An Artist's Rant- Artists Are Not Factories!

Sometimes it's good to offer follow up, as in the above version of "No" that has happily evolved into "No Future". I'm certain to upset some people who choose to be relentlessly "positive" but I don't think this piece is essentially "negative". Rather, it's meant as a beautiful way to deliver bad news. I know that many younger people feel dead ended; they are living at home with parents that they have out grown and can't find meaningful work. Somebody should break it to them, but do it in a visually appealing way. Therefore, the above offering.
But my rant is actually entitled "Artists Are Not Factories!". Really. Ask an artist: have you been told, "Oh, make me another one... but in blue". Or, "Can you do ten more just like that one?" Or even better, "You're creative. Just put all those things (that have absolutely nothing to do with each other) together in an attractive way."
And then of course there's the endless plea for donations of all kinds. I was recently forwarded an email from an organization I know nothing about that claimed I would be lucky to be among the first 400 artists to get my work into a show, where all the work was donated so that this group could benefit. And could you make sure it's under 13 inches on a side? How exactly was I to get anything at all from my involvement? But I suppose we artists have so much free time to just whip up something fabulous for every occasion. Each stipulation imposed on an artists donation is a joke. (Size, color, theme...)
But to return to my original stream of thought: art doesn't just happen. We are not like spigots that can be turned on and off at will. Some days the well is very dry indeed! Studio time is frequently at a premium, and there are so many things tugging at us in so many directions. I know that I (and many other artists) would love to help out (sometimes!) but there has to be a return. No one asks dentists or carpet salesmen to donate things on a daily basis, but some how artists are targets. I realize that the lure of intangible rewards is dangled in front of our noses; those hard to figure benefits like, "You'll attract new collectors" or, "You'll make new contacts" or, "You'll reach a new audience" seem possible. We all spend a lot of time making and framing and delivering work (that quite possibly we'd never have made without this coercion) and then get told we have a day to pick it up when it doesn't sell. Artists all have drawers full of aberrant works that aren't really ours: we did for a cause and now we don't know what to do with these a-typical pieces.
And maybe if you're fortunate enough to be an artist who works in multiples (such as print makers or photographers) this is an easier thing to do. You simply run another edition or get another print made, but for peoples making originals, it's way to much work. There is also the very real possibility that the piece you set out to make doesn't work and  simply wind up wasting time and making a mess. Don't forget that everyone always demands your "newest and best" work!
I think I'm rankling the most from the misguided perception that artists are simply art producing machines. We're cranking out art at so many parts per hour and more than happy to share that wealth of resource. It's exhausting. It's unrealistic. We're not factories!