Why Doing Art Isn’t Just a Frivolous Hobby

I have a degree in Fine Art and have been doing art for 45 years. I’ve sold my art at shows and in galleries across the southwest and on the west coast. Being an artist isn’t a money maker. There are some that do very well but it’s a small minority of artists who make a good living. The good living part is relative to what is considered good. Many artists are just above poverty levels for the United States standards. However, many artists feel very rich. At least I do.

Years ago when my father was trying to help me with what I needed to do in my life, and after I had an art degree, he could only come to the conclusion, and to my relief, that I should do art. And he did say at one point, you’re the most unrealistic person I know. Yes, it’s true an art career is an unknown path, but if you can handle it, it’s worth it. We shared our projects when he would visit, and it was enjoyable and something to share together. There was a happy connection between us.

Why is this?

Doing art, hands on, is rewarding and lasts your whole life. Studying art is even more fulfilling. If you have good professors, like I did, your life is enriched with a great appreciation of what is. Or you can gain a great appreciation of your surroundings; the environment, the shapes, the colors, the sounds, and embrace the present moment.

I was making ceramic and paper jewelry in the 1990s and sold my work in San Francisco. When my parents visited me, my father collected Acorn pods. He made bolos out of the acorn pods, while I rolled out clay slabs for jewelry. I like to think that I helped influence his creative process, and sharing this with my father validated this unrealistic pursuit.

Doing art together is a very powerful way to create community. When we create a positive community we are contributing to a healthy society.

I just recently discovered the work of Cal Newport with his book “Deep Work”. He is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. I was surprised by his viewpoint. He points out the importance of eliminating distractions like Facebook, and Instagram scrolling, as well as Twitter posting. He refers to these activities as “the shallows”, as in shallow work. Deep work, he explains, is work that is uninterrupted, and can’t be done with most of the day spent on social media. After writing several books, www.CalNewport.com, and teaching computer science, he reports that the books could not have been written with all the current everyday distractions. He says deep work is synonymous with getting important work done.

When we are in our creative process we are naturally in “deep work”. It just is.
Many creative people, such as artists, writers, musicians, dancers, composers, and crafts people, say that a flow can happen while creating, and that it is in fact deep. It’s a deep feeling of flow.

Deep work is being in the present moment. It’s somewhat non linear, and internal compared to the external work of the “shallows”.

It’s remarkable that Cal Newport coming from a math and science field recognizes the importance of deep work. He points out the fragmented, disconnected nature of scrolling and posting endlessly on the internet, when we could reduce these activities and find a better and deeper life experience.