It's not a business

Ok it's official, two blog posts in a day.  But something happened today that made me think of something to write.  At work I shared with a coworker that I was painting early this morning.  

She immediately said, "I wish I had artistic talent, but I do like to have original paintings for my home.  I'd love to see some of your art.  I'd buy one from you."  And this bothered me a bit.

Yes, I was flattered she assumed my art is good.  But like before I even said anything about my art practice, she automatically assumed that I paint decorative art that I sell to people for their homes.  First of all, yes I am a good artist, but I've only been painting for a few years and I'm not that good at it yet.  Also, the type of paintings I make are not really the decorative kind, like they are not something that would make sense to hang on the wall of your home.  They exist for their own sake.  Furthermore, I don't keep my art.  I have a lot of sketches and unfinished works at home, but when I finish a piece, I either give it away or throw it away after a short time.  And I rarely keep photos of my art because they don't do it justice in my opinion.  When I want to share my art with someone, I make them something just for them.  Finally, I don't sell my paintings or any of my art.  I make art to communicate, express myself, and help others.  It's not a business.  

All that said, my coworker's reaction was pretty typical of most people.  Which is why I rarely talk about my art.  I keep that part of my life pretty private, because many people do not know what art is or what being an artist means, and I don't need the judgment from those people.

Anyways, I'm sorry if this sounds snooty, but sometimes I just wish that I could share my interests and things about my daily life with others without them assuming a lot of things about me.  When they do that, it ends up with me having to explain why I'm not what they expected and navigate their inevitable disappointment.

My coworker is a good person, and I know she was just trying to be nice and make conversation, but I immediately regretted saying anything about painting when she asked me what I did this morning before work.  I did offer to make a painting for her, which I do intend to do.  Maybe she will understand when she sees it.