Creative Life Vs Social Life

[Agathe]

Moderation is key.. Ive learnt that to much creative time keeping the mind in a closet state has a massive effect on your social life

I been working in graphic design industry for over a year now, whilst at night I spend some time working on Digital Artworks. What was a dream to begin with has now become the harsh reality that im looseing connection with all of my friends. Im at the stage now where i have identified this flaw in my personality and i feel its is almost to late to try and make a full recovery. To put it simply im stuggleing. there is not enough going on around me to make a full recovery i have neglected it for so long. Im not blameing art i love art.

In fact i love art so much! send me to a mental institution, feed me cans of beans and throw me crayons. Because id rather make a living doing what i love. lol

I just want to get my message across to artists. and for those who have been through what i am going though to share a little thought.

So take it easy fellas and look after yourselves. Cheers

[Nelka]

Its not so much a problem if most of your friends are creative too. As for the non-creative types, they've gotten used to me disappearing for months on end, or constantly talking about art/design related stuff. It's all about finding the right people who accept you - not so much for being antisocial, but for obsessively invested in what you want to do.

[dpaint]

I disagree with this attitude. This idea of being balanced is overrated and creates mediocrity. Everything has a price and if you want to be better than average at something you have to give up being normal to get there. Look at anyone who is really successful. They forego having a family or friends or even money in the beginning, until they get what they want and then they have the means to have it all.
Everyone is so worried about being the same as everyone else. Have you ever read a biography about a successful artist or anyone successful for that matter? This kind of pop psychology is what makes people feel bad about having a desire and purpose in life, which most people don't have or are too cowardly to ever act on.

Every loneliness is a pinnacle ~Ayn Rand

[OHI]

WE are your friends now! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[SavageGoldfish]

Welcome to the club dude. I gave up my social life almost a year ago in exchange for spending that time making art. About the only people who I have regular social contact with are my significant other and occasionally my sister. My artistic skills have not only improved immensely, but I also don't have the stress of maintaining relationships with people who liked to call me up spontaneously and go "HEY WE'RE GOING OUT, YOU WANNA COME??!!" and, feeling obliged, I'd then get sucked into having to gallivant for hours. I also no longer get hit up for free artistic favors...

I've always tended toward being more reclusive and antisocial anyway, so it's not been that big of a detriment. Being a hermit isn't for everyone though. The best thing is to have other creative friends, that way they understand when you tell them no, I don't want to come over and play Wii for hours, I have artings to do.

[Beeston]

If you hold a weekly sketch group as well as get your (Creative) friends to go with you to life drawing, that's 2 regular social outings already.

Then there's the CA.Org Ventrilo chat, which DOES work but for some reason the incorrect details are up there in the chat. If you go to the MIRC chat then the correct hostname and port for Vent are in the welcome message.

I'll share something with you. I've moved from Cooktown to Cairns to Bundaberg to Brisbane and each time I've had to start all over, and before Bundaberg I didn't even know what facebook was, so only the best of the best friends that I had did I ever get to keep in contact with, the rest... this may sound harsh... but you learn that people eventually become disposable, except your closest of closest friends.

The friends I have now, the majority of them are creative, and the minority are the ones that I've hung on to. The creative friends help me improve my art, and for that reason social interaction with them is not detrimental to you. Especially if you attend art related social outings. Which is pretty much what my social life is confined to at the moment, except for religious related commitments.

I don't mind it, I see a lot of the solitude loving artists tend to improve faster than the... other... art students I study with who spend the majority of their time socializing, and when they do upload an occasional image, it looks exactly the same as when I first met them this time last year before Uni Started. What use is it going out and buying alcohol and smashing people in the face in Surfers Paradise when you don't have an art job to support such gallivantery?

But I digress.

I notice you're in the Gold Coast, maybe if you have time you can come to the Brisbane CBD and hang out with our CA sketch group? It can't be too hard, I know someone who comes from Mount Tamborine every day to come to College in the City =)

[Kfeeras]

finding the balance is the key. Lonely people die faster. Your art gets boring, too. Find time for art _and_ for your friends and, more important, family.

[dpaint]

finding the balance is the key. Lonely people die faster. Your art gets boring, too. Find time for art _and_ for your friends and, more important, family.

