special-interest magazines on filmmaking. But he was afraid
to take steps to actualize his interest. Instead, he poured his
time and attention into Lisa and Lisa’s art career. Under his
guidance, her career flourished. She became solvent and
increasingly well known. Jerry remained blocked in his own
behalf. When Lisa suggested he take a filmmaking course,
he ran for cover. “Not everyone can be an artist,” he told
her—and himself.
Artists love other artists. Shadow artists are gravitating to
their rightful tribe but cannot yet claim their birthright. Very
often audacity, not talent, makes one person an artist and
another a shadow artist—hiding in the shadows, afraid to
step out and expose the dream to the light, fearful that it will
disintegrate to the touch.
Shadow artists often choose shadow careers—those close
to the desired art, even parallel to it, but not the art itself.
Noting their venom, François Truffaut contended that critics
were themselves blocked directors, as he had been when he
was a critic. He may be right. Intended fiction writers often
go into newspapering or advertising, where they can use
their gift without taking the plunge into their dreamed-of
fiction-writing career. Intended artists may become artist
managers and derive a great deal of secondary pleasure
from serving their dream even at one remove.
We have been taught to believe that negative equals
realistic and positive equals unrealistic.
SUSAN JEFFERS