It's not a "real" job, just "a nice hobby"

"You're our little star"

"We're so proud of you."

"Another year finished, have fun in summer!"

"Such good grades! Now time to rest and socialize."

Anatha put down the cards from her family and sighed.Every year it's the same.Somehow she pulls through a year of university and people tell her how proud they are. Proud of what? That she is studying the thing they wanted her to study and not following her dream? How can you be proud of that?

"Have fun."

Yeah, she is going to have fun. She opened her sketchbook and started drawing. She wanted to finish a sketch of a couple she started yesterday. After about half an hour she pulled away to look at it from afar. The woman was looking at herself in the mirror while the man was kissing her neck and holding her. His one hand was on her breasts and the other was on her waist, as if pulling her towards himself. One of her hands was holding her hair, to expose more skin for the man and her other hand was on his thigh, relaxed. Anatha thought she should make the drawing bigger and on canvas. Maybe she could even find some people who would want to buy it.

She checked her wallet and went out to buy the canvas. She was walking through her city, breathing in the air. It felt good to get out of home where she felt like an alien. She just felt like a failure that she's just not into what most people think as a normal career. She wanted to an art teacher or just a painter, but her family just dismissed it as "a nice hobby". Painting for her was not a hobby. It was the thing that made her feel alive and true to herself.

Anatha reached the art store, but it was closed. The girl looked at her watch and according to it the shop was still supposed to be open for at least another fifteen minutes. Oh well, maybe the shop keeper decided to take off earlier. Or maybe he just realized that art is not a "real" occupation and followed society's advice and found a "real" job. Who knows. But now it meant she walked here for no reason.

"But c'mon, how can you not like Van Gogh? He's the best painter that ever lived!" a voice came from a cafe nearby.

Anatha turned towards the voice. She saw a group of people sitting and drinking coffee and tea. Some of them had their sketchbooks on the table and she saw some more sketchbooks peeking from their bags.

"Excuse me?" she said when she approached them. "I heard you were talking about art? May I join in to the conversation?"

"Sure." one of them said. "All fellow artists are welcome. Sit down! Are you an enthusiast or do you draw as well?"

"I draw as well." Anatha said while sitting down.

"Excellent! May we see something?"

"I don't have my sketchbook here."

"Well, you can bring it another time."

Stephan, the guy who was talking, explained that they meet every Thursday to feedback each other's work or just talk. Anatha instantly felt like a fish in the water. This was a place for her.

"What are you drawing now, little bug?" Stephan asked her in the next meeting. He called new people in the club as little bugs. He found it adorable.

Anatha took her sketchbook and flipped through pages until she found the last sketch. There was a woman holding an apple with a target drawn on it. She was turned away from the viewer, so she couldn't see her shooter.

"Nice" Stephan said with his distinct manner.

"Yeah, keep up the good work." A girl on her right said.

"Thank you." Anatha smiled.

"Do all of your drawn people always have to be naked?" Marto asked.

"I just enjoy drawing the naked. Feels more raw, more truthful. As if they have nothing to hide but they're also exposed to all world's dangers." Anatha explained.

"You might get a lot of negative comments about that." Marto insisted.

"As long as I get to do things my way, I don't care what people say." Anatha said.

"Well, you shouldn't lock yourself in a tower away from everybody else, my dear. You have to hear the people and continue evolving. You have to be true to yourself, of course, but you simply can't close off." Stephan said.

"Yeah, but if some people want me to completely change my style because it displeases them?"

"Well, then you say, thanks for the comment, NO." Stephan laughed.

They continued on talking. They discussed their works, the nature of art, the nature of drawing, what is happening now. Like a little lost sheep Anatha found her herd. She found the place to grow, to work and to prosper.

She finished her studies, of course. She couldn't just drop it. But her studies were not the thing she became known for.

The club made her discover herself. She became happy by staying true to herself. She didn't find a "real" job. She didn't need one. Her "nice hobby" was all she ever needed.