The Art of Compromise... or the Compromise of Art

Life's been interesting lately. It always is when one is trying to balance a "regular" life and an artistic one.

First there is the pursuit of income. It makes paying the bills possible. It also facilitates pursuing artistic endeavors. The flip side is the pursuit of creative voice --- figuring out what it is you really want to say in a way that strikes a chord with others. In a perfect world the two pursuits would co-exist and actually feed each other.

But a perfect world would actually be boring. I firmly believe that the conflict of reconciling one's regular life with one's creative life can provide growth for both. Unfortunately, sometimes that same conflict can chip away at any progress intended.

Asking for people's opinion of your work is an integral part of progressing as an artist. Sometimes it ends up feeling like a not-so-necessary evil. If the person whose opinion you are seeking is not really feeling up for the task, you can be on the receiving end of some bizarre feedback. That's a drag. I'm learning that the trick is to not only decifer the advice, but to read the giver of the advice and figure out in what spirit they are offering said advice.

In the meantime, I'm getting ready for the annual Light Factory Auction this weekend. One of my pieces, Star of Bethlehem, is up for auction. We'll see what the feedback on that is...