Maybe it seems like a strange question to ask, but consider this:
When you show somebody your latest painting, or sculpture, or perhaps share a poem you wrote or a piece of music you composed with them do they respond with genuine interest... or with a reaction that leaves you feeling like they just said ”Oh, how cute! She paints!”
Not so long ago, a fellow artist was lamenting to me how he had attended a juried art show with his work, and yet came away with the uncomfortable feeling that the vast majority of people who had looked at his work expressed a sort of ”Cool paintings. My kid is taking art in high school.” attitude, like his 30 years of experience as a painter had suddenly been relegated to the realm of somebody wanting to go home and tell their 16 year old daughter ”paint me something like this honey!”
Now, I'm not for a moment naive enough to suggest that everybody out there owes it to us to love our art! However, there is such a thing as having a bit of common courtesy and respect for a creative person's work.
Let's face it: few people would dream of being in the doctor's office, and equating what the doctor does with putting a band aid on a paper cut!
I recognize that art may not be everybody's cup of tea, and there's definitely no accounting for individual tastes when it comes to art appreciation… but there still is such a thing as not disrespecting somebody's work simply because you don't like or understand what exactly they're doing.
At the same time, I also realize that some artists are insufferable drama queens for whom even the slightest hint of criticism is treated like it's a personal insult!
Maybe I'm taking this too seriously. And yet?
Most of us who are actively involved in a wide range of creative fields leave a little piece of our heart and soul in every piece of work we execute... regardless of whether that is our latest painting, a meaningful poem, a novel, a piece of sculpture, or a new song we've just written and performed.
Yes, I may be old-fashioned, but courtesy matters! I am also blessed in the sense that I was raised by art lovers and collectors... and one of the things I was taught at a very early age was to take a person's creativity seriously, even if what they were doing in no way appealed to you.
And it doesn't "cost extra" to be respectful of someone's work!
Art and our many creative fields are as much "a profession" as anything else people feel called to do. As such, it is equally deserving of not being treated like it is just "some fun hobby" we happen to be involved in, perhaps for the world's amusement. This could be someone's livelihood you just insulted!
Thanks for stopping by! Do leave me a comment if you feel so inspired.
20220325
H0039/0276
All images are our own, unless otherwise attributed