Art for Love or Money

A plein air watercolor by artist Jason Jam.  See more of Jason's work here.

The October 2014 "Magic Magazine," produced by the Billings Gazette, features an article about a friend of mine.  The headline for "Jason Jam: Melding Art & Humor," written by Brenda Maas, reads: "Art is not a hobby, or even a vocation to Jason Jam. 'Art is my lifestyle,' he said, 'because I cannot quit.'" [p16]. These words speak to something that's been on my mind for a while: whether artists view art as their hobby, job, or lifestyle, and how that classification affects our work and how others perceive it.

Once I heard an artist say, "Art isn't my hobby, and if I don't start making money on it, I'm going to quit." The word "hobby" denotes an activity one enjoys for personal pleasure, like scrap booking or cross-stitching.  I was insulted many years ago when someone referred to painting as my "hobby" because it derided my grandiose artist ego and fell short of describing how important art is to me.  However, since I paint primarily for the love of it, it really could be my hobby.

At a show in Cody last month a ceramist from Florida told me, "I don't do pottery for the love of it; I do it for money.  I have other things I like to do for fun."  Pottery is definitely not her hobby, nor is it her passion or lifestyle, as she clearly obtains no joy from it.  Art is this woman's occupation.  I imagine her at the wheel in her humid studio, churning out endless rows of matching plates and bowls, watching the clock so she can leave and do what she loves.  How sad to think that she was blessed with a talent she has no passion for.  Art is my job too, as I derive income from it, but because making art enriches my life, that's where our common ground ends. 

I tend to agree with Jason Jam- art is my lifestyle.  I'm very grateful to make money doing something I enjoy, but I made time for art even when I didn't earn income from it- when I worked two jobs, had a young family to care for, plus horses and hockey vying for my time.  Like Jason, I can't stop.  Art becomes your lifestyle when you're passionate enough to make it a priority in your life, even if it's a tiny chunk of time; it's what you need to get through the rest of your life more joyfully.  It may not be how you earn a living, but it's how you live your life.

An artist's passion is visible in his art.  Talent is a gift we are born with, and can develop.  Technical merit is learned, and goes farther when one has natural talent to begin with.  Passion cannot be taught. You can taste the passion of someone who loves to cook, and you can hear a musician's passion in his music.  New ideas come from passion.  Those of us who are passionate about our work, no matter what it is- I think of my friend Kit, who builds log homes-are lucky if we can make a living doing what we love.  That we can meld the terms "hobby" and "job" with our passion to create a lifestyle we enjoy is brilliant.  When that lifestyle brings joy to others it's icing on the cake.  My friend Jason sums it up perfectly at the close of the article, saying: "I will be painting and drawing until I am a very old man.  It's a passion in me, and I have to do it constantly.  Yet my art is really for me." [Maas, Magic Magazine, 10/2014.]  See Jason's wide variety of art and his delightful collaborations with his wife Wendy here.