Smash Notes
Michael Parenteau
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Episodes
Notes
Geek at Sea · Michael Parenteau. the Pursuit of Happyness
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What Is It Like to Be a Starving Artist With a Child and What Advice Does He Have for Others in the Same Shoes
Michael had a close friend who was also an artist that told him to not stop making art because he wouldn't have as much time to create with the arrival of a child. That was scary for Michael. Another friend was neighbors with a successful businessman artist. Upon asking him how he became a successful artist, the businessman said to have kids! It is the ultimate motivation. Keep making art.
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How Does Michael Parenteau Say You Find Out Where You Want to Be?
On Geek at Sea, artist Michael Parenteau compares it to painting. You make something and try it. If you like it, you try it again. He says that way of living is empowering because it is not a single job whose only purpose is a shirt on your back. It opens many paths, and it creates a purpose that is not singular. At each choice, he says, you can find a purpose for the next step, or for several next steps. Knowing where you want to be is not a plan you settle in advance. It is what you learn by doing the thing and noticing whether you want to repeat it.
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Is It Important for Adults to Know What They Want to Do in Life
Michael notes that it's ok to want to be somewhere else. While painting, he is often asking himself "Is this where I want to be?" and at other times he isn't thinking at all.
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What Does Michael Parenteau Hope for His Daughter
He hopes that she will have an opportunity or experience similar to his experience during his last few years of high school when he spent 4.5 hours a day in an art studio. He spent lots of time meeting other artists in the community who were making money while pursuing their passion. It was was a transformational time for Michael.
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When His Daughter Asked to Climb Mount St. Helens for Her 10th Birthday, What Did Michael Do
He didn't want to discourage her and say no. They decided to explore together -- looking at guidebooks, reviewing other's trail logs, determining what gear they needed, etc. It was an opportunity where they were able to learn together.
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What Does Parenting vs. Being Parented Look Like
As a parent, often times we can see why our parents made particular decisions and we relive our childhoods through our children. Much of what parents do is driven by what they want for their child/children.
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What Advice Did Michael Parenteau's Uncle Give Him About Becoming an Artist?
On Geek at Sea, Michael Parenteau says he asked his uncle, a builder, whether he should go to architecture school. He liked drawing, he had a math brain, and he wanted a way to make a living, but his training was in fine art. His uncle said Parenteau would make a wonderful architect and that architecture was not what he really wanted. The money, his uncle said, would come if he stayed passionate about the work, and he would make more by keeping at what he loved than by choosing the safer field. Parenteau calls that the advice that mattered, while noting it is easier to say from a comfortable bankroll.
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What Did Success Mean in Michael Parenteau's Family?
On Geek at Sea, Michael Parenteau says his grandmother's picture of success was practical. The family mantra was food on the table, a shirt on your back, and a roof over your head. If you could provide those, you were a success in her eyes. She wanted him in finance or another degree that paid, the route taken by doctors, accountants, and businesspeople among her eight children. She told him art school would not make money. She also sent him paints every Christmas. Providing the basics, not a creative career, was the definition he grew up with.
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Did Michael Parenteau's Family Encourage Him to Become an Artist?
Hit or miss, Michael Parenteau says on Geek at Sea. Some relatives were encouraging about him becoming an artist, and others were not. His grandmother told him not to study art. She wanted him to be a doctor like his grandfather, or to go into finance, because that was where the money was. Her eight children had gone into business, medicine, and accounting, and she held those careers up as the model. At the same time she sent him paints every Christmas, so she was supplying the art while telling him not to count on it for a living.