Woman Storms Out of Wedding After Her Sister Belittles Her, Calling Her Successful Art Career a 'Hobby'

Author image for Ely Bulnes
Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Aug 27, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

Welcome back, goddesses of gossip. It is no secret that artists are often put down, belittled, and under-valued in society despite their influence and contribution to society. There is this idea that if you're not a household name like Picasso, Yves Saint Laurent, Gordon Ramsay, or Meryl Streep, then you cannot follow your artistic passion because you will be poor and begging on the streets. You must either achieve worldwide fame and glory or your artistic pursuits must be sidelined for a 'real' career. The truth is, there are innumerable ways for creatives to make a living. Of course, most of our artistic pursuits did start off as hobbies when we were young. It can be really hard for some naive family members to shake the memory their first impression of your art - an Instagram page, filled with heavily filtered images of your 14 year-old best friends posing on train tracks - and instead grasp the fact that you've improved so much that you're actually now capable of paying your bills through your photography business. 

In our story today, it was our protagonist's sister - not some peripheral relative with no grasp of reality - who belittled her successful artistic career. Read the fully story below, and scroll to the end for sassy comebacks from internet commenters. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    r/AITAH u/Honest Cantaloupe 159.5h AITA for leaving my sister's wedding early after she called my career a "hobby"?
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 02
    So I (26F) just got back from my sister's (28F) wedding last weekend, and I'm still pretty upset about what happened. I'm hoping y'all can give me some perspective because right now, I feel like
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 03
    Some background: My sister Anna and I have always had a complicated relationship. She's the type-A, always-on-top-of-everything, super successful one, while I've always been more laid-back and creative. I'm an artist, and I recently started my own small business selling my paintings and doing commissions. It's been slow, but it's starting to pick up, and I'm really proud of it. But my family, especially Anna, has always been a bit dismissive of my career choice. They don't get why I didn't go th
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 04
    Anyway, fast forward to the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, and I was honestly so happy for her. I even helped out a lot with the planning, even though I wasn't the Maid of Honor (that was her best friend). I was doing my best to be there for her because, despite everything, she's my sister and I love her.
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 05
    At the reception, I finally got a moment alone with Anna to congratulate her. I told her how amazing everything was, how happy I was for her, all that stuff. And she just smiles and says, "Thanks! I'm surprised you actually made it. I figured you'd be too busy with your little hobby business."
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 06
    I was stunned. Like, did she really just call my career a "hobby"? I kinda laughed it off and said, "It's not a hobby, it's my job," but she just shrugged and said, "Well, it's not a real job, but I'm glad you're having fun with it."
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 07
    I didn't know what to say, so I just walked away. I tried to enjoy the rest of the night, but honestly, I couldn't shake what she said. It felt like she was belittling everything I've been working so hard for. So after dinner, I just decided to leave. I didn't say goodbye to her or anyone, I just grabbed my stuff and left.
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 08
    Now, my mom is furious with me for "ruining" the night by leaving early, and Anna hasn't spoken to me since. My dad is trying to stay neutral, but he did say I might've overreacted. I don't know, maybe I did. But it really hurt hearing her say that, especially on her wedding day when I was just trying to support her. AITA for leaving the wedding early? 1,155 499
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 09
    Datura_Rose • 5h NTA. It was rude to begin with, but the fact that that's how she responded to you congratulating her tells me that she was intentionally trying to be hurtful and dismissive. You did not overreact by leaving. Her response to you was incredibly inappropriate. Is it possible there's a little bit of jealousy that your passion has become a sustainable career and that deep down, maybe she's not quite as satisfied with her career? Just a thought. It could also be that she's just an , b
    via u/Datura_Rose
  • 10
    Existing-Bobcat-3776.4h All she had to do was say thank you, I'm so glad you're having fun, and then just stop talking. But noooo, she chose to make that comment on purpose, on her wedding day, completely. unrelated to anything. Yeah, I believe you're right. And OP def NTA. ... 2.4k
    via u/Existing-Bobcat-3776
  • 11
    TieNervous9815 • 4h Yep. How does it go from "Congratulations on your wedding" to your "hobby"? Like she was waiting for the right time to deliberately hurt her. Like her wedding celebration would not be complete without that jab. Just weird... 484
    via u/TieNervous9815
  • 12
    enameledkoi • 4h She was feeling bulletproof, like she could be as rude as she wanted because it was "her special day" and mom is playing right into it. NTA she 1390
    via u/enameledkoi
  • 13
    SorryKaleidoscope • 4h Lots of "successful" people low-key hate their jobs and need to feel superior to anyone who isn't a 9-5 corporate drone. ← 116
    via u/SorryKaleidoscope
  • 14
