I have had quite the week. Gearing up for The Lincoln mural project, getting the final touches on my PennyLane wall, gearing up for my trip west to paint in Vegas and in California, and two performance paintings for the UCP, and one for St Mary’s Hospital in Decatur Illinois.

To start? I would like to say how hard it is to get some of these Springfieldians on board with what it takes to do my job. I am about sick of the trouble I seem to get with the attitude that my “job” is not real and just fantasy. Really? Let me start by saying I have met three Presidents, dozens of well known musicians, and thousands of people and hundreds of walls all over the country. My performance paintings alone have raised almost 50 thousand dollars for charities in the past 8 years. So you tell me why I am made to feel like I am just goofing off?

I will get to my point… I am a real hard work driven individual. It just so happens I work for myself. And that is perfectly ligit and very much a real career. It just happens to not pay as well as some would like… and that is a direct result of the occupation of “Artist” not being taken seriously.

Rethink what an Artist is people. We are not just drugged up lazy slackers not wanting a “real” job. WE are the mirror to the societies’ sins and strengths. If I am starving? It is not because I am not working… because I assure you I am…. I would be going hungry because the world I wish to enhance? Is starving us.

I cannot speak for every artist, but I can speak for myself or the ones I know who work so much on the world at large. Stay strong Artists… we will get our cake.