Art As A Spiritual Practice

We live in uncertain times. But people have always lived in uncertain times. If there wasn't the threat of war, there was the threat of famine, or plague, or some sort of catastrophe. Today we turn on the news, or go on the internet, and we are assaulted with instant reporting of frightening events around the globe. It seems like madness is everywhere. But it's always been that way, it's just that now we are able to see things live and in surround sound on a big screen, safe in our own homes. But are we really safe? Or are we just frightened by this instant connection to the world around us. As artists, we face fears everyday: Will my work be rejected?  Will I be inspired and creative today?  Will somebody steal my ideas?  Will somebody get more publicity or shows than me? Will I be able to make enough money and pay my bills? Will the world continue to fall all around me? Many of these fears are real, but some of them are magnified out of proportion by today'

I see the term selling out often used to describe some artist and their work. And most times, it's used as some sort of criticism, demeaning both the artist and their work. But I think that sometimes this criticism is misguided. First, we need to look at what so many people think selling out means—it means doing your art for money or some other reward. But let's be real here, no one accuses the grocery clerk, or the fireman, or the school teacher, or the plumber of selling out because they get paid for what they do. That seems to be reserved for those who pursue art as a career, or at least as a serious side endeavor. Why is this? What makes art so different than any other job? Job is why. Most people don't look at creating art as a job . They look at it as some sort of magical, spiritual, unfathomable thing. “I know you paint/dance/play music/direct films/etc. for a living, but I have to have a real job.” There's that word: real . Like being an artist is