This week’s guests were Stephen Gracia, a playwright, and Michael LoPorto, a director, and they provided us with useful insight into the art industry and how they approach their work. I was surprised to hear that art is not their main income and that they do it out of joy since this differs from previous guests. I enjoyed when Michael LoPorto was not hesitant to say that just because someone is wealthy, does not mean they have an artistic eye. He mentioned that when some people offer their opinions, they are bad and make no sense which is a level of authenticity that I greatly appreciate since so many artists get commercialized. However, Michael did mention that when getting paid for his art he must make a compromise with the suggested ideas even if they are not so great. Another aspect that I enjoyed was hearing that the best art is created when there is no monetary or corporate restrictions since they can create whatever they want. There is no need for compromise and is pure art coming from the artists, like how they envisioned it and it is purely what they wanted to produce. I enjoyed the work of both artists and also enjoyed how the idea of art was explored at the end of class. Defining what art is can be difficult since it varies from person to person but being able to hear and understand the perspective of others was a great insight into how one’s background and life can impact their perspective. These artists set great examples for how other artists should be and that it is possible to be an artist without it being your primary source of income. In essence, Michael LoPorto and Stephen Gracia were very helpful in expanding my understanding of art and what it represents.