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Topic: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Replies: 15   Pages: 2   Last Post: Jan 20, 2004 11:21 AM by: Lauren DeSteno

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Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002
4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 16, 2003 11:20 AM
  Reply

The full question is:

Do you think art suffers from the diversion of an artists's energy into other employments or is enriched by it?"


Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 17, 2003 3:01 AM
  Reply

I think the artist (thus the art) suffers from a diversion of her/his energy away from their WORK and into their job. Unless somehow the Job is relevant to the work and so becomes play for money. That would, to me, seem enriching. If however the artists only reason for holding a job is to secure money to continue working, this is a major distraction of energy. Almost criminal in nature.

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 17, 2003 8:05 PM
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I'd say only mindless, tedious jobs wouldn't divert energy.

I once worked as an audio tester for a company that was contracted by cell-phone companies to rate the quality of voice signals. Basically, sit in front of a computer in a sound-proof booth and evaluate spoken words with various levels of degredation. I found this job in no way conflicted with my artistic thought.

On the other hand, there are periods I have worked as an industrial welder. This is very close to my work and requires thoughtful attention and physical labor. After a month or so, I got darn near suicidal.

So, once again, it depends.

Sam

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 1:20 AM
  Reply

Well, first off, I think the question is pretty rediculous. Art on the whole, or just your personal work? How would one go about measuring such a thing?

And fellas, I'd have to say I disagree with you both. I think that working a stimulating job, or attending school, or volunteering, or even working a crappy job with the right attitude toward what you are getting out of it can all be inspiration for your brain. Anything can be stimulating. Getting groceries. A bus ride. None of us will ever be "free" from the constraints of living and working. It's how we choose to spend this time that makes our lives torturous or beautiful.

"We never sit anything out. We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the Beautiful Stuff out."

-Ray Bradbury, writer


Message was edited by: Lauren DeSteno at Sep 18, 2003 1:20 AM
Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 1:57 AM
  Reply

Can't really figure out what you disagree with me about but I'll relate another story.

I did some work at a local foundry here on the late-late shift. Some basic repair/modification work. Now, this is a genuine, industrial foundry. Crucibles large enough to melt a car. A massive, pulsating, vibrating, noisy-as-all-hell kind of place. Hard-hat, goggles and earplugs required. Walking around this place, it is easy to get lost and hard to find the people you need to. So, just ask one of the workers right? I mean, they walk by every couple minutes, surely they can tell me where the foreman is? In reality, it doesn't work that way. They walk right by you, literally in front of your face. Say HI, wave your arms, it doesn't really matter. But look into their eyes and you immediately give up. They have a deadened, shell-shocked look on their faces. They work in the armpit of the earth. The repetition, the noise, the foul air all combines to beat them into submission.

You can be as cheerful as you want and try to make the best of it, but there are certain jobs that are not conducive to creative thought.

Sam

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 2:05 AM
  Reply

> Can't really figure out what you disagree with me
> about but I'll relate another story.

Sorry... forgot to mention that mindless, tedious jobs are nice if you can let your mind wander, but they can deaden you inside, too. I think your story illustrates my point, and you are good to mention that environment is a large part of a job and does affect your ability to make that job interesting or (at the very least) bearable.

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 2:09 AM
  Reply

Also - that was just one specific job - it's not like you couldn't find another position in the welding industry that has a better culture, right? You're going to find crappy places to work in any field.

Sam Spiczka

Posts: 1,671
From: Sartell, MN
Registered: Jul 20, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 2:15 AM
  Reply

I was using an extreme to play with you. I totally agree, which is why I held the vague "it all depends" position while highlighting two different jobs. But you came back with:

"Anything can be stimulating."

Which led me to try and prove you wrong.

But no, I would not want a welding job in addition to my work. It is too close to what I do. I think there is a real risk in that. How many times have I heard of artists go into teaching only to effectively abandon their own work after time? Better they become dock workers or maybe garbage men.

Sam

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 2:32 AM
  Reply

> How many times have I
> heard of artists go into teaching only to effectively
> abandon their own work after time? Better they
> become dock workers or maybe garbage men.


I don't think we have enough evidence to blame teaching or over-stimulation on the job for the attrition rate of artists. A statistic was given in a class of mine last night, that a large percentage of artists will retire from art making if they do not achieve some degree of success. (Unfortunately I do not have the percentage, or the original source to cite for this stat - sorry.)

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 2:36 AM
  Reply

A statistic was given in a class of mine last night, that a large percentage of artists will retire from art making if they do not achieve some degree of success

Not eye

Lauren DeSteno

Posts: 1,520
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Oct 19, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 18, 2003 2:42 AM
  Reply

Sorry - let me edit that:


a large percentage of artists will retire from art making if they do not achieve some degree of success within a certain time period (I think she said 10 years).

Gabriel Combs

Posts: 1,497
Registered: Jun 16, 2002
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Sep 21, 2003 9:28 PM
  Reply

I think the most stimulating job i've had was a janitor for ProColor, downtown mpls. Its a professional photoprocessing lab. All the images in just one day! The re-usable waste!

Anyways, I think that it does. Because if an artist is free to go...

Louise Dengerud

Posts: 51
Registered: May 9, 2002
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Oct 1, 2003 2:24 PM
  Reply

I think question is misleading to a degree. There are some that do well with some outside diversions - ie - work. There are some that might do best to do nothing other than art 40 hours or more a week.

I personally, go in shifts because my creative cycle fluctuates so does the amount in which my day job seems to interfere.

I would be happy most of all to only paint and plan.

Ray Rolfe

Posts: 3,263
From: Northeast Minneapolis
Registered: Sep 5, 2001
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Dec 1, 2003 3:46 AM
  Reply

Who is Art? And why is his energy being diverted?
Whats it being diverted to?
Maybe he does not suffer the diversion but welcome it.
Does diversion diversify? Divergent energy is diverse.
Is Art a diver?
Deep sea?
Deep see.
Mining the mind of an oceans whim.
Does Art mind where the ocean swims?
90 percent of it is dead now anyway.
Is death diverse?
Does art drive herse?
He'll be lost in death if he doesn't focus
on the 10 percent and his work within it.
Which should be
Find the seeds
Find this ease
Finally see
The sea.
He will become the 10 percent today
Up for air and perspective, Arts work of renewing life
on the floor of the ocean is diverted by the sky, sun.
This guys
disguise
The son
his eyes
He decides the prize
is worth the suffering
treading salt water,
Breathing,
The sun explodes at just the right frequency and a
billion flowers bloom with out his assistance.

Can energy be diverted? Or does it go exactly where it wants to go?

Colin Rusch

Posts: 1,435
Registered: Oct 16, 2002
Re: 4. Does art suffer from diversion of energy?
Posted: Jan 19, 2004 11:30 PM
  Reply

Hey Everyone,

With the discussion on the Business of Art moving, I think it is interesting to revisit some of these questions. A direct conclusion from the "Quitting Your Job" article is that a diversion of energy does affect people's art. I have to agree with this. Lately, I have been running into a lot of full time artists. The depth of their explorations are impressive. In my own work, there are questions and places that I cannot approach or avoid because of a lack of skill. That is not to say that my work is not interesting or based in areas that are meaningful to me, but it is not as expansive as it might be. This is the crux of this issue for me. How do we develop and maintain a wide, thorough, and insightful perspective on our form while continuing to grow as artists? Sometimes having other activities in our lives gives us useful distance from our art. But, it does not replace the time and practice that working full time on our art can provide.

Colin

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