Lily Krakowski on sat 7 dec 02
The late Worden Day, a graphic artist, said: The difference between an
artist and an amateur is that the amateur can quit.
The same, applies to professional and hobbyist. It has zip to do with
income, nor level of consumption or whatever other economics-related
criteria exist. Some potters can live higher off the hog than they would if
they did not have a spouse, alimony, or inheritance etc. Other potters
maintain themselves at a particular level by doing non-potting work. Others
take pride in subsistence level existence, thriving on soup-kitchen/thrift
shop life styles. None of this has anything to do with clay, or being a
professional or being an amateur, or being a hobbyist.
As someone wrote, hobby suggests frivolity. Yes, the word does suggest
that. Check O.E.D. One can, however, point out that some of the finest
scholars/artists of previous centuries were indeed "hobbyists" in the areas
they excelled at. Thomas Jefferson was NOT a full time architect; he did
not have the licence.He did not make his living at it. Now go to Monticello
and tell him that! John Donne was a minister. He wrote some neat poetry.
Bach was a court composer and Kappelmeister which puts him in the same
league as those among us who work in the Academic field. William Blake was
an engraver and engraved stuff for OTHERS when he was not doing his own
work. And Rubens worked as an ambassador....Henry VIII was fine
composer....Need I rave on? What about Prescott?
Now I would like to point out that WOMEN in particular are hit upside the
head with this Only a Hobby Bit. Why? Because while Himself is fulltime
doing his thing--or "thanng" as a Southern friend says derisively--Herself
is pregnant, washing diapers, cleaning house, shootin and cleanin' vermin to
feed his coon hounds, taking older kids from and to classes, dentists, etc.
Sewing his mocassins for all I care. Not to say avoiding domestic violence
attributed to his "work related stress" . This allows him to say "Naw,
Judge, she ain't serious! She fills her time with all this other &^%$ and
only pots between midnight and dawn."
And that, dear hearts, is why so many middle-aged and older women are so
angry.
THE QUESTION IS NOT INCOME. IT IS THE WORK. THE WORK. ONLY AND EVER AND
ALWAYS THE WORK. And please nobody tell me about U.C. and E-mail. I feel
extremely u.c-ish about this.
Having said that: One has two choices. Either to play the cards one is
dealt or drown in one's own misery. I am immensely sorry for Cher that a man
she has invested time,care, and love in turns out to be this unspeakable.
But she could be in the same pickle for a lot of other reasons. Including
not being able to pot full time because of out other thread this
week--physical limitations showing up.
Someone spoke of Marguerite Wildenhain. Add Lucie Rie and Hans Coper. War
refugees. Starting at bottom. Not amusing. Horribly hard. Debate can
follow is it better to be stabbed by one person, or by a whole
culture????Duh!
If you are dedicated to your work, if that is what fills your heart and
mind, and soul, if you give the clay preference, if you will heat your
studio, rather than your house, and wear endless itching woolies, if you and
the cat live off sardines because you have to pay your firing bill...and
wear leaky shoes and get chilblains because you need to pay for clay, that
is not a hobby. That is your profession (yes, RCs in the religious sense.)
Cher: it's not a fun choice, but it really is yours right now.
Lili Krakowski
P.O. Box #1
Constableville, N.Y.
(315) 942-5916/ 397-2389
Be of good courage....
Carol Ross on sat 7 dec 02
Lily wrote:
>
> Now I would like to point out that WOMEN in particular are hit upside the
> head with this Only a Hobby Bit. Why? Because while Himself is fulltime
> doing his thing--or "thanng" as a Southern friend says derisively--Herself
> is pregnant, washing diapers, cleaning house, shootin and cleanin' vermin to
> feed his coon hounds, taking older kids from and to classes, dentists, etc.
> Sewing his mocassins for all I care. Not to say avoiding domestic violence
> attributed to his "work related stress" . This allows him to say "Naw,
> Judge, she ain't serious! She fills her time with all this other &^%$ and
> only pots between midnight and dawn."
>
> And that, dear hearts, is why so many middle-aged and older women are so
> angry.
Two days before my 45th birthday (some years ago), I applied to art school.
I went to portfolio review, where the attendees included 8 or 9 kids still
clutching their high school diplomas ... and me. The instructor/reviewer
introduced herself to the group, looked me straight in the eye, and said
that this was a program for degree-seeking students and not for housewives
looking for a new hobby.
Four years later this "housewife" had her Bachelor of Fine Arts. I pursued
it with everything I had and if I never make another penny with my work, I
will still pursue it with everything I have. It's not my hobby it's my
passion.
Carol Ross
carolross@charter.net
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