It's my Liberation Anniversary

35 years ago, I stepped out into the unknown...

I have a Master’s degree. It’s in painting.

In theory, it qualified me to teach, but at the time I graduated, there were hundreds of applicants for even 1 year non-tenure track jobs. So I did what every optimistic painting graduate with a freshly printed MFA degree does.

I went to work in a series of restaurant and retail jobs. I eventually ended up at a now well known coffee company, which at the time was a small regional company that valued its eclectic workers.

Along about 1987, a new owner rode into town, and wanted to do some house cleaning, particularly those who belonged to and supported the union which we had recently formed. Oh yes, there was a union at said now famous coffee company before the current, notoriously anti-union owner acquired it.

That is another long story which is not really the point here.

The point of the story is this: I knew it was time for me to poo or get off the podium, painting wise. Seven years after leaving art school, I was painting, I was exhibiting, but even with only a half time job, it was hard to get all the business stuff done and still have time to paint.

So, having a boss that was not sympathetic to either my inclinations towards workers empowerment or my budding painting career, I made the decision to be a full time artist.

It’s not the easiest of lives…

…but really, I don’t have too many complaints. I’m healthy, I had an inexpensive shared housing living situation and no dependents. I knew I could get another crummy minimum wage job if I had to, but I didn’t have to.

And now, it is 35 years later, and I am still painting. I know more than a few artists who had also become doctors and lawyers, and so, at some point in their lives when they decided that they had gained enough financial security to leave their well paying day jobs and paint full time.

There are pros and cons to each approach. But I know, I would not have had the patience to wait or to take the time to acquire those very particular, time consuming and expensive skills. I know my limits, you know?

So I am going to celebrate this milestone of 35 years as an artist, bumps in the road and all. I’ll tell you about those bumps some other time, as one of those bumps led me to panda satire.

Be the Bear!

PS: I went to college in a time when it was not nearly as expensive as it is today. Loan programs were different and less predatory. You really should support loan forgiveness to former students who are experiencing massive debt.