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I hear this comment often, "My son is an artist," hand over the mouth "basically, he's lazy."
In the society we live in today, we are often taught that a career as an artist won't make a lot of money. We often see stereotypes of artists being overly emotional, having their heads in the clouds, and worst...lazy. "Get a real job" is often the line many artists' parents say.
No wonder--according to the stereotype--that artists are depressed. They are essentially being told: your talent is useless, and the work that you do is a waste of time.
Albert Einstein once said a quote:
"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
This is true for most artists. They are like fish, while most people are the squirrels. If a squirrel was constantly pressured to swim all day, eat algae, and freeze in cold water, it would probably feel out of place, be a little emotional, stressed, and feel stupid.
This is the internal crisis that most young artists face. People with personalities prone to art make up a small proportion of society. Their internal program was not meant for the 9 to 5 work model. So when they don't fit the mold, they are often ostracized. Unlike fish and squirrels, their differences and skills aren't physically noticeable.
The school systems that we have now further deter artists from tapping into their creative potential. In public school, it is a once size fits all. All students must focus on logical topics. Drawing, music, writing, dance, theater, singing, and all other creative art forms are considered electives, not core classes.
The real question is: Will the core subjects we focus on now be essential in our society in the future? Will math really be necessary for everyone to learn when an AI program can solve complex math problems faster than a human brain?
Facebook recently announced the Metaverse, a virtual reality way of living. In the Metaverse, creators, especially artists, may become a hot commodity.
As our society continues to advance, AI will progress and soon be able to mimic all things humans can do, but perhaps one: original thought.
New ideas and original styles are what make us humans unique. Artists are able to tap into this. Pretty soon there will be two jobs in our society, people who can maintain and control AI, and people who can create, artists who can think of things AI hasn't thought of yet.
Most people say artist are lazy, but as Einstein conveyed, maybe artists are just not in the right element. Perhaps in the Metaverse, we will see a renewed value for artists. After all, musicians during the renaissance were merely jesters; now we have famous singers who are considered high value in our society.
It has been my experience that artists aren't lazy. When they are given a creative project, they usually become fanatics, deeply engrossed in their projects, working night and day to get it perfect.
Perhaps in the future we will gain a deeper appreciation for this type of career, skill, and way of thinking.