The Daily Rambling Artist: When You're a Stranger - A Tale of Art and Connection

It was just another weekend, setting up artwork to sell. The event was heavily populated, and the familiar refrain I often heard from potential customers at these events was, "I'll circle back." There was always a 50 percent chance they'd actually return. So, it always surprised me when someone did.

On this particular day, a couple came back to inquire about one of my pieces. It was one of my more personal works, and I tended to jot down ramblings on the backs of such pieces. Without hesitation, I turned the artwork around to reveal the scribbled thoughts. I was wondering myself.

As I paraphrase the content now, I remember it was something along the lines of, "Thinking about fatherhood, thinking about this lease I'm trying to get." At that time, I was searching for a suitable house for my baby boy who was on the way. Seeing those words on the back of the piece was quite jarring. I had somehow forgotten what the artwork was truly about, and here my anxieties at the time of the piece being made were being read aloud to strangers.

The studio is a peculiar place. Within its confines, I drift in and out of different streams of consciousness daily. It's a place where I can "Yawp" loudly, expressing my human experience, but it's also where vulnerability sometimes finds its way to the surface. This moment with the couple was one such instance. They loved the piece and happily took it with them. I watched as they faded into the distance with my anxieties in hand. 

It's a joyous feeling when people connect with my art, but at the same time, it's a rather bizarre experience. Being an artist is an uncanny and unconventional career, but one that I cherish dearly. The dance between vulnerability and creativity, and every connection made through my artwork is a daily one; the reward is a sense of fulfillment that is truly priceless, strange as it may be.

-Sergio Santos