Art or a "real job?"

[Lon Haverly]

Every serious artist has to deal with the attitudes of others. I recently was criticized for clinging to my passion for art as a living at the expense of being responsible. This was a close friend! (Not anymore.) The person did not know how much I did or did not make as an artist, they just presumed that because I struggle with financial matters, that it is because I am an artist, never mind that we have medical hardships and fluctuations in business.

You have to be careful who you listen to. If I lived my life by the criticism of others, what a boring life I would have. It is not fair to generalize any group, even artists. To say that all artists are dreamers, or idealists, or the like, is very shallow. We are all as different and unique as we can be.

I am a pragmatist. I draw for a living because it earns me more money than anything else I can do in this dumber than a box of hair community. There really is not any better job security than working for yourself. You cannot get fired, layed off or written up. And, I am good at it. And, I love it. And, it allows me to grow my art and develop it. No one will do that for you. My work ethic is this: If I don't do it, it won't get done!