Deconstructing a Metaphor: Different Boats — Same Storm
Artists tend to ride the same storm in different boats — but the metaphor has merit.
Artist is a broad term. It covers a wide range of creative endeavors. Writers, painters, sculptors, singers, actors, knitters, and on and on. Lots and lots of creative professionals are artists.
Ironically, professional artist is a career often look upon as “unusual.” It’s not a normal way to be. Artists don’t tend to work for a specific “boss” in a cubicle in an office 9–5.
If your art doesn’t create product — such as singing and acting — you have an even more complicated challenge. Lots of people can sing and act — but doing so professionally takes a tremendous amount of work, concentration, and focus.
A lot of people will talk about being “in the same boat” to describe shared experiences. This got repeated frequently during the height of the pandemic.
But the truth is that few of us share a boat. Depending on what we do, where we are, the people we associate with, and lots of other factors — there are lots of different boats.
This is not a denial of the shared experience. But a reframing to help recognize differences that will impact practice and approach.
