Independent?

Sometimes, like now when it's Finnish National Day - 06.12.2008 - 90 years of "freedom", I wonder what on Earth is to be independent? Not an easy concept at all.

Artists are so dependent on many things, mostly connections and sometimes as something as unpredictable as luck or plain coincidence. That's life folks! You can never know and that requires that strange thing called coping up with the uncertainties. Uncertain, that's what an artists life and freedom and being independent is all about.
Ultimately, there is the question of money. You know, the thing that they say makes the World go around. Hmm...er...I guess that nobody would choose this profession based only on the facts of income. There was a study of Finnish artists and they claimed that at our 50's we MAY reach the level of income that our peers on other fields have enjoyed quite a long time. On the other hand, the same study suggested that we are far more happy in our profession than the average 'Joe - the plummer'.

Now when the uncertainties of economics are here again, I hope people to scan their beliefs of satisfieing life. It might be that there is something outside all that talk of profit and financial scams. In my profession the finances are the realities only as far we think them providing the possibilities, as I suppose in most cases, but would I change my profession and lifestyle because of just the cause of better gains. This, I suppose is the difference between large public and 'Joe - the plummer' types compared to artists. I would not change position just for a better deal. I have the best job in the World already.

Hope you all enjoy your independencies. Enjoy it, while it's yours.

The picture was taken on a journey to Koh Samed Island near Chon Buri. Nice place but I am not a big fan of islands. There might not be a boat available...