Recently I visited the studio of an established bronze sculptor. After admiring his work and personal collection of art, I asked if he had any pro-tips for an emerging artist. He thought for a brief moment and chuckled. “You should become a plumber,” he told me with a grin. “People always need a plumber.”
He chuckled again. Nobody cares about your work and few ever will, he told me, It’s better to get into a trade with some sort of practical value. If you still want to, you can always do your art on the side. Make money doing something you don’t have any interest in doing. You may not be happy, but you certainly won’t starve.
I gave him a polite smile and promptly took my leave.
On my way home his “pro-tip” played itself over and over in my head. Nobody cares, and nobody will. Nobody cares, and nobody will. Nobody cares, and nobody will… It became an infuriating mantra, and by the time I got home, I was livid. The best this man — a man of incredible creativity and experience — could share with an up-and-comer was the limp revision of a tired old trope: you can’t make a living at art (you’ll starve and suffer if you try).
Most artists have heard this before. Many artists will hear this on repeat for years on end. We’re all familiar with the stereotypical starving artist. But I found the sculptor’s statement petty and undeservedly hurtful. Why? Distill what that old man told me down to its essence and we unveil its twisted roots. His words can be broken down into two parts, and they reveal an unbelievably cynical view of people and the world:
1. You are not good enough.
2. The easy path is the best path.
Seen this way even the non-artist will feel a spark of recognition. These statements are as common to us all as the changing of seasons. Who hasn’t felt the devastating sting of the first statement and felt the lurid temptation of the second? Who hasn’t questioned themselves, or agonized over their life choices, because they felt like they weren’t good enough? Who hasn’t made the decision to redirect because the going was just too hard? Most of us, in one form or another. And we feel this way, not because of any fault in ourselves, but because these feelings are reinforced by destructive narratives that tell us we’ll never achieve what it is we hope for. These narratives have become all too commonplace.
This is a big problem.
In a 2018 report, Gallup highlighted the fact that happiness is increasingly under threat in the United States. Obesity, opioid abuse, and depression are on the rise, growing faster in the U.S. than in most other countries. These three health problems are symptomatic of the overall decrease in levels of happiness. We as a people are becoming unhappier and unhealthier.
In 2017, according to Gallup, more than half of U.S. employees were actively seeking new employment. Less than a third of employees felt like they were engaged in the positions they held. Over ninety percent of those who switched jobs left their employer for a completely new one. The image we get from this data is one of a swirling mass of disengaged, dissatisfied people endlessly searching for meaning but continually finding disappointment. Of course our happiness is in decline! Under these circumstances why wouldn’t it be?
So how did it come to this?
Let’s think about that for a moment.
When we encourage someone to avoid difficulty, is it any wonder they find so little meaning in what they do, particularly when that which is meaningful is often hard?
I don’t think so.
When we call into question another person’s worth, should it come as a surprise they become unhappy, particularly when happiness is tied so closely with self-actualization and belief in oneself?
Nope.
Raising children is hard, should we discourage people from becoming parents? Starting a business is hard, is it better, then, to discourage would-be entrepreneurs? Learning a new skill-set can be difficult, does that mean we ought to avoid education and skill-building opportunities? No, no, and NO! There is value and meaning in each of these.
It’s ridiculous and offensive to tell a four-year-old she’s not college material because she has yet to understand quadratic equations. Reasonable people would agree that skill and knowledge develop over time, with education and experience. So why on earth do we put a cap on the aptitude of those around us by suggesting they don’t have what it takes to pursue that which they desire? The story of human experience is one of endless potentiality and growth. Whom does it serve to discourage that truth? I’ll tell you: nobody.
I want to present an alternative to the common, cynical way of thinking. It comes in two parts, as follows:
1. You are good enough.
2. The meaningful path may be a difficult path, but it is worth pursuing.
Join with me and share these new truths with those who need to hear them. I think they’ll make a difference.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Stay creative.