art for angst

why is it that art store employees always have to be so angsty? is that a requirement? in the interview do they ask "do you smile often?" if the interviewee answers "yes" are they immediately scratched off the list of hopefuls?

maybe it's just the store i go to (Curry's) but i've been to a few locations and it always seems the same. I went today to pick up a few supplies for the weekend (long weekend...i'm so excited i could pee a little) and when i asked a simple question regarding bondage (not the sexy kind, the glue kind) i was looked at as if i were an idiot, a simpleton. In the end he couldn't help me, turned out he didn't know much about bondage either (and i'm guessing that would apply to the sexy kind too).

when i took my wares to the cash register and smiled my hello i was greeted with some sort of grunt, which i roughly translated into "my soul is in agony can't you tell? i'm tortured inside and nothing can save me".  i wondered if it was just me or if they're like this to everyone? did i not look enough like an artist? was my red & orange scarf not the right shade of black for them? could they tell i was a corporate whore during the day thus making me a sell out? should i have been wearing skinny jeans tucked into retro 80's slouchy boots that i bought at a vintage store?

what's there to be be so down about anyways?  it's friday, it's sunny outside, you're surrounded by beauty!  tubes of red, purple, green, orange, pads of paper, piles of canvas, wood, parchment. books on every medium, endless amounts of brushes, glitter & glue.  how can a place like that make you so grey?  well it didn't stop ME from being happy.  i'm ready to create!