Reality Check

"oh you work in the theater, that must be so Fun!"
I look at the woman's face all aglow with dreams of a career in the arts, nights spent in the theater and a life of fulfilling conversations about art. I smile and say as compassionately as possible,
"Most of the time it is".

That is as true as I can be with most non-artists. Painters, illustrators, animators, and other such people making a living in the arts can understand. Most parents of artists have a tenuous grasp to a firm hold on the life of an artist or artisan. Spouses of artists can mostly understand... it's not that a career in the arts is not "fun" but it is also a maddening drive, it is a lifestyle, it is a job. I couldn't trade my sewing machine for a cubicle but after ten hours of sitting in front of the humming beast hemming soft goods there is no counting the other careers I could have chosen that would not involve eye infections from fabric dust.

In this blog I hope to share what it is truly like to work in the arts. It can be great, it can be torture, it is often crazy and exciting and at other times is just dirty and gross. Hopefully I'll be able to coax a few of my peers to contribute as well... we will create a collection of stories that will comfort other artists with camaraderie and educate anybody who has dreamed of a career in the arts.

February is going to be a bumpy month for me. I'll be scrambling for work in a very slow and short month. I'll also be working on getting all of my tax information together which I assure you will take a good amount of time. This year I am waiting on no less than 8 different w-2 and 1099 forms, I'm counting on making a post about that fun.

Until the next...