Making Art Is a Real Job

Many artists distinguish between their art practice and having a “real job.” They are happy to have the freedom and flexibility that comes from doing creative work. They remember the restrictive aspects of having what we used to call a “job job.”

• You have to get dressed and go to work every day
• There are clearly defined hours and responsibilities
• You see friends and family after work or on the weekends
• You need to meet objectives set by your manager 
• Some parts of the job are boring and repetitive
  
  

But maybe you should think again. What if you took these seemingly negative constraints and built them into your art practice?

• You would get up, get dressed and go to your studio most days
• You would stay there for a set number of hours
• Friends and family wouldn’t interrupt you since you are “at work”
• You would manage yourself, setting goals and finding ways to get feedback
• You learn how to work through the boring and repetitive parts of your day
  
  

By treating your art practice as a real job, you build in the structure and accountability that help you make progress long enough to succeed. By setting boundaries, you give your art-making the respect it deserves. People gradually stop expecting you to interrupt your studio time to run their errands. Family members begin to hold their “urgent” questions until after you’re off work. 

Most important, you let go of your own ambivalence and second-guessing about what you should be doing with your time. You have a job. You’re in the studio, at work, and everything else can just wait.