connections

I can't decide if people understand the occupation of a painter. To the question of 'What do you do" I say 'I paint' (or words to that effect). Then people say " Oh my mother used to paint" or "my six year old loved to draw". Isn't that nice, I say. What does that information mean? Are they saying they understand the frustration of trying to capture the atmospheric color change in pond water at dawn on a cold April morning? Are they commiserating-remembering the hours spent working on one's craft? Maybe they recall mother sitting at the kitchen table after her housework is done dabbing away at the paper or canvas copying a pretty picture and getting Oh's and Ah's from her amazed family that the painting looks just like Aunt Felicity.
Satisfaction and joy is felt by both handwringer and dabber. Her family will treasure mom's painting as will the family of of the agonizer. Perhaps the agonizer will develop her art that will reach more people with it's message.
Or, maybe it is simply a way of people connecting with each other on a human level.