Remembering to have fun with what we love to do

Happy New Year, Everyone! 

The start of the new year is always a time to reflect on the past one and contemplate the current. A lot of artists especially often spend much soul searching in deciding how to revamp or re-inspire their careers. Because art isn’t a need, purchasing art work isn’t a priority to many people. So, what can we do to make sales? 

It’s great to have artist friends to talk over these issues. We support each other and make suggestions; get ideas for trying new projects. Nan McCarthy and I email almost every day and we have great discussions. One of the topics we discussed this week was how it is easy to get so involved in creating work to sell, that we forget to have fun. Yes, we love what we do, but sometimes that goal to “make a living” turns our love of creativity into a “job.”  

Deadlines to exhibits or supplying inventory to a gallery can put added stress on our love of creativity. We can get so mired into producing the next painting that we sometimes forget to experiment and find excitement in the project. We worry if a customer will purchase this picture. We try to find scenes or objects that we think a customer will like. Next thing we know, we are so focused on trying to please someone else that we forget we do this work because we love it.  

There isn’t always a consistent market for artists. Yes, there are those who have a niche doing popular items that sell well, but for most, it’s an upward battle. We may do many exhibits and shows. We may have our work in galleries, but that doesn’t mean there are a lot of sales. 

There is a mental battle, too. We often question ourselves. Is our work good enough? Yes! And yet, we drive ourselves crazy wondering why one month will have good sales and then the next two months will be lousy. We can analyze and beat ourselves up over it, but the bottom line is that it is what it is. It’s being an artist. 

My goal for this year is to improve (as always,) but I also want to make sure to have more fun. I want to go on more adventures. Go out taking photographs just to be out and enjoying the countryside. I want to get away from feeling the stress of what I HAVE to do. Yes, there will still be the jobs, the commissions, the shows and exhibits, but I want to let go of the disappointments when things don’t sell… they don’t always sell… and totally be excited when they do!