In control

In an earlier post, I mentioned some reasons for artmaking and suggested that being in control of one area of one's life is of paramount importance.

To be honest, I thought everyone must entertain similar thoughts, but it escaped me that some ffolks may find greater comfort in routine and conformity - the very thought of being different would be downright frightening.

I do agree that there's some insecurity (okay, a good deal of insecurity) when it dawns on you that you may be flying in a different direction. Always asking yourself if you should turn around, or perhaps compromise a little?

To my great delight, this gem from Robert Genn (check out Painter's Keys)

But even though it may be up to you there can be an ongoing disappointment that your honey is not as good as it could be.
And there's no passing the buck. One of us observed that how an artist might see and feel about his own performance is at the root of a great deal of the grumpiness and prickly defense that
artists put out.
Together with this understanding is the idea that artists need constantly to be in the fight against uniformity and conformity. As Glen Van Ekeren noted: "Creative people exhibit a continuous discontent with uniformity." Taking control implies building your own fortress and fortifying your own building. It's not easy. John Hall said: "I want to be different. Just like all the other different people I want to be like. I want to be just like all the different people and assert my individuality along with others who are different like me." By being different we can grab the thin brass rail of control. Then Joe said, "That puts contentment at risk, but that's when the good life begins."

Not sure about manufacturing of my own wealth though...otherwise I'd paint to match people's living rooms. But otherwise, it's nice to know that I'm not alone being different.