* “Zia” by Brian Baggett (2020). 20x20 inch multi laminate hardwood mosaic. Quilted Maple frame. Private collector.
In more times than I can count, I will find myself in a social gathering within what I call “the parent crowd”. That’s the group of my peers who have kids the same age as mine. We’ll be at a kids soccer game, birthday party, school function or whatever. And within that context, there is always at least one person who is trying to figure me out.
Which I commend them. Because if they can get me figured out, then they’ve done a better job than myself. Maybe they’ll share their findings with me.
But really what they’re after is how am I “making it”. How do I make money. Pay for shelter. Eat. Buy stuff.
I think this is a small town thing since people know who I am, but don’t know my details. I’m pretty sure people back in Texas who met me for the first time didn’t care how I was surviving.
If I’m feeling like a jackass, which is most of the time, I will talk around their snoopy questions and never give a direct answer. I like to keep society guessing. It’s fun.
If I’m bluntly asked “what do you do?”, I’ll bluntly respond, “Whatever I feel like”.
It’s a true and honest answer.
If I’m in the mood to give more information, I may reply with something like, “I have a career of avoiding careers.” Or, “I have a knack for finding cool stuff to do that nets little or no money.”
That last quote is dead-on accurate, by the way. Doing cool things for low/no pay is my super power.
If the social situation doesn’t embrace snarky sarcasm from a thinning-long-haired 50 year old in graphic t shirts and flannels, I’ll reply, “I’m a full-time artist”.
This answer is usually received with awed respect. Great. I’m in the jackass club.
It’s true. Artist is my occupation. And it took a long while to embrace that by not assuming I’m a bum. Or failure. I create and play music on a Chapman Stick. I create fine hardwood boxes and various art pieces. I can’t imagine these being shifted into the hobby realm.
I tried so hard to embrace every job I had in the past. But in the end, it was obvious that the people I’d work for never cared. I was a cog in their machine. A mere commodity to make them money.
I am super thankful to the creator for this outlet and opportunity to create things. It brings me great fulfillment. And it brings other people joy, even if my lifestyle viewed from their perspective makes them jittery.
Although deep down, I may have always been an artist. But the day to day nuts and bolts have not always been that way. My career highlights timeline:
1989-1994 University: musician/Music Ed. 1992-1997 Broadcasting (Radio/TV) 1997-1999 Print Music sales 2000-2003 Ordained Minister (Director of a non-prof food pantry & part-time homeless shelter) 2003-2008 Awkward transitional phase from Ministry to Carpentry 2008-2010 Independent house flipper/real estate 2010 - Immigrate to Canada 2011-2015 - Labor & trades. Construction & Renovation 2016-present - Full time artist (wood artisan and musician)
Due to the influence of our ministry days (2000-2010), Angela & I have chosen to live a simple life. It’s an integral part of our faith. It’s not for everybody. And I don’t expect anyone to follow suit with this kind of life, so I avoid talking about it.
And due to this “simple life” (however that’s defined) we’ve managed to avoid debt. Except for our house. And as of last year, we took on a car payment. Yes. I made it to age 50 before that happened. It was a good run.
Not carrying a bunch of debts and property has allowed this artist life to exist. If I was used to some higher standard of living, there’s no way I could live an artist existence as I’d be too busy maintaining the higher standard.
I’ve also chosen to not chase after the imaginary finish line of “retirement”, a subject that all in my age group are chatting about. I hope to do what I do for as long as possible.
As far as the finances for retirement goes…hell, I don’t know. My creator has taken care of me this far, doing things the way I do. I can’t see why the creator would suddenly drop me for not following all of society’s rules.
However, I am an only child. My parents are elderly, but alive and well. I’m not expecting anything from anyone, as I don’t deserve it. But if something somehow comes my way, I’ll take that as retirement income. Or stash it away for my kids. Or flip houses again.
Yeah. I’m an artist, I guess. It doesn’t make any sense. But what ever does?