Art Workers

Carlos & Jennifer "talking design"

 "How satisfied are we with our jobs? Gallup regularly polls workers around the world to find out. Its survey last year found that almost 90 percent of workers were either “not engaged” with or “actively disengaged” from their jobs."  This from Rethinking Work by Barry Swartz, an excellent, New York Times article.

The article goes on to tell that us humans don't like to feel like we're just cogs in the machine "we want work that is meaningful — that makes a difference to other people and thus ennobles us in at least some small way."

NanoBanano

As an art worker running a small, arty biz, I live in the same material world that all of us live in, I struggle to keep the art and income in balance. I know that I work for the challenge, the problem solving, the camaraderie in the studio, the relationship with our clients and for the joy I take in the materials we use.   

Mine is really a material world in that I make mascot costumes, which involves an awful lot of materials, foam and fake fur.

Us art workers follow our hearts, our muse, our bliss. Sometimes we strike it rich. Most of the time, though, we are making a living. I believe we are blessed. Striving solely for efficiency and compensation, for the cash is a losing game.

The people who work with me at AvantGarb are thoroughly involved in the art of making mascots. We sculpt, engineer, paint, design, market and send out proposals and invoices and we sew, sew, sew. How can that not be a compelling?

I believe the mascots we make bring Joy to the World ---and that's a pretty gratifying outcome.

 ©Jennifer Smith 2015

Artist in the Material World