There are moments in life when the choices we make reveal as much about our fears as they do about our ambitions.
While attending ArtCenter College of Design, I dreamed of pursuing a career as a fine artist. But the uncertainty of making a living through art frightened me. Financial security was appealing, and the prospect of becoming a starving artist was not. So I chose a career in advertising instead.
It was a decision that brought professional success, but also a lingering question: Had I chosen the safer path at the expense of something more meaningful?
Chicken Shit explores that unresolved conflict.
The purple edge represents passion—the desire to create without compromise. The orange edge represents pride—the satisfaction of achievement and professional recognition. Between them, the painted surface fractures under the tension of two competing emotions.
Neither passion nor pride is inherently wrong. Both have shaped my life. But their coexistence has not always been comfortable.
Perhaps the greatest conflict isn't between success and failure, but between the life we choose and the life we wonder about.
There are moments in life when the choices we make reveal as much about our fears as they do about our ambitions.
While attending ArtCenter College of Design, I dreamed of pursuing a career as a fine artist. But the uncertainty of making a living through art frightened me. Financial security was appealing, and the prospect of becoming a starving artist was not. So I chose a career in advertising instead.
It was a decision that brought professional success, but also a lingering question: Had I chosen the safer path at the expense of something more meaningful?
Chicken Shit explores that unresolved conflict.
The purple edge represents passion—the desire to create without compromise. The orange edge represents pride—the satisfaction of achievement and professional recognition. Between them, the painted surface fractures under the tension of two competing emotions.
Neither passion nor pride is inherently wrong. Both have shaped my life. But their coexistence has not always been comfortable.
Perhaps the greatest conflict isn't between success and failure, but between the life we choose and the life we wonder about.
Title: "Chicken Shit"
Artist: Mike Pitzer
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Image Size: 30” W x 48” H x 2 D inches
Signed: MPitzer ‘08
