt as if they needed to be earned.
But is that the best way to think about it?
- Where Is The Value In Art?
We all know about expensive paintings, people who make successful careers as writers and filmmakers. But what about us personally? Does anyone, let alone you, care about yourself as an artist?
I’ve spent the last 10 years of my life, working hard to get to the point, where I could go from a poor college grad to being a full time writer and independent filmmaker, but I recently just watched a movie called Loving Vincent, wherein it gave us a glimpse into the tragic life of Vincent van Goh.
Vincent was a man who struggled with self worth issues, to the point of wanting to harm himself at times. But what really stood out to me, was that for the last years of his life, living off other people’s dimes, he dedicated himself to the pursuit of his paintings.
In that time, he painted some 800ish paintings, and only ever sold a single one of them while alive. He died young, but eventually his paintings have become worth millions. But he never realized any of this success while alive. He painted every day, because he wanted to.
So which is the better course for a person. If they want to express themselves creatively, should they go for broke and dedicate their life to it like he did, or play it safe, work hard, and eventually have the means to create art comfortably later in life?
I can only speak for myself, but I have always loved the arts. There is no way I would have been content to live my whole life as a poor artist though. For me, I was raised on the Biblical phrase, given to Adam and Even when they were cast out of the Garden of Eden: “By the sweat of thy brow, thou shall eat, all the days of your life.”
Growing up, I developed a strong work ethic. I learned to love that 80 hour work week. Productivity defined my every day. What was art? Definitely not productive. Art was something I enjoyed as a kid, then had to suppress as I became a responsible working adult. Maybe someday, when old and retired, I could pick it back up again, when I’d earned it.
- Can I Be A Working Artist?
My feelings and beliefs on being a working artist have changed over the years. Would I go back and start out all differently if given the choice?
No, I wouldn’t. But at the same time, I don’t think that being creative should reside only with children and retirees.
The other day I was thinking, and it occurred to me, that when you get a business degree from a school, the first level is called a “B.A.” standing for Bachelor of Arts. Every business out there, requires creativity, and what is creativity, if not art?
Is Apple really creating anything these days that other companies can’t? No, then why are they so successful? Its because they had a creative genius who turned the tech company into an artistic expression so powerful that people identified themselves with it, some even going so far as getting tattoos of their logo. Same thing with Harley Davidson, or other such brands. Creativity is essential when we want to connect our businesses to customers and stand out from the crowd.
So why does telling everyone that you paint, or write or something like that, feel so much less—worthy?
I think it boils down to value. How much value are you creating for others?
Does anyone criticize Steve Jobs for being creative? Probably not seriously.
What about Elon Musk? Yeah he gets criticized all the time, but does anyone think he doesn’t bring value to his companies? He and his creative self are what made his companies what they are.
What about your niece, who can’t hold a steady job, and got fired from the tattoo parlor for putting her own spin on someones tattoo of their dog? She may be creative, but where’s the value being added?
Often when we think of ourselves as artists, we don’t think of the Steve Jobs or Elon Musks of this world, we think of that black sheep in our family with black dyed hair, ghost-white make-up, and green lipstick.
- When Is It Okay To Be An Artist?
Here’s what I’ve come to decide for myself. Being an artist is something everyone probably is already. Some are hindered by how they view their place in the world. Others are freely expressing themselves, without even realizing it.
In the end, the artist you are, and how you express yourself, is in itself an art form. Some photographers make a career out of finding those people, and capturing a single frame that portrays the life that only that person could have lived.
I find great satisfaction in every day of my life that I consciously choose how I’m going to live my life. Even if nobody ever buys a book I write, or watches a video I produce, I have set up my career as an artist in such a way, that I can enjoy the journey of it, rather than need the financial results of it to find my peace.
That’s the key. Live your life with purpose. That purpose will define you. In that defining of yourself, you will discover the art of a life well lived.
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