Lots of updates lately…
Part One: Powerful Catalysts
Two years ago I had a secure job that was well paying, it had great co-workers, and I was really good at it. But every day that I went to work, I knew in my heart that it wasn’t what I really wanted to do with my life. As the months passed, that message kept getting louder and louder, until one day I finally did something about it. I gave notice without a plan, a tiny bit of savings, and whole lot of determination to just do art.
Two years later and I have had two exhibitions, a couple of community art projects, organized three art events, and made some amazing friends within the artist community. But alongside all that good stuff, life as an artist has not been easy. My sales are low, rejection letters are piling up, and I’m struggling with poverty. I feel stuck, desperate, and frenetic, eager to escape.
This past week has been a bit of a revolution in my life. I listened to a podcast episode recently about art, and have had at least three really powerful conversations about my art career—conversations that have shaken me to my core—all in the last few days. I feel inspired to keep pursing art, make some changes, and put myself and my work out there more.
The journey is often filled with challenges and setbacks, but it is important to stay committed to your craft. Remember that success rarely happens overnight.
Part Two: Opening Up To Change
The journey of an artist is a constant evolution. I'm always learning, always seeking inspiration, and staying open to the endless possibilities of the universe. I love connecting with other artists and creators, watching artists’ videos on YouTube, or scrolling the infinite voids of Pinterest and Instagram, to fill my soul with inspiration and get better as an artist.
One of my favorite ways to get inspiration is subscribing to newsletters. After opening my email the other day, I clicked on a newsletter from the Visionary Art Collective, which contained a link to a podcast episode entitled, “Artists! Let’s Talk About Your Website, Social Media, Bio/Statement & Email Marketing”. I’m not really a podcast girly, but on this particular day, I decided to listen. (Linked below in Resources.)
As the ideas, tips, and bits of advice from the podcast were swirling around my head, I ran into a good friend of mine, and fellow artist who lives in the same town as me. We got to chatting and one of the questions that they asked me is if I had ever thought about leaving the town we’re in, to which I immediately replied, “All the time.” There are many reasons why I don’t like living where I do, but mostly it comes down to I feel like I don’t belong and the opportunities and support for my work feel far away. It was a very emotional conversation, and I’m so thankful for my friend who sat with me in all my big feelings. A couple of days after that I had a very similar conversation with my partner, about pursuing my dreams, moving away, and really getting my butt in gear to put my work out there.
Stay true to yourself and your vision. Keep dreaming, keep creating, and above all, keep believing in the power of your art.
Part Three: All The Little Pieces
The first little change that I made was updating the home page of my website. I listened to the advice from the podcast, simplified my home page, and created a separate ‘About’ page, that is actually three different pages for my bio, artist statement, and CV. I wanted to see how other artists were navigating these choices, so I looked at the websites of five different artists whose work and careers I admire (links below).
I find this exercise to very helpful, in terms of making decisions. When I’m working on my website, because of the nature of Squarespace and all the options contained there within, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to make a choice about how to lay things out. I like researching other artists, seeing what I like about their websites, what I don’t like, and implementing some of that into my own.
Strongly influenced by Fry’s work, I ended up reformatting my CV to be more segmented and clear. Before, I had various experiences under ‘Professional Appointments’, never feeling like that was quite right. After looking at Fry’s CV, I realized I could create way more categories, and now I have ‘Workshops’ and ‘Community Art’ sections. Hopefully, this makes it clearer what I actually do and what’s important to me as an artist.
Building a website as a visual artist is essential. It’s the one corner of the internet where your work isn’t getting lost amongst the crowd, like on social media. It’s important to be clear and present your work well. To that effect I’ve decided to create a photo documentation wall in my home studio, which requires some hole repairs and a fresh coat of paint.
Once I’ve photographed all my work, I’m planning on creating a digital inventory of all my pieces that will include size, medium, and date. This way, I’ll actually know what I have to sell instead of guessing in the dark. It will likely make applications easier as well, since I’ll have quality photos of everything will all the details I need.
My next steps will be finessing my artist statement. I’m thinking of booking an appointment with a professional who will look over my statement and help me develop and refine things. I may also be taking a trip down to the post office to figure out how to ship my paintings. I’ve never done it before, and I have a lot of nervousness around it, but if I want to sell paintings, I need to know how to deliver them internationally.
Part Four: The Ending Is Just The Beginning
Being an artist requires dedication, perseverance, and a willingness to navigate uncertainty. You have to be willing to keep going when everything around you is telling you to give up. Despite the doubts and insecurities that arise, I keep pushing forward, driven by a deep passion for art. I stand resolute, unwavering in my commitment to follow my artistic vision wherever it may lead.
Thank you so much for reading this post. I hope you found it helpful or inspiring in some way. Let me know in the comments any takeaways you got from reading this. Thank you to all the amazing artists who keep going everyday and inspire me to do the same.
Resources
Visionary Art Collective. https://www.visionaryartcollective.com/
The New Visionary Podcast: Episode 86. https://share.transistor.fm/s/e5cb879a
Aimee Henny Brown: https://www.aimeehennybrown.com/
Andrea Soos: https://www.andreasoosart.com/
Autumn Skye: https://autumnskyeart.com/
Ingrid Koenig: http://ingridkoenig.ca/
Victoria J. Fry: https://www.victoriajfry.com/
How to Write an Artist Statement: https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-4-tips-writing-good-artist-statement