Artist's Survey

I really love surveys, so it's only natural that I take a survey on something I love so much... ART! Yeah!

So here is my response, I will repost the blank survey too, for anyone else.

1. How many years have you been an artist?
I didnt seriously consider doing art until I was 15 or 16, so about 5 or 6 years.

2. What triggers ideas for new projects?
Dreams, events, significant icons and places that hold a lot of emotional weight and personal feeling behind them. Most of my non-student work resonates with me on a very personal level.

3. When do ideas come to you? How often?
On a daily basis, sometimes throughout the whole day. I seem to get most ideas when I first wake up, or when I' doing something monotonous and routine, like riding the bus, driving, or working.

4. How do you earn a living?
I work 30 hours a week at Chipotle. It's not art related at all, but I still try to do my best at it. I can afford everything on my own with this job, so although I may despise it at times, it is a crucial part to my independence. I've been at that store for nearly 3 years too, and is a reocurring image in some of my art.

5. What percentage of your income comes from selling your art?
I actually haven't sold anything yet, but I'm hoping to change that within the next year. When I was a senior in highschool, someone offered to buy a piece off of me for $250, but I decided against it.

6. What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?
I'd say anywhere from 25% to 50% on an off day (usually consisting of an 8 hour work shift) and 50% upwards on a regular day with classes and such. When I get an idea that sticks with me though, I'll be mulling it over in my head nonstop for a few days.

7. When you’re creating, is it difficult for you to switch over to the left side of your brain to handle everyday tasks?
When I'm just thinking over ideas, yeah, because I'm trying to develop ideas in my head, but then I have to keep reverting back to whatever I was doing. Usually working, so it gets a littel frustrating when I lose ideas because I have to put salsa on someone's food. As far as when I'm actually creating though, I'd say no, simply because I completely zone out and encompass myself in creating, so I won't even let myself switch over to everyday tasks. I'm lucky enough to have mostly uninterrupted art time.

8. How important is it for you to create art?
Extremely important. I find myself becoming irate and agitated when I don't make art. It's only been in the past couple iof years that I've felt like that too. At first, I just sort of did it because I had a knack for it. But no, after making it such a crucial part of myself and my lfe, it starts to effect my mood if I don't do it. Conversely, it's like soulf food for me when I do get a great burst of work out. Art is the greatest love affair of my life lol.

9. Would you feel fulfilled if you didn’t have art in your life?
No, not in the least. I think something would have to happen, or I would have to slowly neglect it... and even then, I think I'd resent myself for letting it go.

10. Do you get that feeling from anything else?
Only my family and friends... they're also an integral part of my life and my art, so I would suffer without them.

11. How long can you go without creating before it starts to affect you physically or mentally?
I'd say on a small, 'I'm getting aggitated/ dissappointed with myself' level it only takes about a week or so for me. But this past summer all I did was work so I would have enough money for tuition come fall and I was down right miserable.

12. Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice? Have you given up certain luxuries?
I don't feel like I've sacrificied anything yet, because I'm still a student. I'm sure I will feel differnetly in a few years when I'm trying to make ends meet. The only sacrifice for me right now is the fact that I have to work as many hours as I do, so I can maintain enough money to stay in school and afford all the art supplies I need and want. Only working 3 days a week did wonders for my mood and my production of art, but I just couldnt afford it. But honestly, at the end of the day, nothing can beat that immense satisfaction of creating something, of finally seeing the idea in your head come to fruition.

13. Do you feel like you have a choice in the matter?
Not really. Once I realized how much I loved it, I seriously didn't even consider anything else as a profession. I've always been raised to do whatever it is I'm passionate about. I'm passionate about art. I think I'm luckier then most to have figured it out so early.

14. If you had to choose another profession to pursue, rather than artist, what would it be?
I really enjoy medical things (hence the reason I'm becoming a medical illustrator) and I seem to understand them alright, so if I chose a profession in that field I'd want to be a pediatrician or a geneticist. As far as blue collar jobs, I'd be a paramedic or a high school teacher. All the other jobs I'd like to pursue sort of involve art: Gallery Curator, Architect, Fashion designer, Comic book creator. I really have a lot of side interests, I think the hardest part would be picking one.


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So this is my first official post on this blog. It's really going to be about whatever floats my fancy... I may also to an accompaning art history 2 journal, because I remember wishing that someone had all of the notes compiled into one spot lol. I also plan on listing one thing that has made me happy for the day, at the end of the day, every day. Because I can... XD

Next Post: Why do people speculate Joanna Hifferman as the model for 'Origin of the World'? She has red hair....

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