That’s right the artist spends everyday struggling with art, trying to make something worthwhile, then on a night out meets the un-cultured person who has a dark and possibly psychotic attitude to artists. Not your average moron this time, but a partial physicist no less. One however that cannot handle the fact I do not care about monetary wealth but care more for art. He decides to spend an hour insulting me in an attempt to rile me to aggression. sure I eventually decide, I do not like him much and insult him back and state that I believe my art is at least as important as his science he eventually looses his cool and punches me full in the face. I take it. I’m a large guy, 6’ 3” and know from experience I can hurt people if i fight back, So i just take the punch and stand my ground. He though throws another and I take that one too, but still do not move or even react. By now the night club I’m in people decide to join my side, as I am evidently not the aggressor and many of them know me. and he’s kicked out.
I haven’t faced this level of aggression since my early twenties and then i may have bothered throwing a punch back, but I’m older and wiser and feel my calm response is a growth and strength.
And maybe it even proves art and culture is better than science and money :)
I at least get to paint naked ladies and create things people will treasure and he gets to look for invisible partials that could destroy the world. I know which I think is the better life and more worthwhile, and don’t need to hti people to find prove it.
Marilyn Brown, 2 months ago
Good on you Samuel! You stood your ground but next time try and block his punches, it pains me to think you have gotten hurt!
Samuel Durkin, 2 months ago
I’m not hurt. As I said he was somewhat smaller than me and the punches kind of bounced off my ugly mug.
Mark Ross, 2 months ago
Sam, maybe you shouldn’t spend your time in such places. Sounds more like a pub then a club! Just think, if you had hit him back, you might have broken your hand. Then how would you paint? This sounds like the little devil on your left shoulder saying, “Hit him Sam, Hit him!” And the little angel on your right shoulder saying, “Take the punch Sam! Take the punch!” Glad you’re ok.
Samuel Durkin, 2 months ago
I’m glad I listen to the right part of my brain, even after I’ve had a few. and normally the place is great, no trouble at all, it’s full of poets, artist. fashion designers, photographers and oddly IT specialists (not sure how that works, but hey we all need a PC working right)? This guy isn’t a regular, although he knows people I know. and I doubt he will show his face in the place again as the door men don’t like people who cause trouble.
The voice to hit him seems to have been subdued because of the the hours of therapy I’ve been through over the last year. I’m now so calm and centred it would take a lot more than a drunk physicist to rile me. :)
CateTownsend, 2 months ago
Love your work Samuel, and glad your feeling calm and centred. You handled the situation really well, some people take out there own insecurities with violence. Your so right it’s not about money and power, that’s what brings about so much destruction in this world.
Marie Magnusson, 2 months ago
oh, glad you’re OK Samuel! maybe he was just jealous that you get to paint naked ladies ;-) seriously though, well done for not stepping into the fight, and trust me, there are some scientists out there who appreciate art (myself included!)
F Magdalene Au..., 2 months ago
Exactly! I’d take a black eye for art any day.
Austin
Marilyn Brown, 2 months ago
The only physicist i know turned his back on his profession and began nude modeling full time for art classes, how’s that for irony. He even features in my portfolio!
MARTISTIC, 2 months ago
I’m the opposite Samuel. In my youth I would have slinked away feeling humiliated and wounded. Now I would probably completely over react, slaughter the guy and paint with his freshly ripped out heart. I think ‘Particle Physicist, Beer and Blood on Canvas’ would sell quite well as a card on Redbubble! Seriously though I think the pursuit of beautiful art whilst looking at naked ladies is a noble cause. I won’t say what I think of most of the theoretical scientists I have heard – enough to say, I don’t think they are beautiful people inside.
Disclaimer: MARTISTIC recognises that there are nice scientists out there that do not physically assault all artistic people they meet!
Marie Magnusson, 2 months ago
@ MARTISTIC – pew, that disclaimer made me feel better, I have a very gentle and art-loving soul although I am a scientist by trade (well, soon anyway, when I hand in my PhD thesis in SEPTEMBER!!)
Samuel Durkin, 2 months ago
I also know scientist aren’t all aggressive. I’d even go so far as to suggest most scientists are level headed rational human beings. Just like everyone else. But it goes to show jerks are everywhere and in all walks of life and intellectual doesn’t always mean sensible. which was a revelation to me.
I didn’t even mention I painted nudes to him. He’d pre-decided what he thought about me and I had no intention of justifying or one upping myself to him. I just listened and told him he was wrong. I think maybe my calmness in the face of his aggression got him more annoyed.
MARTISTIC, 2 months ago
Marie – I hope that anyone who read my comment will realise that it is laced with a generous portion of humour. I sometimes think it is better to laugh at a bad situation as it tends to diffuse its potency. I greatly sympathise with Samuel and find physical assault unnecessary and abhorrent and I find his self control admirable. Good on you Samuel.
Samuel Durkin in reply to Marilyn Brown’s comment, 2 months ago
I like the idea of a scientist turning nude model :) i wonder is it’s ever happened the other way round?
Marion Chapman, 2 months ago
What incredible level of self-control you possess. And what a great outcome to have the guy thrown out.
Samuel Durkin in reply to Marion Chapman’s comment, 2 months ago
Yes Marion, I did feel kind a good knowing I’d outsmarted this scientist with my “worthless, doesn’t contribute anything to society” artistic brain and self control. :)
Marie Magnusson, 2 months ago
hey sorry Samuel to hijack your journal, just in case MARTISTIC pops in again; absolutely no offence taken (scientists and art is something that has popped up several times in the Painters in modern times group discussions and I thin maybe it’s just one of those things, you know, the stocky dry scientist caricature that I like pop)
@Samuel again [this is after all your journal!] a friend of mine earned some extra cash during uni by doing nude-modelling, she’s now a succesful engineer, scientific enough? we all thought it was very funny when the art-teacher complimented her on “her amazing body, so skinny on top and then this…. this large voluptous bum!” eeer, thanks…
Estelle O'Brien, about 1 month ago
Hi Samuel..this is a good story. When my brother, who grew up to have genius level IQ, was a boy of about 6 in England, another boy used to punch him and bully him every day on his way home from school and he used to always come home crying. One day he came home with a bleeding nose. The other boy was much smaller than my brother, and my mother was fed up and told him she would lock him out of the house if he didn’t stand up to the other kid. Next day, my brother came home, not crying, to report he had knocked the other boy to the ground and he wouldn’t be having any more trouble. Mum said “Well, don’t you feel better now?” To which my SIX YEAR OLD brother replied “No…I always knew I was bigger than him”.
The most intersting part of your story to me is that counselling has helped you to feel such a level of calm and self centredness (in the therapeutic, not narcissitic sense). I am a great believer in therapy and the ourney to find our own strength within ourselves…and I am so glad to hear such a positive story. The couple of punches in the nose, whilst of course unpleasant, have shown you how useful and empowering it is. Thanks for sharing.