    MrsBarneyFife • 3h I wonder if it's because OP helped with the wedding. I would guess OP helped in creative areas. Possibly, ones her sister didn't even really care about and otherwise would have ignored. But now the sister has so many people coming up to her and complimenting her on her beautiful wedding. There may have been a lot of compliments about areas that OP handled.
    via u/MrsBarneyFife
  • 15
    about it, even though I So the sister was doubt anyone knew. Her reaction was to knock OP down, and the best way for her to do that was to insult OP's career. It was definitely intentional, but it had to have come from somewhere. Unless OP looked fantastic, which the sister didn't anticipate either? OP, it was most likely said out of jealousy. If she wanted to be cruel, there are many things she could have pulled out, I'm sure. My best guess it was all the help you did with the wedding. 44
    via u/MrsBarneyFife
  • 16
    Moondiscbeam • 3h Yeah, I sense jealousy. The traditional route wasn't all it cracked up to be. It's hard to escape the rat race if you don't have the specific skills and talents to do so.
    via u/Moondiscbeam
  • 17
    SoMoistlyMoist • 5h I always laugh when one angry person claims that the action of another person leaving an event ruins the whole night. That's a lot of pressure on you! Are they saying that the day would have only been perfect as long as you were in attendance and nobody else mattered? That's ridiculous and you should not even entertain the notion. You showed up you made your congratulations and you left because your sister is a smug and Superior Tell your family that they are the ones making
    via u/SoMoistlyMoist
  • 18
    hard_tyrant_dinosaur ⚫ 4h In a lot of cases, including this one, the person that is leaving is doing so in response to poor behavior on the part of someone else. Often that same angry person that later claims it was "ruined". Which makes said claim rather ironic here. If big sister had refrained from making the unnecessary dig, OP wouldn't have left. If the event really was "ruined", the sister ruined it herself.
    via u/hard_tyrant_dinosaur
  • 19
    Side-note. How spiteful and petty does a bride or groom have to be to go out of their way to say unprompted, unnecessary, hurtful, nasty stuff to someone else on their wedding day? It's supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life. Why are they devoting energy to such negativity? 279
    via u/hard_tyrant_dinosaur
  • 20
    BabyGirl_Amelia • 5h NTA. Your sister's comment was hurtful, especially since you were there to support her on her big day. Calling your career a "hobby" undermined the hard work and passion you've put into your art ← Reply 1.4k
    via u/BabyGirl_Amelia
  • 21
    lovebeinganasshole • 5h I mean unless you are borrowing money and in debt to all your friends and family, as we said in the 90s, what's her damage? And omg why is everyone so dramatic? "You ruined the rest of the evening..." come on it must have been wedding if someone not the bride and a groom leaving ruined the evening. NTA. ← Reply 304
    via u/lovebeinganasshole
  • 22
    Gold_Refrigerator414 • 5h NTA. This is weird though, why did she go out of her way to comment that she thought you wouldn't make it? Had you missed other events related the wedding? There has to be more to this. Reply 410
    via u/Gold_Refrigerator414
  • 23
    Honest Cantaloupe 159 OP. 4h Actually, I did miss a couple of things. I couldn't make it to one of the dress fittings because I had a client meeting, and I skipped a family dinner they had with the in-laws because I was finishing up a big commission. But I was at the bridal shower, bachelorette party, and I helped with a bunch of the DIY stuff for the wedding. I tried to be there for the important stuff, you know?
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 24
    So yeah, her comment really threw me off. I get that she might've been a little annoyed I missed some things, but I didn't expect her to make a dig at me like that, especially on her wedding day. It just felt like a cheap shot. To be fair, this isn't the first time she's made a comment like that. She's always been a bit snarky about my art career. Like, she's said before that she doesn't think I can make a "real living" off it, but I thought we were past all that. Guess not. 457
    via u/Honest_Cantaloupe159
  • 25
    Angelinkes 2h . The comment about your career being a "hobby" reflects a deeper issue of respect and validation. It's not just about the wedding; it's about how your sister and family view your professional choices. Your reaction was a way to assert the significance of your career and how it's been undermined. Reply 58 ↓
    via u/Angelinkes
  • 26
    NTA ArnaKarl 2h • You had every right to feel hurt by your sister's dismissive comment about your career. Being an artist and working hard to build a small business is a legitimate career choice, and her minimizing it as a "hobby" was insensitive. Your reaction to leave early was a personal choice to avoid further hurt, and it's understandable that you needed to remove yourself from a painful situation. Reply ↑ 38 ↓
    via u/ArnaKarl
  • 27
    lovebeingana e. 13h I mean unless you are borrowing money and in debt to all your friends and family, as we said in the 90s, what's her damage? And omg why is everyone so dramatic? "You ruined the rest of the evening..." come on it must have been wedding if someone not the bride and a groom leaving ruined the evening. NTA. Reply 4.1k
    via u/lovebeingana
  • 28
    Baby Girl Amelia • 14h NTA. Your sister's comment was hurtful, especially since you were there to support her on her big day. Calling your career a "hobby" undermined the hard work and passion you've put into your art ← Reply 2k
    via u/BabyGirl_Amelia
  • 29
    itspeterj. 13h "Yeah, well I just wanted to come and celebrate your little fling" 31.5k
    via u/itspeterj

Tags

siblings rivalry family drama wedding drama Female Empowerment sisters siblings artist reddit story relationships wedding couples love sister reddit thread Reddit dating
Scroll Down For The Next Article