Dear, artist...
You're probably not so much fun to live with
You're probably not so much fun to live with
Wannabe Art Guy at the end of his rope
As far as thoughtful gifts go, they figure that's some gold right there. And they aren't wrong.
But they probably aren't expecting to lose half their kitchen table to drawing clutter the day after you're moved in, and maybe not to spend most meals staring at the top of your head either.
So, they take a deep breath when they come home to ink splatter on the wall, and to the spill on the floor-- the one about the size of an apartment damage deposit.
They stop asking if, maybe, coffee No. 14 is one, two, or ten too many for the day, or whether stopping briefly to put on pants would really "hinder your creativity."
They vaguely remember a time when the two of you had conversations about topics other than drawing stuff, and a time when you didn't usually follow them to bed several hours after they'd drifted off.
Ride it out, they think. It'll pass and time heals most wounds. For everything else, there's whiskey.
Then, you sit them down one evening and tell them you've quit the job they'd long since forgotten you had and feel the both of you should move closer to "all the big studios and people worth knowing," so you can, you know, just focus on the art.
They think you're joking. You are not.
You want to "live your best art life" and that's fine, aside from the fact that you now use terms like "live your best art life." But that doesn't mean the rest of your life should stop because you have Things to Make and Foundations to Shake.
Feed yourself, hydrate, and get some rest, lest your body one day no longer be able to do what you need it to do when you need it to do it. Let yourself wander from the drawing-table-that-used-to-be-the-kitchen-table or the studio or the what-have-you every now and again.
While you're making all that time to be a Real Boy (or Girl), save a sizeable portion for the person putting up with your poop day in and day out. Otherwise, here's the spoiler for the end to that cold open:
They blink to clear out the eye twitch and tell you to enjoy your new life as a single person "arting hard" in a new city.
I mean, there's a good chance dumping a plot twist like that on someone with plans and dreams of their own will go that way regardless, so maybe the real tip is to not create needless chaos in a loved one's life. But if it means so much to you that you're going to poke that bear, make sure you're being all you can be as a fixture in your person's life before you do it.
Your goal is to have everyone who encounters your art be so blown away by what they're looking at they weep in awe and drop trou, and hey, sure, why not? But unless (and maybe even if) you're a wunderkind, you've got some miles left to go before you get there.
And that's OK-- that's the journey and it's necessary.
Take the time but take your time, also. Make some crap, laugh it off, and go do something with your person, then try, try again the next day.
Don't fuss. Don't obsess.
Be cool.
Damien