Balancing everything

(WARNING: This is a bit of a ramble)

This is probably the wrong time to write a blog post on balancing aspects of our lives. 

Or, possibly, it's the perfect time. 

The balancing act between life, work, artmaking, family. I'm convinced no one has it figured out (no matter how they might act like they do). 

For creative individuals, this balancing act is something that can be quite an ordeal. We've got this view in portions of the culture that you've got to have a "real job" because "artists never make money". I've struggled with this prevailing view point for most of my adult life. I've internalized view points from people that "knew better"; sacrificing time and energy that should have been directed towards perfecting my craft and exploring my art. I've taken on jobs that turned out to be the most stifling environments for a creative person. All in order to fulfill some external definition of being a "responsible adult".

Most importantly, along the way, I've learned what I can and can not tolerate. 

The need to be surrounded by creative people, and creativity is essential to me. If I can not find that type of workplace, I intend to create it for myself. 

If I can't find a door, I'm going to make one. 

Being an artist isn't just about slinging paint on canvas, building with clay, drawing with pencils, or pushing pixels. Being an artist connects you to the eternal mystery. Before you work, your art is simply an idea that exists in the realm of the mind. As an artist, you bring that idea into this reality. An artist literally transforms thought and imagination into reality. We are magicians, sages, scholars, and warriors. We create portals for humanity to walk through, doorways into other worlds.

Gatekeepers. Shamans. Guardians.