Careful what you wish for…
Listening to podcasts for artists, I came across one with Maria Brophy whose husband is a successful artist. She wrote a book on the business side of things which explains how the art business is different than other businesses, which I am so glad I purchased. Artists have to stay true and authentic to their artwork for it to be able to capture an audience with its feeling and quality. At the same time, artists need to consider running their business as a business. That leaves us having to think about marketing and selling our “product” without treating its creation like we are producing a product. That’s a bit of a dilemma! Another issue is up to the recent past, artists were dependent on galleries or a collector with means to be successful. With the internet, that has changed that dependency greatly. Now, we can develop our own “luck” and create a collector base without depending so much on others. Like with all businesses, there does seem to be a bit of luck to have opportunities to open up but in reality, hard and thoughtful work puts us in the position to have that bit of luck. The stereotype of the “starving artist” no longer applies!
This wonderful book asks a lot of questions. Those questions help bring to light the actual goals and hopes of the reader. She has the reader write lists from what it would take for us as individuals to feel like a successful artist to who is our target audience and how to reach them. I wrote these answers down and made my lists. When I created the vision of my ideal life, I was riding horses, teaching dressage, teaching about and evaluating Gypsy Vanners, spending quality time with my husband (my favorite human) and, of course, doing art!! I defined my goals to figure out what it would take to look in the mirror and see a “successful artist”.
An issue I have personally struggled with is not extricating myself out of difficult work situations. As a horse trainer, I need to be persistent (err, stubborn), patient and calm with the horses, which can transfer to my human relationships, as well. I also care a lot about the horses and so this can put me in a position where I work too hard for too many hours and for too little. I love my clients, and I do like the friendships that develop out of my job, even when the professional line gets blurred. When those lines get blurred and unfortunately humans are very good at falling into the “familiarity breeds contempt” phenomenon, things can reach a point of unhappiness for all those involved. When this has happened, I seem to need a giant push to make a change. Sometimes that push is hurtful, often times it’s a relief. Sometimes it’s a huge surprise.
Every time, it has led to new beginnings and opportunities. The thoughts for my artwork and my life seem to have sprouted roots and are growing quickly! Commissions are lining up and I’m able to pick and choose what I want to create. I also have no doubt these commissions will grow into more. I have a lot of ideas how to reach that ideal collector for my art and I’m looking forward to meeting them. I’m looking forward to taking advantage of more time in my day to spend in the studio, continuing to develop my skill set.
So, be careful what you wish for and be prepared for what it brings you!
“The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades”.