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Eat your heart out Soldier, Sailor, Tinker, Tailor, and Candlestick Maker

Right, a question for you, which of the following is the odd one out:

Accountant, Book-keeper, Secretary, Therapist, Publicist, Photographer, Cleaner, Driver, Teacher, Writer, Artist, Framer ?

I lied, none of them are, they are all my jobs. And I’m not including Decorator, Gardener, Cook, Bottle washer, Laundry maid, or Chamber Maid in that list.

 I think I’ll change my answer when people say “And, what do you do?”

 

A friend asked me at the end of the weekend if I had a busy week ahead of me, and I nodded “Yes, I have”. He acknowledged the comment, and I went on to say quietly “I always have a busy week, regardless of what I have to do” and left it at that, knowing that I haven’t got a painting to do for anyone as a commission at the moment, but knowing that that entails a different sort of busy-ness instead. I have a forthcoming exhibition which I want to put my artwork into, not knowing if any of it will sell, but some of the paintings that I want to exhibit aren’t currently in frames, so I have to frame them, before I can measure them, before I can fill the form out for the exhibition since hanging fees are based on actual size of pictures. The Writer aspect is regarding the two (at least) blog posts I write every week. The Teacher aspect is due to the art classes or art workshops I teach in. The Accountant and Boart booksok-keeper relate to me keeping my own accounts as a self employed person. The Secretary types letters and fills out forms, or wraps up artwork,  and takes them to the post office or sends out emails, or answers the phone if I have someone ring with questions regarding wanting a painting done. I am also on Facebook and Twitter which have to be regularly updated with information, so that becomes the Publicists work too, as well as when I am having conversations with people and they want to hear more about my art, or I’m trying to find more art workshops to do for other art groups. The Photographer takes pictures that may be inspirational, but are also to be used for commissions, and thank goodness its loads easier now with digital photography as you don’t need to be so careful about cost of having photographs developed and can just use the most useful ones.  The Cleaner cleans the studio, but also the artwork before it goes to an exhibition, the glass on the artwork looks so much better when its shiny and clear of fingerprints and smears. And of course the Driver takes the artwork to the exhibitions, or the Teacher to the art classes, or the Publicist to find new outlets or customers. And the Therapist? I have to be a good listener, I have to make sure the people I paint look great in the artwork I paint of them, and for them, I want them to look at the pictures for ever more and think to themselves “Don’t I look good!” and that comes from making sure I understand what they want, and what they perceive their best points are.

But it all becomes worthwhile, like at the weekend, when I was with friends, and one of them said to another couple he was chatting to “This lady is an artist, and she painted a picture of me and my wife, that I love”  and I smiled at the couple as he said it. And I’d been chatting with another couple earlier in the evening who were also friends of his, and  they told me proudly “We’re saving up so that we can have you paint a picture of us”, I thought that was lovely to hear and can’t wait to hear what they want doing……

Right, the Tea-Maker needs to get their arse into gear now, the Artist, Teacher, Writer, Secretary, Accountant, Book-keeper, Cleaner, Driver, Publicist, Therapist  and Framer are all thirsty.. :)  How many cups is that? lol