So, I Realized

  Even though it's Tuesday I went in to work today. As a favor to the boss. I haven't worked a Tuesday in at least three years. Four days to the restaurant business, three days to the art world (well, I do art every day and I market my art a lot, but that's the basic breakdown). I realized today that I get in a certain mindset at each job. It's an odd experience going back to being a waiter after full time art days. It takes me a couple of hours to get back to the waiter mentality. The last day of my week, Sunday, sees me getting back in to being an artist before I've clocked out as a waiter. At least mentally. I've tried to meld both places, and I have become more of an art creator as a server. I really don't want to bring my waiter job to my studio, although Doug the Waiter is a great salesman.
  When I had my soul sucking day job ( before my current job, it was at a nation wide seafood chain, but I won't say which one) it motivated me to create and sell art because I hated it so much. I don't hate my current job. I rather like it. I'm just tired of being a waiter. I've been doing it for almost thirty years (holy crap! that was hard to write). I've gotten to the point where I feel like a switch flips on and off between Art Doug and Waiter Doug. Sometimes I fear that the switch will quit working and Art Doug will be no more. It's kind of a Jeckle and Hyde thing. It's kind of stressful too. I do get inspiration at my job, and I do make contacts, but I dream of a day where I'll be an artist and nothing else. I feel like I could do great things if I only had to create. As far as I've come to this point, I think I could go at least this far again, maybe farther, before I ride across the rainbow bridge.

 My art career has always had to take a backseat to my restaurant career. Except for the Golden Years of 2000-2009. When I did stuff like this:

When art was what I was, not what I did so I could stay sane for another day, or week , or month of slinging food and drinks. When I worked in several media:

  Waiting tables has been good to me. It's supported me, and my family, for a long time. It just doesn't thrill me like it used to. It seems to be cutting in to my creative time. That's not okay.