Aaaaaargh! It's the question I dread most at dinner parties. Why? Well, I have this sneaky suspicion that I come across as a flaky artist with the concentration span of a goldfish. Most people have a one-sentence answer like 'I'm a CA [chartered accountant]' or 'I'm in sales' or 'I run my own HR [human resources] company' – proper, grow-up, nine-to-five jobs with a pension and medical aid and the elusive 13th cheque.
Note: I'm sure you know what CA and HR stands for. I just include the version of each in case you don't
The typical, post-welcome drink conversation usually goes like this:
Pretty Sandton twenty-something who is a friend of a friend: "So, what do you do?"
Me: *deep breath* "Well, I'm a professional painter. Not walls, art (trust me, I have had to clarify this on multiple occasions). And, I do a bit of freelance writing, art consulting and engagement ring design while I wait for paint to dry."
Pretty Sandton twenty-something who is a friend of a friend: *wide-eyed expression as she takes a big gulp of her unoaked Chardonnay* "That must be, um, interesting. I'd loooooooove to have so much spare time on my hands, you're sooooooo lucky."
Me: "Yeah, well I used to work for a publishing agency (desperate attempt to de-flake myself a little) but got the opportunity to get back into the art game so I took it. I just kinda fell into all the freelance gigs. *quickly take my gap to take the glare of the interrogation spotlight off me* And you? What industry are you in?"
And so it goes. Same story, different dinner party.
Hubby just laughs because he knows that I'm about as far from flakey as you can get. I'm like the anti-artist... I was always the chick at art school that actually bothered to brush her hair and liked her socks to match. I actually attended the lectures and signed into my studio at 9am every morning (okay, maybe not every morning but more than most).
The thing is, I need to be kept busy. I'm not so good at just waiting for paint to dry so I quickly learnt that the solitary existence of an artist in her studio wasn't really enough for me. I really like that I get to put on a gorgeous tailored jacket, blowdry my hair and wear heels a few times a week to meet with potential clients and interior designers. I really like that I've gotten the chance to learn the diamond trade and that my friends now come to me when they want to propose to the love of their life. I'm not being too full of myself when I say this, I'm just stating a fact – my love of bling and beautiful things really does enable me to design jaw-dropping rings. You see, you can take the girl outta Sandton but it's darn near impossible to take Sandton out of the girl!
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