Related, my wife is a visual artist and she finds it quite maddening that a typical conversation with a stranger goes: Q: So what do you do? A: I'm a scul

Related, my wife is a visual artist and she finds it quite maddening that a typical conversation with a stranger goes: Q: So what do you do? A: I'm a sculptor. Q: Oh, how do you sell enough to make a living at that? There are several alternative formulations focused on money, like, "who do you sell your work to", or "who bought your last piece". Always about the money. Very rarely, "what material", or "where can I see your work", or "where's your studio".