Art is Fabulous, women artists!

Maureen Joyce sculpture, 2010



Dervish Woman by Barbara Rogers, 2010






Art is fabulous; one of the most rewarding endeavors a human being can pursue. But (and this is huge), you burn with it. Art consumes the artist deliciously, but it is a harsh discipline in terms of time and concentration. To create it spectacularly a person needs to eat, sleep and breathe art - which means a lot of other things must be neglected (temporarily or totally) by default.


 A female artist can concentrate on art or take care of other people, but it's nearly impossible to do both at the same time. Please trust me here, and never again wonder why Grandma Moses came so late to art.





So how can we rectify this?
We can't do anything about the past. My advice to you, today, is:

• Create art.
• Support women artists. Women who are alive and struggling, not the long-gone ones we hold up as examples.
• Help each other. Strength in numbers, Ladies.
• Make the right choices for you. If you burn to create art, it's OK not to raise a family. If you want to raise a family and make art, marry wisely, learn how to be really patient and surround yourselves with like-minded friends who'll co-op with you occasionally.

Source:
Where Are All the Famous Women Artists? An Open Letter to Younger Sisters

By Shelley Esaak, for About.com