One thing I have learned (although it took me about 8 years) is that as a parent/artist I can still go to films, gallery openings, concerts, plays etc. but I often have to miss the "hang" after. It is a drag as this is the time you really digest your feelings about what you just saw and spend time with your peers often learning so much.

It was true recently when I saw the really good play called Four Horsemen as I saw it with two of my friends who introduced me to this type of work and I would have loved to hear their thoughts on it. Still, I prefer seeing it with no immediate dialogue than not seeing it at all.

As a parent, I feel that everything, every action, every choice etc. relates somehow to my kids and my family. Unfortunately, this is something that is hard to understand if you don't have kids and I think that I continue to understand this more and more as my kids get older.

tim
p.s. Keep having kids...the world needs more artists! (or environmentalists, or good teachers, or left minded politicians...)