A Little Bit Ranty Today

So….

feeling a bit ranty today.

Sunday was spent with two of my siblings,

visiting a charming town that’s filled with antique stores, galleries and restaurants.

It was a lovely day…

except for the part of the afternoon 

when I allowed myself to feel irritated 

by an exchange I overheard in one of the shops.

This particular shop was filled with lots of wonderful, handcrafted items, 

some by local artists whose work I recognized. 

We were in the shop for around 25 minutes, 

and one of the salespersons kept busy with another customer for the entire time. 

I was impressed with the employee’s professional dedication 

as she worked with a customer 

who appeared to be interested in making a purchase 

but was seized with indecisiveness.

The employee and customer were by the checkout area 

when my sister was making her purchase, 

and I watched as different pieces of original, framed art 

were hung on the wall for the customer’s consideration. 

She was clearly interested in one of the pieces 

and asked if there was any 

‘wiggle room’ 

with the price.

That’s when my internal voice said, 

“Oh, please. Really?!”

Moments like this can bring out my judgmental side, 

and I freely admit to assessing the Prada baby stroller she was pushing, 

tricked out with a nice assortment of accessories 

and the lovely clothing she was wearing. 

I know, I know….

I’m making assumptions, 

but this woman did not present a picture 

of someone living a life of financial struggle.

I am acquainted with quite a few people 

who dedicate their lives to creative pursuits. 

While I can’t speak to other’s motivations, 

I feel like I’m wired to create. 

I’m a maker. 

The financial rewards are limited, 

and I appreciate that is the trade-off 

for the powerful satisfaction I can feel 

when my hands take raw materials and turn them into jewelry 

or when I translate an emotion into a painting.

Decades of learning, exploring, failing and growing 
go into each piece that I create. 

Assigning a price to each of those pieces is quite humbling; 

it is done very thoughtfully. 

In most retail settings, 
the artist gets 50% of the selling price. 

That percentage will sometimes be 40% 
when the arrangement is by consignment. 

I know they exist, 

but I do not personally know any artist 
who is getting rich off of his or her art. 

My guess is that most of them would say that’s fine, 

but I would also guess 
that most of them want to do more than just barely survive.

I have no doubt 

that the artist whose paintings were being considered yesterday 

worked hard to create the pieces that were matted and framed. 

I know that the store owners and employees 

were working hard 
to create a wonderfully curated selection of items 
in a beautiful setting. 

When someone asks if there’s ‘wiggle room’ in the price, 

that wiggle means less money for the artist or the shop, 
or both. 

I could feel a twitch developing in my left eye 

as I fought the urge to turn to the customer and say, 

“Just pay the price, already!”

But....

I do know how to behave in public.

I remained quiet until we left the shop, 

and I turned to my sister and said, 

“Oh, please! Really?!”