Image by cranky messiah, shared under a Creative Commons Licence
“Ah, ha! You’re unemployed then?”
What I Said Then:
“No, I have a job, and I do this in my free time to build up my portfolio.”
What I Say Now:
“No, this is my job.”
“So, you go to a show and write about whether it’s good or not. Is that what you do?”
What I Said Then:
“Well, actually there’s a lot more to it than that..”
What I Say Now:
“Yes. Jealous, much?”
Yes, but, if you’re an arts critic, why don’t you review actual ART?”
What I Said Then:
“Well, I wasn’t trained to review visual art.”
What I Say Now:
“The phrase ‘The Arts’ is an umbrella term for many creative industries, however, I’m not particularly interested in visual art, so I don’t write about it.”
“How do you make any money?”
What I Said Then:
“Well, it is possible, and there is money to be made from arts criticism, I’m sure.”
What I Say Now:
“I have other jobs.”
“What are you really going to do with your life?”
What I Said Then:
“…..”
What I Say Now:
“Spend the rest of it avoiding you.”
“Are you going to move to London?”
What I Said Then:
“London? LONDON? London is big and scary! No way!”
What I Say Now:
“That is something I will have to consider in the future.”
“What will you do when your editor asks you to write a positive review of something, regardless of how you feel about it?”
What I Said Then:
“What are you talking about? That doesn’t happen.”
What I Say Now:
“I would refuse. That isn’t who I am.”
The Taylor Trash 
Being an arts critic looks to be very stressful, though I still regret I didn’t look into journalism in college knowing how important a part the internets would play. You are following a rough path, but keep at it!
Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard, but it’s so much fun. I’ve come this far, so I can’t quit now!