This is the quickest recipe for mediocrity. Actually that isn't true professional artists and musicians as a group tend to live longer than the rest of the general population because doing what you love is more important than hanging around with people. Almost invariably, artists, composers, moviemakers, and writers lived well into their 90s; an amazing number even make it past 100. Orchestra conductors live longer than almost any other group of people by three to seven years. Many great conductors have even led major orchestras into their nineties.While many of these people have family and friends their focus was on having a successful career to the exclusion of everything else. And before you start talking about Mark Rothko or Jackson Pollack or Jimi Hendrix artists that kill themselves or die young are a smaller percentage of the group than the the same types of deaths in the general population.
Being with family and friends and doing art part time makes you feel like you're living longer because its soo mundane but you aren't.

[Odayga]

Actually.. to be honest..I think loneliness is worse than death... balance is VITAL... It cant be good for you psychologically if you do it 24/7 and never see the outside world. As an artist I am extremely passionate, motivated, driven and dedicated to my work but having a social life is very important as well.. we can tend to become anti social which causes MAJOR issues.. The majority of the industry is networking, I dunno about free lancers but im planning on being a concept artist for an animation or video game studio.. having other artist friends is also extremely important in building, creating and sharing inspiration/ideas.. you never know who youll meet along the way.. thats the whole point of life.. its a journey.. artists get their inspiration concepts and ideas from the world, politics, social situations, etc - if they really want to impact their audiences heavily.. without that theres really nothing to portray. I find that getting out of the house and exploring or going to the beach is what brings out the most creative ideas in me as well as a ton of inspiration.. Hope my insight helps a little..

[J@n!t]

"Lonely people die faster."

But are you lonely? Think about that a bit and if you are not, then you can brush aside any notions that being alone and engaging in your passion is somehow bad for you. There are a few books, if you are into reading books, about loners that might help you realize that this is a natural state and that you need not torture yourself trying to be someone else. I wish I had read one when I was younger.

I could say a lot more, but dpaint said it already. Being well-rounded is overrated.

[Odayga]

When I'm engaged in my work I really dont think about it because I'm in the moment and yes I am extremely serious motivated, driven and passionate about art its literally what I live for.. the realization is the bad part if I'm not currently working on anything.. do you kind of understand at what I'm trying to get at? I'm fortunate enough to have other friends that are artists as well, so time really isnt wasted on creating :p. the previous post was just my opinion on the subject..

[Beeston]

"Lonely people die faster."

But are you lonely? Think about that a bit and if you are not, then you can brush aside any notions that being alone and engaging in your passion is somehow bad for you.

This.

Having this also helps me a great deal. It lets me sort out my priorities without having to hassle with the convictions that Savage Goldfish mentioned.
I wouldn't even call it a disorder, just a type.

[dpaint]

I not saying you have to a celibate hermit with absolutely no outside contact. I'm saying that the amount of time spent on personal and social relationships is inverse to most peoples success at a profession like art.

Normal people go out and socialize and party and waste time because their jobs are boring and empty like their lives. They want nothing more than everyone else to be just like them. Forget about being like that and be great at something. Not everyone is cut out for it, but don't tell the people that are, its important to be socially normal, its not.

[Tigers-Shadow]

I think it depends on the person, like most things in life, people are different. Social people may need to be social to be inspired, people who prefure to be on their own...don't need that much contact with others. I'm a person who get very depressed when I don't get out much, and that hurts my creativity. Of course I'm not looking for a job as an artist so I have the freedom to develop my skills over long periods of time.

Everyone work differently, in my experience.

[zx52hg]

I'm inclined to say that social interaction can often be over rated. Even for the really social people. Making endless small talk with faces you see occasionally can be a hollow experience.

It's like when companies try and sell you a phone. They don't roll off endless technical specs or numbers, they advertise a life style with mind blowing social experiences. If you buy their phone suddenly your social life will be so much more meaningful, people will hit you up and you'll go to amazing parties and the void in your life will be filled.

But it's a fantasy, and personally, having a hobby or occuptation like art that will continually engage you for the rest of your life is far more fulfilling than chasing fictitious life styles.

I'm tired. I hope that made sense.

[s.ketch]

Why don't you just make friends with other career-oriented artists so that even when you're working on art, you're participating in a social interaction?

[Ryuartyi]

Personally, for myself, I have to balance a social life with art. I love being a creative person, I really do, but I'm am not the kind of person that enjoys super-long periods of alone time. I'm an extrovert, so my point of view my not come across to well. I find that being social allows me to discover more things about me and the world than staying in my residence and painting all day and night. I love being able to tell stories of things that happened and just hang out and have a good time while still being able to paint and draw to my hearts content.

I know some people will tell me that this will "lead to mediocrity" but I disagree. Sure my progress has been slower than other people's because I have a multitude of interests, but my art is still improving and I am making strides. You can't say I'll end up a terrible artist because I want to hang out with friends twice a week. Some of my best experiences that I can bring to my artwork has been from times when I just sat with friends and talked or went out and did something crazy.

