Do you ever feel guilty for your creativity? For being an artist or painter, for enjoying what you do so much, rather than working in a ‘normal’ or ‘sensible’ job? Have you ever been told you’ll never make a living from your painting, that it’s suitable only as a hobby? That there’s no real use for artists in society, unlike for doctors, lawyers, engineers? There was a lengthy discussion on creativity and guilt on the Painting Forum, the highlights of which are collated here for easy reading. The general consensus is that you need “a hide like a water buffalo to be an artist”, must learn to ignore the comments of other (non-creative) people, and have no reason to feel guilty about your creativity.

“It always amazes me: people who don’t know their butt from their elbow, sound soauthoritative and say the most damaging things like art is not real work and other gems like that … If you gave them a brush and a canvas, after a few hours of trying to paint something discernible, they would be begging for help or stop altogether. I actually saw that happen in real life with my Italian painting teacher. Someone on the street was taunting him saying that art was easy and that he could do that too if he wanted. My teacher then shoved a couple of brushes into this person’s arms with a canvas and he turned into a miserable little worm and slithered away.” — Victor

“I don’t feel guilty for being a painter, but I do feel disappointed about my low output in finished paintings … I feel upset about having the ability to paint and not fulfilling my purpose in this field. I know that there is more to life than painting, but, painting adds so much more to life. I believe the mind of an artistic person can be full of frustration because the desire to create is always there but the ability to work, for many reasons, is snuffed out.” –Brian

“I wanted to make a living by drawing, but didn’t see it as practical. I did need new jobs skills, however, and went to a technical school. There I took drafting. I could draw all day and be paid big money. I also took classes in commercial art. The teacher there emphasized it was possible to make a living at art. You just had to approach it as a business. She also said you were an artist even if you chose not to make a living at it. It was not the paying of money that made you an artist. Yes, it was better to get paid, but not necessary. If you wanted to keep it separate, and do something else for money, fine, but if you do want to make a living at it you do have to be practical and a little ruthless. She worked for many years as an executive in an insurance company making a lot of money, but it was not enough. She decided to get serious about art. But she, like many of us needed those years in the world to create the internal environment that allowed her to persue art. Time spent doing other things is not necessarily wasted. Only if we waste what we learned.” –Starrpoint.

“I feel guilty when I DON’T create.” –Carol

“The only guilt I have is that I didn’t recognize my own creativity years ago when I did my first couple of paintings and didn’t continue on. But better late than never. We only have one run around the block … why not enjoy it? … I have always encouraged my children to follow the arts, regardless of what type of art it is, I think it is important for the human spirit to be able to express yourself no matter whether it’s through painting, writing, music, etc. And no one should ever feel guilty about that.” –Tootsiecat

“No one expects to know math or any other subject before they start to learn, but we are all expected to be great artist without any effort. It comes hand and hand with the idea that artist don’t work. It is work.. We have to learn. It is very hard work. Talent is only the beginning! Its what you do with the talent that counts, and you cannot tell by looking at someone if they can paint, play an instrument, etc. Artist are not popped out in a mold, one size fit all.”–Starrpoint.

“I’m always conscious of time and I do feel guilty when I don’t create also. Luckily, I have a good excuse because I’m always doing something useful and I’m usually thinking about painting anyway, even when I’m just relaxing … I feel like it is a 24/7 thing, I need to be thinking and talking about painting or relating what I see to painting.” –Victor

“I worked for nearly 30 years in various engineering, design and R&D departments. Let me tell you, all the really good ones had plenty of artists in them. Being an artist is being creative. If you don’t think it takes the soul of an artist to come up with a creative solution to the needs of society, you don’t understand the question. Bridges, buildings, roads, the fabric of our world needs artists. Some work with paint, or stone or steel, others work with math, sound and genes. No, I don’t feel guilty about being as artist, as such. I feel guilty that I have created so little when the world needs so much.” –Starrpoint.