All writers are insane.
They are, trust me.
Those who are not insane pursue careers, perhaps careers where they get to practice their art, but careers nonetheless. They earn regular paychecks; they earn benefits, like health insurance and 401ks. They fill out W2s and they have job titles.
Artists do not have these, or at least, not regularly. They may take jobs, may make money at them, earn benefits and go on vacations, but what they are really thinking about is their art.
Because that’s all they think about.
Even as they pay taxes and earn wages, inside they are raging against the society that forces them to do anything other than their art in order to eat.
Some artists go so far as to not bother with the society’s norms and simply practice their art. This is where starving artists come from.
All artists are insane because they have to be insane in order to want to be artists.
Insanity is not a psychological term, but a legal one. Created by the laws of society. Society doesn’t like artists because our modern culture is based on the Pilgrims, who were Calvinists and who valued hard work about all else. Hard work means not being happy with what you are doing because if you are happy, then work does not seem hard. You can work your butt off on something you love, but if you do not complain bitterly and constantly about it, it will not seem to be hard work.
Artists love their work. Sometimes they love to hate their work. Artists always love to hate society.
Society also loves those who work to continue the status quo, to keep society running smoothly. Art does not do this and often times runs against the society’s status quo because art is about change and innovation. Otherwise we would all be painting the Mona Lisa and copying Shakespeare.
Artists don’t like society because society doesn’t like artists.
And so artists are insane. They paint or design or write or sculpt or dance or sing or act and basically behave like creative idiots because they have to. Somewhere inside the artist’s brain is this little creature, perhaps a gnome, or a gargoyle, or a muse, which is constantly telling them to do so and simply will not leave them alone until they do. They dream of the day when society will accept them and revere them as they subtly twist it to suit their whims. They watch the big name actors and singers and dancers and writers on television and in the movies and they know that someday, they too will be able to ask for ungodly paychecks and no brown m&ms (well, if they’re actors or singers or dancers anyway) because the world will wake up and realize that they like art. They need it just as much as the artist does.
Someday, artists will rule the world. But they won’t really want to because ruling the world takes a lot of time away from their art.
As a side note, all women are also insane. I can’t really tell you why, but I have been assured many times by many men (and quite a few women as well) that we are.
I am an artist and a woman.
You have been warned.
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