Appreciating My Passion

So much for appreciating what I have... I've really been trying to focus a lot on art lately. Its the one true and constant passion I have and I've spent so little time on it over the years. So now I've made a goal to get a portfolio done and to do that I have to draw something every day (or almost every day). I'm excited about it and I'm happy that BF listens to me when I talk about it and want do nerdy art stuff. I thought I'd finally found someone who would appreciate my love for art, seeing how BF encourages me to "do what you love", suggested I think about becoming an art teacher, and took me to the art museum over the weekend. But then I started reflecting on the comments he makes about art. When we were at the museum he kept saying how he didn’t "respect" certain artists because it didn’t look like it took any talent to do what they did. He'd look at a painting and say, "like this, it looks like a third grader did it." I could understand what he was saying on some of them… you know, some of the more contemporary stuff where its just a circle on a blank white page or something like that… but its like, he didn’t get the purpose of it. He couldn't grasp that its art. It doesn't have to be perfect. Its about expression! There isn't supposed to be a right or wrong way to do it. You don't have to like it, but you should at least appreciate it as art to some extent.

Then yesterday when I told him I'd spent the last few hours doing a drawing with pastels he asked me what I drew and I’m like “a girl”. That's my answer almost everytime he asks me what I drew that day because that's what I like to draw, especially with my background in fashion design and interest love for fashion illustration. So he says, “that’s all you ever draw is women. Why don’t you draw something else? Like a lagoon or something?” Well, it really irritated me. Why does he have to question it? He's not an artist, so who is he to say anything? Most people I meet who don't make art are always amazed that I even do it. But here he is--my best friend--always criticizing. So once again I get another red flag in my mind...a voice saying, "he doesn't get it! He won't appreciate you. You should get out now!"

Why does it always have to be all or nothing in my mind? Can I be happy with him, even if we don't agree on everything and have all the same interests?

Artwork featured here is by Stina Persson and Pomme Chan.