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Interview with the California Artist

Why did you decide to become a self-employed artist?

Because most jobs are repetitive, boring, and full of sanctioned incompetence. Because I had to pretend as if I was busy when there was nothing to do, because too many bosses were dumb, petty, moody and inconsistent in their instructions. Because making and selling art and teaching drawing makes me HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! And self-employed was the only way I could design a job that made me HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY. I like to be happy. 😎 See?

3rd panel of tulip fields triptych
Some jobs made me see red. This is the 3rd panel of the tulip field triptych, 6×18″

Hmmm, sounds like you might have been a difficult employee.

Nope. I was a dang good worker.

What were some of the good jobs or helpful jobs you had?

1. Working for an architect, a terrific guy (who was also my architectural drafting teacher) in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. Just being there was an education!

2. Working in a picture frame shop – helping customers choose, learning the basics of framing. The work was great; the manager was a drug addict. He fired me. He used a flimsy excuse. It was humiliating.

3. Working in print shops – type-setting, graphic design, learning about papers, helping customers make decisions, bookkeeping, learning about standard sizes, understanding the printing process, meeting people with whom I am still in contact.

4. Working in a gift shop – this is where I learned some marketing, display and selling techniques. For example, did you know that Presentation Really Is Everything? It is! Truly! (Thanks, Shirley Goodness!)

What were some of the non-helpful jobs you had?

All jobs were helpful in some fashion, even if it showed me how to NEVER run a business or treat an employee or a customer. Generally I met great people, both the co-workers and the public. If you put your mind to it, you can learn from almost any situation. . . isn’t that why people refer to “The School of Hard Knocks”? (My very wise Dad used to say that. I thought it was dumb. It was smart; I was dumb.)

Tell me, Gentle Blog Reader, what is the best job you’ve ever had?

2 Comments

  1. Jana (Cabinart),

    Favorite job? Hmmm, I don’t know. Like you, all jobs shaped me and taught me things. Some were more fun, soem were harder. An adventurous summer job was working in the port city of Marseille, France, one year mid-college at a Mexican restaurant — of all places. 🙂 Fast-paced, exciting, long hours, but sailing in the Mediteranean with friends on the weekends!

    Re your comment on my site, You would have loved the winding drive down to the river, with bluffs, trees, fall colors just starting, and eagles high.

    Yes, the food…

    Honesty, yes, and sincerity. Humor… what if I am the main person who laughs at my jokes? Does that count? There is lots of laughter with me, but mostly at me. My family, friends and teens grin in anticipation at me trying to tell a a joke.

    Jennifer Dougan
    http://www.jenniferdougan.com

    • Jennifer, what a life – a Mexican restaurant in France is kind of funny! Whatever it took to be able to sail on the Mediterranean sounds good to me. And how can your family laugh at you?? I know, that is what families do. It toughens us up for the “real world”.

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