I'm not trying to judge anyone on here, but if I didn't have a social life it would not translate into me being a better artist; it would end up with me having severe depression and anxiety. I just can't do that for the sake of art.

[Pavel Sokov]

My artistic skills have not only improved immensely, but I also don't have the stress of maintaining relationships with people who liked to call me up spontaneously and go "HEY WE'RE GOING OUT, YOU WANNA COME??!!" and, feeling obliged, I'd then get sucked into having to gallivant for hours. I also no longer get hit up for free artistic favors...

.

Why do you make social invitations sound like such a chore?

I personally tend to go out with my friends everyday or every second day or so, and it teaches me social skills I need to land jobs and cultivate further relationships. It is important to be a social guy to be succesful in a lot of pursuits.

Also, it is fun. I thought that was a given?

[Wingal]

Adopt a dog or cat or something. If you dont like being alone yet dont want to be bothered with maintaining relationships a dog can be your best friend =D. Alot of people say its a hassle etc adopting a pet and taking care of it but its all about the one you get. Dont get one that you have to brush and run (though you might need the motivation ) and train,just get a nice older dog from the shelter who usually are already trained basic commands and potty trained and will love you unconditionally. Plus your saving a life (good karma =D)

[AegisKleais]

I've lived my life in a creative vacuum, and it's finally snapped me. As detrimental as it sounds, I am forcing myself to teach myself whatever I can in the real of digital art. There are no schools here, there are no tutors, there is no creativity.

I want to be good at graphics, and until I actually do so and take steps to open that creativity, all I'm doing is wanting, which gets me nowhere.

It's tough because currently work is not creatively stimulating, and I have to break my addiction to video games (it eats up my time). But heck, I bought a freaking 21UX. THAT is how dedicated I am (once it freaking gets here) to force-feeding myself some creativity.

Seeing other people's works on this site have been very cool. I wish I could print them all and put them up in my room. I love the freedom of creativity that art brings.

[Ryan K]

Relying on going out with friends to settle your anxieties will solve nothing.
Lonely people need to work on enjoying their own company. Your the only one
you're stuck with for life after all.

[QueenGwenevere]

Well, you do need some social skills if you want to be able to network and interact with clients. Deliberately turning yourself into a shut-in won't help your career, not if it turns you into a shambling, mumbling, unwashed zombie...

Also, I don't think you should utterly alienate your family if you like them at all - you might need to train them to give you (lots) more time to yourself, but there's no reason to shun them completely. Remember, they die eventually, sometimes sooner than you expect, unless you hate them you'll regret not seeing them now and then. And if you plan on having kids, they WILL need your full attention if you want them to turn out okay. Absentee parents suck.

Also, maintaining a few close friends and family in your life can be a lifesaver in an emergency (I know this from experience.) Alienating everybody on purpose because you think it'll make you "great" would be kind of dumb.

However, it does help a lot if you're comfortable spending long hours working alone, because you probably will. And it helps if you don't spend all your time on Facebook/MySpace/AIM/etc. that stuff is all a huge time-sink and will suck your productivity dry.

But it's still possible to socialize to a reasonable extent, if you feel like socializing. Give yourself occasional weekends off, maybe. Take family holidays once or twice a year. Things like that aren't extreme and won't make you "mediocre". Plus, like others have said, there's art-related socializing you can do, kill two birds with one stone. Sketch groups, life-drawing groups, sketchcrawls, they're all good. Personally, I like sketching at concerts - social outing, entertainment, and art all in one!

(However, going out and getting wasted several times a week will very probably put a major dent in your art time... And your wallet... And your health...) (BALANCE. Balance is everything.)

Of course, if you don't feel like socializing, then don't. There's no point if you don't enjoy it. Don't feel like you need to go out every week just because "you're supposed to" and don't be badgered into believing "omg, you're a loser if you don't, liek, party all the time!" Do whatever floats your boat.

[Jason Rainville]

Why do you make social invitations sound like such a chore?

Because they are. Declinations are met with constant pleading and eventual hostility.

[QueenGwenevere]

Look at anyone who is really successful. They forego having a family or friends or even money in the beginning, until they get what they want and then they have the means to have it all.

I think that's just as much a myth as what you're calling a myth...

Most of the successful contemporary illustrators I know of didn't have to go through some dramatic period of self-sacrifice, beyond maybe art school...

