work/work/work from somebody else

there's a painter who showed at jerry dale's place in the summer in teh show julia was in. i liked her work. i do. i didn't get to talk to her at the opening seein as how it was jerry dales first big show in his new big space so the place was swamped. anyway- i read her blog on occassion. here is a post from way back- echoing my work rant earlier this week:

go here for her blog:
http://maryaddisonhackett.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Work: a rant on linguistics

I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a while and they asked what was new. I'm not the most eloquent conversationalist and I always forget to name-drop, toot my own horn, or in general, reel off my recent coups, so I said, "Oh you know, teaching and working." To which they replied, "Are you still making art?"

???

I'm sure I had a blank stare on my face, but I was dumbfounded. I mean, it's kinda the only thing I do and I'm slightly obsessive about it. It would be like asking a workaholic if they ever work. Actually it was like asking a workaholic if they ever work. Maybe next time, I should clarify what I mean by working, but what else would I be referring to? I can't be the only one who refers to making art and everything it entails as work? (For the record, the person who asked me this is really nice and this is not a rant directed at them.)

It threw me for a loop as I tried to process what they meant. I ended up stammering out something profound like, "well... yeah," followed by an awkward moment of silence. Then I felt kind of silly reeling off a few lines from my resume like I had to prove I made art this past year. On the way home, I became paranoid that I was living in oblivion, which, by the way, is a pretty funny movie.

get up johns

felix and i went to the station inn last night to hear the get up johns. first- looks like this cool smoke free place is slated to go (like many neat old spots in nashvile- tear it down for development). but the music- listening to the get up johns was a bit like watching lightening bugs in a jar- fleeting, quiet, constrained, efficient, perfect. i'm not sure on all the history- but they sing like the brother duos from the 20s or 30s? maybe earlier. i've got wikapedia at my fingertips i could research that... now- i'll just continue and say that $10 is well worth their cd. IT comes in this wonderfully crafted letterpressed fold out package, complete with a little white sleeve with letterpressed concentric circles to look a bit like an old LP. details, details, details. god is in them for these two guys. hope you find them, too.

work/work/work

what i want is to work (art). for it to be enough that i work (art) damn hard and it alone leaves me exhausted. for it (art work) to be enough- for me to be able to make my work (art) without layering paper-pushing (work job) for other people who are stuggling with it (time for art work)being enough. how do other artists do it- i mean work (art) without working (job)??? making work (art) without clocking in at a mediocre job? maybe i teach? oh- already do that. on top of work (art), i work (job), and i work (teach) and work (crafty shit to make more $). i jsut wish i had more work (art) and and less work (job). sure- some have trust funds and no retirements. i get that. and i think- i would prefer that (who would not?!?). and i don't want to seem like a whiney baby- although it's impossible not to come across that way. but latley- i've wanted nothing else but to be in the studio more, longer. sure- i make due out of all the tiime i have- i seem to eek out every little pocket of time in there. i can depend on myself to work (?) hard on managing time, etc. but 8 hours a day go to other work (job). this is why weekends are so hard for me- felix wants to chill out- but it's th eonly sustained amount of time that i have to work (art).

i just need a beer and a willie nelson song i guess...