Being an artist, I find that I tend to do my work in isolation. Sometimes I’ll stay late at the office into the wee hours of the night with nothing but paper, paints, and a soundtrack to keep me company. But nothing can replace the presence of another person. The loneliness factor of doing art is probably the most dissatisfying aspect of the job. Some artists say that they work best late into the night. I’ve put myself in the same situation before and it ain’t all that bad. I rarely do it because I cherish rest too much. But even then I’ve always felt better when there was someone with me, even if they were watching tv. Today I went to the office and worked on an illustration for class. Being that it was a Saturday, I was the only person around again. Eventually the cleaning lady came with her son and mother to keep the place nice and tidy. It made me smile. The chubby little boy offered me french fries from his Burger King paper bag and I accepted. Grabbing a few fries, I tried to make out what he was mumbling to me and I only understood something about a cartoon with a wound on his eyebrow. I smiled again and went back to work, headphones on and a task ahead of me. A few moments later he interrupted me to ask where he could play his dvd. I directed him to our television and popped in the movie for him. He mumbled some more about this cartoon with a distracted smirk on his round face . He was too lost in his descriptions to notice I was confused.
For the next hour and a half I was more productive than before. I worried less about unchecked emails, possible comments, and the all around happenings of people distant from me in the online world. The loneliness was stored away in the static background noise of cartoons, vacuum cleaners, and the new Arcade Fire album I had blasting in the other room. I was sad to see the family leave thereafter. It makes me recall how in the Bible the first thing that God attributes as being bad was for man to be alone. I’m convinced that we are wired with this desire for community the same way we are wired with a hunger for food and a thirst for drink. I suppose I should add a new category for my own situation: the desire for an art companion. A study buddy perhaps? The more the merrier.
this was great, david. i love reading your writings
Thanks, Carmen. I appreciate that.
By the way, hook me up with your blog link. I can’t remember it.
i know exactly what you’re talking about. i love background noise, and even though i read an write and study better alone, i can last a lot longer if there’s someone around. haha… this has potential come finals week
anyway, glad you won’t be taking a break from blogging! happy sketching…
I’m not sure if you’re missing an art companion as much as an audience. When I edit my videos, I need my solitude to concentrate. But then there’s showtime, the moment when my work is unveiled for all to see. The five minutes of fame makes up for the many hours of isolation.
Transferring those videos online adds to the viewer appreciation factor and reduces the isolation aspect of it. I’m sure an art companion will help. But who is the audience for your work and what definite showtimes do you have?
The audience for me these days include my classmates and professor. I wonder if painting brings along a different kind of isolation. As an editor, you at least get to see people moving and talking in the video process. Me, I’m staring at a canvas for hours on end in the middle of the night inside of an isolated design studio located in a giant warehouse. It just doesn’t feel right for me. The five minutes of fame are definitely great, but a sense of loneliness definitely takes a toll in the meanwhile.