An artist’s life is as nourishing at creative level as tough at financial level. As a result of this for an artist the desperation works at two levels: first is the urge to create what’s coming from their spirit. This spirit can be read as their mind or/ and heart.
Artists are individualistic, free spirited when it comes to their art and non-conforming by nature so they tend to follow purely their instincts and spirit when it comes to creativity.
The second aspect is related to the first. Since they are non-conformist, they are prone to feel ‘out of the place’ among larger population who follow all possible conventional methods and systems to fit in the ‘normal’ society.
Consequently artist remains under-rated and recluse till a time when she/he finds a suitable context where her/his creativity is acknowledged. Now, how do you think artists survive if there are not many buyers of their idea and works?
Artists develop a ‘normal social’ aspect of their creativity to remain floating financially and emotionally. Artists are often like two personalities though connected but complete contrast of each other. One aspect would look like succumbed to the rut of (daily survival) life and another is that of a narcissist, completely given to oneself.
While in the ‘normal social-self’ would engage in a part time or a full time teaching and clerical job or project, it is necessary to keep the ‘narcissist-self’ afloat. The monotony and frustrations of the ‘normal-social’ aspect of life of an artist is kept at bay with the creative satisfaction from one’s artistic practice and experiments.
This is a basic reason why a nonconformist person like me started painting t-shirts. This little short term jobs gives me regular encouragement in the form of monetary gains that keep my long term non-profiting projects going on.
While financial gains are necessary to survive for many, it is also a motivational element for every artist who seeks to be recognised for their work in terms of recognition and monetary worth. And I am no exception.
Difference between an artist and craftsmen
At times I fear that this small project with regular small profits might turn me away from my creative pursuit as an artist into a craftsman. But there is a major difference between a craftsman and an artist.
Artists, by nature are experimental and tends to experiment with their art works every time they make it unless they want to recreate the same thing over and over again for a purpose.
On the other hand it is difficult for a craftsman to create same thing in a different way every time they make something. They tend to repeat themselves. That is why in every art and research institutes, there are designing centres and workshops. In the designing centers artists run the show while at the workshop craftsmen lead in coordination with the designers.
The designer charges for their idea, time and talent while the craftsmen earn as per their productivity. This basic difference between artist and craftsmen is like a thin line between creator and pro creator.
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So I am artist but paint T-shirts to ….Hope you have got the answer by now.
