A while ago I received an e-mail from a girl. An artist with life long carrier in art. A mother of three. A woman in her 50-ties. That started a very interesting conversation between us. Steadily the feeling of trust led us to ask difficult questions to each other and sort of explore our lifes. Along the way I gained an insight into art and life, felt almost like talking to my future self. (Aren’t all the conversations just monologs with the mirror – because other people are mirrors of ourselves?) On times we were loosing track of who was the author of a part of an e-mail that was being read.

The reason why she send me a message was simple. That was something that we all do (and we shouldn’t do for the sake of our well-being). She wanted to compare herself to me, to somehow confirm the possibilities. If selling art is possible the way I do it. If I make a living out of it.

These are the questions that chased me for a long time. And I was doing just the same – comparing myself to other artist to find confirmation. To reasurre myself and fight the belief that living from art making is impossible.

But comparing is not good. It may lead to confusion and frustration. Every sitution is different and we would do better looking for own way of life. Not following anyone but our own heart.

However such thought provocing question gave a momentum to the conversation that followed afterwards.

She said : “Some of my peers have had big careers but we seem to have ended up in the same place of getting older and having to be parents and partners and children etc as well as artists and balance our inner love relationship with our work and ideas with the practical “

Does looking at life from the end point perspective may be helpful at all? To how extent may this approach influence the present? Now, knowing that life is sum of my thoughts and beliefs about me and reality – how I want it to be?

What counts in life? Family – a state of being with other humans, the opposite of the loneliness. But the loneliness is created in our own heads. As long as it is inside the crowd around us woudn’t matter or would it?

How about you? What matters in your life? What is your purpose? You may share in comments or write me an-email. Hope to be in touch with you.