Dangerous Territory

The Brazen Careerist blog claims to be "advice at the intersection of work and life." I would say that Penelope Trunk does a great job of that for the modern business world and I really enjoy reading what she has to say. The only trouble is that, well, when you're an artist, where exactly is the intersection of work and life?

I have always felt that the separation of one from the other is incredibly important for sanity, success, and survival. It's good to have a multitude of things in your life; it can't just be about one thing. That kind of single-mindedness could drive a person crazy. I have also heard from many of my mentors in the biz that the most unhappy, boring people they know are actors who have no life outside of acting. It would seem that there must be an intersection somewhere if life and work are two separate entities.

But the reality of being an artist is that life and work bleed into each other, they mix together, and meld, often in very creative and productive ways. Life holds the experiences art draws on to create new realities. There is endless grey area...As artists, it is impossible for us to live in a vacuum independent of our work. I imagine this to be true for business people as well at times, but not in the same way.

How do we exist in this strange in-between place? It's difficult territory to navigate and there is no good guide that I have yet found. I will continue to ponder this question while offering up my thoughts on this and anything else that falls into my head and knocks about for a while.

Keep creating. Keep living.