It occurred to me that he had gained a lot of confidence through the years, fine honing his magician skills. He proceeded to tell me how busy he was with commissions, how he nabbed many of his clients through his classes, how he primarily worked on things that would sell. The hour went well. How it was okay to be different. I hope I reached them at an honest, human level that will last far longer than a magic trick.
Isolation can be tough for some artists.
We are social animals, for the most part, and are always trying to find our proper niche in life. Finding a good fit in an art club is probably no different and requires a little research. There's a tendency to think of mediocrity as a disease one can catch, when actually, I rather think both mediocrity and excellence are part of the human condition, here to stay, and in fact each vital to our lives. I'd like to see people more comfortable with the word because it's so much a part of our existence. We are and can be, I think, both unique and mediocre.