And people like Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish seem to have lived quite comfortable "normal" lives and become enormously successful regardless.

What the hell, Stephanie Meyer is a freaking Mormon housewife, and she's more successful than anybody right now even without any talent...

And of course our previous president was a spoiled brat all his life, and look, he became president. Twice. Thanks to Daddy's money and friends and influence.

[SavageGoldfish]

Damnit, I'd typed up a response and Firefox crashed on me. Poo.

And of course our previous president was a spoiled brat all his life, and look, he became president. Twice. Thanks to Daddy's money and friends and influence.

Sure he was president, but you could hardly call the guy a success...unless being remembered as a buffoon is equivalent to being successful...

Socializing can be a chore when friends will call or randomly show up at your door and invite you out/hang around while you're busy working, and when you attempt to tell them "Hey, I'm busy, I need to get this done" they then proceed to treat you like you're a snob who's "too good for them"

It's also a chore when you don't have a vehicle, and you get dragged out to where ever the people WITH cars want to go, and get stuck there until they feel like leaving. Try to leave early and have to ask someone for a ride home before anyone else wants to leave, and you get treated as the party crasher.

Social relationships=drama also. Yet another reason I don't miss the huge group outings...

Even when I was hanging around with other creative types, we'd have group working sessions where we'd all get together and either work on a collaborative project or our own things, and it seemed like the larger the group got, the less got done. Two or three of us would get a lot done and be very focussed, but four, or five, or more, and the youtubing and videogaming would increase while creativity would grind to a halt.

Taking a break and getting away from your art is important, since staring at the same thing for hours trying to work something out can melt your brain. I find getting out of the house, maybe going out for a walk and a cup of coffee can sort of "reset" my mind to where a solution to some nagging problem presents itself. And yes, social skills are very important...

[QueenGwenevere]

Sure he was president, but you could hardly call the guy a success...unless being remembered as a buffoon is equivalent to being successful...

I dunno, becoming president seems pretty successful to me. He's part of our official history now, we can't erase him. And he still has legions of fans in frighteningly large areas of the US, odds are in the next few decades he'll become like Reagan and be transmogrified into "greatness" by a wishful conservative crowd... (Speaking of another buffoon...)

When you get down to it, a lot of our leaders have been buffoons. It's almost a necessary qualification.

Anyway, in re: all the complaints about how awful it is to socialize... Geeze Louise, if you don't like doing it, then don't! Or if you don't like doing a particular kind of socializing, then don't! There's no reason to waste a lot of time on something you don't enjoy if it keeps you from doing the stuff you actually want or need to do...

I mean, I never liked "hanging out", either, unless I could bring a sketchbook. But an occasional dinner with pals does add a nice bit of variety to life. And an occasional dance party is superlative food for inspiration (for me, not for everyone...)

But if there's some variety of socializing you do like, or people you'll miss being with if you don't see them occasionally, don't feel like you have to sacrifice everything completely, either.

That's all I'm sayin'.

[Dwolv]

My artwork is design for the general public to enjoy or relate to so it's necessary for me to maintain a social lifestyle. I've never been a fancy smanshy person who needs to hold an artist reputation or my own self expression.

[Ilaekae]

...sew...shul...life...

...?...



...that's something religious...sort of, right?

[velderia]

Yeah, I've been thinking about getting myself institutionalized as well.

[BlightedArt]

This is the quickest recipe for mediocrity. Actually that isn't true professional artists and musicians as a group tend to live longer than the rest of the general population because doing what you love is more important than hanging around with people. Almost invariably, artists, composers, moviemakers, and writers lived well into their 90s; an amazing number even make it past 100. Orchestra conductors live longer than almost any other group of people by three to seven years. Many great conductors have even led major orchestras into their nineties.While many of these people have family and friends their focus was on having a successful career to the exclusion of everything else. And before you start talking about Mark Rothko or Jackson Pollack or Jimi Hendrix artists that kill themselves or die young are a smaller percentage of the group than the the same types of deaths in the general population.
Being with family and friends and doing art part time makes you feel like you're living longer because its soo mundane but you aren't.

I think more than anything it was a figure of speech about living longer, but what you've said is pretty interesting.

I spend a lot of time by myself regardless if I'm drawing / designing or not, and its pretty sucky. I actually get better ideas and more motivation after hanging out with people and talking about art or design with them, or even just talking about random shit as they drop nuggets of information that I would not have heard of otherwise.


If you find yourself better off working alone then good on you, but if being by yourself a lot is really bothering you, then no amount of persuasion from another person is going to sway you into thinking you're actually happy.