Our social circle greatly influences our worldview. So those who do not know any police officers, archeologists, or singers might inadvertently mysticize their jobs. An artist is one of those professions that many fail to understand and, therefore, show the respect that it deserves. This woman, for example, has to endure her family members calling her work a hobby.
This artist allowed her 8-year-old niece to have some space on her comic con table. In a candid Reddit post, she said that the situation had gotten so bad that they even used her status to promote her 8-year-old niece, refusing to acknowledge that it had damaged her livelihood.
This artist allowed her 8-year-old niece to have some space on her comic con table
But the girl’s parents thought it was not enough and demanded more
This woman’s family missed so many signs that she’s a professional, it’s as if they didn’t want to admit it
Sometimes, the line between enthusiasts and pros can be blurry. Matt Tommey, who has been portraying nature through sculptural works of art for three decades, says that you can distinguish the two by taking a closer look at a person’s approach to their craft.
Hobbyists:
- Time management. According to Tommey, they typically wait for complete clarity before taking a step and pursue their artistic endeavors when they have free time.
- Artistic style. Enthusiasts do lots of experimentation with mediums, styles & expressions. Many don’t have a cohesive artistic voice, just a desire to express themselves, have fun, and create, appearing as a “jack of all trades, master of none.”
- Inspiration. Hobbyists feel inspired to create sporadically but don’t necessarily act on the inspiration. Tommey highlights they need to feel inspired to start the creative process.
- Growth. Their progress is relatively slow because they can be impulsive, impatient, and lack focus. Also, they tend to take shortcuts, be “good enough” and give up easily.
- Spiritual. They can enjoy connecting with a higher being during the creative process but tend to continually ask for the ‘new thing’ or the ‘download’ needed to fast-track the process. Additionally, Tommey has observed they often need external affirmation, constant encouragement, and specific leadership before feeling comfortable moving forward.
- Sales. Infrequent or non-existent sales of their work. They give a lot of work away to friends and family, and enjoy art as a place for spiritual processing but struggle to place monetary value on their work. They have no established presentation or pricing strategy.
- Business. Hobbyists see the business side of things as a barrier or difficulty that is unnecessary and to be avoided or at best, a necessary evil.
- Success. Equals a wonderfully creative experience but with no clear picture of where it can lead them. Such wishful thinking often requires hope and leaps of faith.
Professionals, on the other hand:
- Time management. Take actionable steps, not waiting for total clarity in every situation. They prioritize regular studio time as an important part of their routine and protect that time as valuable.
- Artistic style. They have developed a cohesive artistic voice within a certain medium or collection of media that is easily recognizable as “them.” They’ve developed a mastery of skills needed within their creative medium, and experiment within their style, voice, and mediums.
- Inspiration. Instead of waiting for it, pros cultivate inspiration through journaling, sketching, and other forms of documenting their experiences. They like to feel inspired when creating but also trust inspiration to develop during the creative process.
- Growth. They see faster growth because they are focused, patient, and growth-oriented. Professionals tend to be persistent and desire excellence in all they do.
- Spiritual. They enjoy connecting with their faith during everything that being an artist entails.
- Sales. Regular sales to a known clientele within a standardized pricing and presentation model. They are confident in the quality and value of their work and are willing to charge a premium.
- Business. Pros understand that their business and the systems and tools within it create the vehicle by which their art comes into the marketplace. They understand that to thrive as an artist, one must work in the business and on the business (the back end things like marketing, bookkeeping, sales, logistics, etc).
- Success. Defined by a clear vision for their life, their art and their business. They thoughtfully build a bridge to the future based on where they are currently and where they want to go.
Judging from the post, the artist’s family must’ve seen the obvious signs that she’s already an established name in the industry who does this for a living. But maybe, for some reason, they didn’t want to.
