Job or Hobby?

[Alexandra Tyng]

Technically, whether art is a business or hobby is defined by whether you show a profit on your income tax returns a certain percentage of the time. (I'm not sure exactly what that percentage is, but so far art seems to be a business for me.)

When people ask me what I do, and I say "I'm an artist," I can see the wheels turning. They're curious whether I'm a real artist or just a hobbyist, but they never come out and ask.

When I was young, my friends asked me when I was going to get a real job. Once, when my husband was laid off, several friends immediately jumped on me, saying I owed it to my family to work "full time." "Just get any job," they said. "Even at 7-11 or Border's." I protested that I was earning more than I could possibly earn at one of these jobs, but they flat-out didn't believe me. No one is saying anything now, but I have a feeling I'll get the same lecture at other times in my life. It never ends.

I do think part of the attitude towards artists stems from the knowledge that they love what they do. Most people don't love what they do, and quite a few people hate going to work. So they are envious of the artist and assume that artists couldn't possibly be having fun and making money at the same time! It must therefore be a hobby because it's fun.

[Michele Rushworth]

Well said!

[Julie Deane]

Echoing what others have said here, when I say I am an artist, people I meet think hobbyist. I know that because if they see my work, they express shock, and say "I thought you dabbled in art".

[Debra Norton]

I had the same experience as Julie, just yesterday. I was waiting for some stuff to get taken care of at a small business and in the course of conversation mentioned that I'm an artist, and the salesman started telling me about being an art history major in college, and a painting he bought. I could tell he was wondering whether I was a "real' artist so I pulled out the little photo album I carry in my purse and invited him to take a look. He was very impressed and asked about my website and I ended up leaving a business card with him. Before I left he sheepishly admitted he had imagined a hobbyist when I said I was an artist.

[Julie Deane]

In my case, I always wonder, "Sexism and ageism? Or just a conjecture based on experience in talking to hobbyists?"

[Michele Rushworth]

I suppose it's "artist-ism"!

[Alexandra Tyng]

It would be interesting to do a study on it. Have a young man and young woman go to the same number of businesses, get into a conversation and mention that they are artists. Have a middl-aged man and woman do the same thing. Each could bring a small portfolio of work to show. Then have everyone mark down the reactions they get and see if there's any difference.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Can it be that how the artist speaks of his or her art sets the tone of how the artist is perceived by the general public as either the hobbyist or professional?

I seem to have more problems with convincing family members that this is what I do for a living than strangers. Since I stopped answering phone calls during business hours and outright told family members that although my studio is in my home - I am working, they are slowly catching on.

Alex ,it would be interesting to see the results of such an experiment .

[Claudemir Bonfim]

Before becoming famous, the lead vocalist Alex Band was asked when he was going to get a job. He answered he already had a job; he just didn't get well paid. Now that "The Calling" is famous I wonder if anyone would dare to ask him if he is going to get a real job now.

Van Gogh was very bad at selling his paintings and he only painted in the last years of his life, but if one is asked about his occupation, this person will probably refer to him as an Artist, just because he became famous after his death.

The problem is with people's perception of reality and lack of respect and consideration. Modern artists have the same problem toward portraitists as well.

I think that "common sense" hates differences. It seems that if you don't hat your job, that's not a job.

What about screen writers, poets, actors, philosophers, etc?

I don't care if people don't consider it a job as long as they respect me and what I do to make a living, some clients didn't finish their payments because they considered it my hobby. Nowadays I always make it clear that I want to get paid for my hobby.

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

I sometimes think it is also the way a person dresses etc. that influences people's perceptions of how good or serious an artist you might be. I really do not look the part of an artist at all. I never wear arty clothes, die my hair strange colours, pierce and tatoo my body etc. My scruffiness is more suggestive of a hiker in between hikes rather than anything bohemian, so when I say I am an artist people I am sure a lot of people have the impression that it is wishful thinking.