it's not easy
"That's the line that divides artists from people with hobbies, Adam Duritz says. That separates the amateur from the professional. That distinguishes a dalliance from a calling. A diversion from a vocation. It's what you do when it's not fun anymore. When it gets hard and it's not enjoyable.
Do you stop? Pack it up? Put it away? Move on to the next thing? Or do you dig your heals in and wrestle? Do you keep doing the work and shout "I will not let go until you bless me"? Are you willing to walk away limping?
Making things can be fun. Art can be enjoyable. But that's not what it's about. That's not what it's for. It isn't guaranteed. "[I]t's hard", Duritz says, and "it should be". It exists to create change. A change in yourself. A change in another person. A change in the world. It's "birth and genesis" Steven Pressfield says. It's discovery and invention. Reclamation and redemption. And that doesn't come easy.
Sometimes you'll have the time of your life, that's true, and sometimes it'll make you miserable. Sometimes it'll be vibrant and lively, and sometimes you'll hate every minute. The question is, what are you after? What do you need? Enjoyment and decompression are good things, but if you're looking for a spark, if you need to start a fire, you can't do it without friction.
P.S. I received notice that the collage below will be featured in the forthcoming issue of Cut Me UP Magazine. It’s my second time being included and it’s no less an honor. I love the whole idea and ethos behind the publication and I’m grateful that I’ve been given the opportunity to participate.
P.P.S. - ICAD Day 340-342 - all the collages featured are available for purchase here.
Congratulations on having your collage in an upcoming feature, Duane!