Quote:
Originally Posted by LSemmens
I also appreciate this thread. I do wonder, though, how your passion has affected your relationships. That is are you so focussed on building a beautiful (in the broadest sense of the word) instrument, that wife and family have suffered? To me the lot of a true artist can be a lonely one because no one truly understands the passion.
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I can only speak for myself. But the short answer is yes. We all get into this craft in different ways. for me I made a decision to leave college, go to a lutherie school and pursue this as a career right from the beginning. That means I basically had to go all in from the very beginning and as a result I've made a lot of significant personal and financial sacrifices.
But the long answer is more nuanced than that... I mean, I love what I do, yes I lost relationships along the way but I've also gained very rewarding and fulfilling friendships and personal relationships thanks to lutherie as well. I haven't been able to vacation and leisurely travel like many of my peers could when they started getting paid well in their jobs, but I have been able to travel and see exciting places because of lutherie (guitar shows, invites from clients etc...)
the way I've always looked at it is that if this was just a job to me the sacrifices I've made would never be worth it. But its not just a job... its more like a calling. Its who I am, I love getting up every day and doing what I do for a living, I've found a partner who supports me in my endeavor and understands its not a 9 to 5, and at the end of the day I can't really imagine doing anything else. So I don't FEEL the sacrifices as these negative things I've lost in life. I just see them as sad parts of a bigger positive picture.