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08/24/2009: "IN AMERICANSTYLE"
Have you ever had one of those days at work where you just want to scream, "WHY AM I HERE? NO, REALLY! WHY AM I HERE?" Who hasn't?
Of course, you know why you're there. It's your job and you need to get paid to pay the bills. Okay and yes, you want to be productive in the world. Yet, isn't it funny how job frustration is rarely about the work itself? We're all pretty much trained to do what we do, so while the work can be challenging, it's never impossible. It's usually about the people ... the clashing agendas, the egos and the personalities. When others get involved, your quiet corner for creating and carrying out a simple, almost pleasant task becomes the intersection of monumental effort and pain. It's when that proverbial committee is supposed to be creating a horse, but squawks out a camel. That was my day today. When it was time to leave, I bolted. Finally, I had gotten the job done, even though my sanity was shaky.
While driving home through ridiculous traffic, I decided I had to stop at the supermarket and then go check my post office box. My head pounded as I entered the post office and made my way around people who seemed to be intentionally getting in my way. Isn't that the way it always works? I opened my box and noticed something in a plastic wrapper. It was a magazine. I reached in and pulled it out ...
"Great!" I thought. "Finally!"
On this day, August 21, 2009, I had received my promised copy of the October 2009 issue of AmericanStyle magazine. I'm at home now (thank God) and have it right here on the sofa next to me. It's their Fall Arts Preview issue. However, what's really exciting me is the fact that editor Sara Baker wrote a piece called, "Masters of Their Domain" (pg. 48). It's part of the issue's guide on art collecting. I'm quoted in the article in which she also mentions my book, "The Art of Everyday Joe: A Collector's Journal."
It's a nicely done guide and I'm not just saying that because I'm included in it. The issue does what I've been trying to do as an art collector and author of illustrated art books ... spread the gospel about contemporary art and emerging artists. Art is ACCESSIBLE and AFFORDABLE. You just have to stretch beyond your safe little shell and explore. Art is all around you. Artists are everywhere. Bring them into your life.
I don't know what it is about art, but it has the same affect on me that time spent alone in the wilderness does. It's almost like yoga and running, both of which I also do. It calms me down, chills me out and rejuvenates me for another day in the rat race. After reading the article, I feel like I can leave the comforts of my art-filled home and take on the world for yet another work-clogged day. This is the impact that art can have on us all. This is what art writing is all about too. It's about convincing people that art is worth the effort and worthy of the trip. Collecting art, meeting artists and visiting museums and galleries can broaden your horizons and make you more personally fulfilled. The only way to discover this is by taking the risk. JUMP!
I'm so glad that I went to work today and endured the challenges that made the conclusion so much sweeter. Once again, art has saved the day. Art has saved MY DAY. Is the article an ego boost? Sure. But far more importantly, it's a reminder to me that I'm part of the art dialogue and that dialogue is about bringing others into the fold so that they can be set free. Art can set you free. Breathe in art and breathe out the emotional, smoky tar of the day.
Right now, I can barely recall what the fuss was all about at work. Work is work and it won't change, but art is an ever-changing, ever-growing thing. It's the challenge you want to take and the effort you want to make ... whether alone or in a crowd of clashing egos.
This issue of AmericanStyle reminds me that you gotta have art. Unlike clothes, art makes the man ... and the woman. With that I say, if you're intimidated by contemporary art, get the October 2009 issue of AmericanStyle magazine (to be released Tuesday, August 25th) and it'll put you at ease and get you started. Looking at art or even reading about it has this almost magical ability to make you feel balanced ... even if you don't completely understand it. That's okay ... keep breathing.
At the end of the day, art restores sanity. Art can save your day ... even while the sun is going down. Now, take a deep breath ... in ... and ... out ... meditate on this. You'll see.
MICHAEL CORBIN IS AN AVID ART COLLECTOR AND AUTHOR OF THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING BOOK, "THE ART OF EVERYDAY JOE: A COLLECTOR'S JOURNAL." CHECK IT OUT AT WWW.ARTBOOKGUY.COM
