Passion vs. Practicality

If someone were to ask me, what do you love doing?
   I would probably answer, "Art and science."
Well those aren't things to DO, they are subjects. What do you love doing?
  "Right now, I love wood burning. It's the art of using wood, and drawing on it with a really hot pen. I also enjoy teaching science at the high school level."
So what do you want to do with the rest of your life? 
   "I want to have a good job."
Doing what?
    "Something I enjoy. Teaching seems like the most practical."

But in all honesty, I really like art. I forgot how much I liked it while I slogged through a four year degree in Science. At one point during high school I remember sitting myself down to course selection, and scrapping my crafts class for a more practical physics class. Do I regret that? Not really.

Because it's not practical.

There are few jobs available to the artist. Who, in an economic downfall, wants to pay one hundred dollars for something to simply decorate the wall? In the world where pop art and prints are available at Dollarstores and Walmarts all over the country, and photos are merely a click away online, why do you need an artist?

I didn't want to go to school for it, I didn't want to ruin my passion with lectures, theory, art history, and the bureaucracy of post secondary education. Plus, it's not practical. Spend 4 years in an arts major just to end up with maybe a job? I wonder what percentage of art school graduates actually end up with a studio somewhere with rich patrons casually strolling through sipping wine?

Art is my sanctuary from my work. I can't really make it into a business that I need to produce something to put food on my table because then it would become work! I wonder if I would start writing papers and reading essays to distract me from my art then?

Doubt it.

Now you've read my rant, check out my tumblr. 

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