Well, it’s been about seven months since I lost my job. I’ve done everything I could to try to find work. My resume is out there, I’ve sent it in for at least seventy five different positions. Although I was a good candidate for a Tech Writing position, (pharmaceutical manufacturing industry) an executive to the company decided he would like a friend to interview for the position; we all know what that means.

Now I am faced with the very real possibility of losing my home. I’ve inquired about programs I may be eligible for, but, because my mortgage is a conventional loan, I do not quality for any of the Federal programs that are out there. I have exhausted all my savings and retirement funds and now only have my unemployment check to live on; and that check doesn’t even cover my mortgage. I have 3 and a half year old, twin girls that I cant even afford to take on day trips. They are so bored that they can’t help but to get into trouble. I find myself so stressed out that I find myself constantly yelling at them.

Well it’s been about three weeks since I’ve been laid off from my job in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. It angers me that, the Israeli pharmaceutical company that bought the company I was working for, raves at how the acquisition will be great for the European market. That’s fucked how they can put me out of work, then tell me how good its going to be for people over seas. Call me selfish, but what the fuck do I care about the European market; it doesn’t help feed MY family!

I’ve submitted my resume to about a dozen pharmaceutical manufacturing companies; I’m constantly search Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and other job searching sites. There is just no work out there right now and it doesn’t look like it will get better anytime soon.

My stress level is the highest it’s ever been; wondering if I am going to lose my house (a very good possibility I will). There is no help out there for me until things (the bills) get too far-gone. I called all my creditors explaining to them my situation, with hopes they will work with me on monthly payments, but they all said I must be consistently delinquent, or fall far behind before anything can be done. Who the fuck wants to wait for things to get to that point before receiving any assistance? I don’t!!!… I guess trying to stay a customer in good graces isn’t what the banks want from us. I’ll just have to sit back and wait to start “drowning” before I could POSSIBLY be considered for help!!!.. I’ll need to start ignoring bills based on priority. Let the outstanding balances grow and grow, then when they send them to collection, ignore them some more and let them spend lots of money on legal fees. No matter what I do it will ruin my credit rating, so I figure let the banks spend the money they extorted from the U.S government bail-out.

Be respectful when commenting on other peoples art.

I talk to quite a few people here on DA and most of them have the same complaint; mean people. Giving constructive or even harsh criticism on someone’s artwork is one thing, but to be mean just to upset someone is not only wrong, it’s ignorant.

Dictionary.com defines the following:
Artist-
1. A person who produces works in any of the arts that are primarily subject to aesthetic criteria.
2. A person who practices one of the fine arts, esp. a painter or sculptor.
3. A person whose trade or profession requires a knowledge of design, drawing, painting, etc.
4. A person whose work exhibits exceptional skill.

Art-
1. The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.
2. The class of objects subject to aesthetic criteria; works of art collectively, as paintings, sculptures, or drawings
3. Any field using the skills or techniques of art: advertising art; industrial art.
4. (In printed matter) illustrative or decorative material
5. The principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning.

As defined above, we are all artists creating art; some on a professional level, others on an amateur level. We all learn from criticism and most of us encourage it. Although some critics are more professional than others are, we learn nonetheless. When some ones criticism is mean and filled with hatred, no merit should be held in the words of some one who is obviously ignorant and heartless. Most people post on DA because their heart is in what they do. They create what they feel, trying to convey their expression through their artwork. It doesn’t need to be perfect to be art; it doesn’t even have to make sense, as long as there is an emotional bond between the artist and their artwork, most everything we create can be considered art.
For the heartless and ignorant people who rip the artist and their art apart, it shows how uncreative and narrow minded they really are when your comments cause pain and are uninspiring. Regardless if you agree with a piece of art or not, one should be respectful of the time, emotion and thought that goes into creating each piece.