I have started hanging me art work on my own walls. I always have but now I'm doing more as I am running out of space to store the unsold work. Ironically, I'm procrastinating in selling. Part of me views my current work as experimental and not yet good enough for public display much less to sell. At the same time, I know the quality of many of my pieces is very high and usually elicits a response from viewers. I'm floating in the sea of lack of confidence. Until I change that, I suspect my work will not sell well from the mere fact that I probably do not give my work the recognition it deserves.
I have seen this manifest itself in many ways over the past few months, procrastination, lethargy, self sabotage, avoidance, excuses and even in a few cases, straight you refusal to do more. The only true answer is that at the moment, I feel vulnerable. I am in the transition phase where I am no longer a office going corporate guy but I'm not fully the self supporting artist as well. To push forward will require another leap of faith, jumping off the cliff into the world of retail, be it galleries, on-line or other avenues to sell my work. I think I may have been waiting for someone to give me a little shove but honestly I don't want that. I want to stand up and take a step, any step. I want to break the stagnation that I feel.
Reality is however that I'm not stagnate, not even close. I keep myself busy (most days) and I work at creating new pieces, finishing up old ones, and slowly enter in the world of eBay. So, if I'm doing things in, what I feel is, the right direction, why do I have this nagging feeling of being stagnate? Impatience is a possible culprit. And the impatience may also be coupled with that fact that I know I can do more. I'm having problems adjusting my daily schedule and maintaining a high level of energy to do more. So I want things to change rapidly, but the more rapid things change, the more energy I expel to keep my balance. I wonder what would happen if I give a big push and allow myself to fall down. Falling down isn't all the bad. I'll surround myself with soft pillows so I won't get hurt.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Ugly Duckling or Signpost?
This past week I was working on the forth recommendation of Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth", namely,
"Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day."
This week, I allowed myself to play and experiment a bit more than usual. It was uncomfortable. I have been programmed that failure is a bad thing to be avoided. In order to experiment and try next approaches or techniques, I had to definitely focus on the process more than the outcome (last weeks suggestion). No success, no failure. Here, more so than last week, I notice my compulsion for creating a product. That is to say, I was concerned how the final work my look and/or be received by others. Shaking "failing" was not easily done.
I pondered the "ugly child" metaphor a bit. An ugly child has beauty within, that is to say, the other positive attributes the child has, besides looks. I tried to apply this to my experiments this week. I wanted to see what "value" these experimental works had, what did they have to show me. It was hard to do. I couldn't see it. Given that I am a visual artist, the visual aspect was predominate in my thinking. They didn't look good (according to me) and I also had to suspend my expectations and desires of how the piece "should" look. I could not push my views on it. I had to accept it as is. No easy feat. Painful and frustrating in fact.
A few weeks ago, I was blessed with a stream of images that I am still attempting to capture. All of these are different in theme and technique from my most recent work. They are experiments. In working these pieces specifically, I had tried to keep the suggestions from the "Incomplete Manifesto" in mind, or at least the ones I've attempted to incorporate. The first piece, based on my standard thinking, didn't work out. I didn't like it. But, yet I was proud that I tried to stretch. I put it aside and began the second. Another approach hit me and before using it on the second piece, I returned to the first piece and applied it. After all, I couldn't "wreck" it since I didn't care for it in the first place. It became my sandbox. Low and behold, the new approach added to the piece bring it to life. The reason I didn't like the image was because I hadn't completed it yet. What a revelation! I was too quick to judge. I was ready to throw it out. Now, I can see what steps are now needed to truly finish it. I used the new approach on the second piece from the start and although I like the direction, the feeling is nothing like the first. Maybe the second one will reveal itself later as well.
Some of my experiments may result in a fantastic image, or they may yield nothing. I suspect that they will more often land in the middle, pointing to a new direction or quietly waiting for more knowing that it isn't yet complete. Ugly or a masterpiece, art has the opportunity and possibility to expand beyond the limits I have given it.
This week, I will focus on then next suggestion:
"Go deep. The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value."
"Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day."
This week, I allowed myself to play and experiment a bit more than usual. It was uncomfortable. I have been programmed that failure is a bad thing to be avoided. In order to experiment and try next approaches or techniques, I had to definitely focus on the process more than the outcome (last weeks suggestion). No success, no failure. Here, more so than last week, I notice my compulsion for creating a product. That is to say, I was concerned how the final work my look and/or be received by others. Shaking "failing" was not easily done.
I pondered the "ugly child" metaphor a bit. An ugly child has beauty within, that is to say, the other positive attributes the child has, besides looks. I tried to apply this to my experiments this week. I wanted to see what "value" these experimental works had, what did they have to show me. It was hard to do. I couldn't see it. Given that I am a visual artist, the visual aspect was predominate in my thinking. They didn't look good (according to me) and I also had to suspend my expectations and desires of how the piece "should" look. I could not push my views on it. I had to accept it as is. No easy feat. Painful and frustrating in fact.
A few weeks ago, I was blessed with a stream of images that I am still attempting to capture. All of these are different in theme and technique from my most recent work. They are experiments. In working these pieces specifically, I had tried to keep the suggestions from the "Incomplete Manifesto" in mind, or at least the ones I've attempted to incorporate. The first piece, based on my standard thinking, didn't work out. I didn't like it. But, yet I was proud that I tried to stretch. I put it aside and began the second. Another approach hit me and before using it on the second piece, I returned to the first piece and applied it. After all, I couldn't "wreck" it since I didn't care for it in the first place. It became my sandbox. Low and behold, the new approach added to the piece bring it to life. The reason I didn't like the image was because I hadn't completed it yet. What a revelation! I was too quick to judge. I was ready to throw it out. Now, I can see what steps are now needed to truly finish it. I used the new approach on the second piece from the start and although I like the direction, the feeling is nothing like the first. Maybe the second one will reveal itself later as well.
Some of my experiments may result in a fantastic image, or they may yield nothing. I suspect that they will more often land in the middle, pointing to a new direction or quietly waiting for more knowing that it isn't yet complete. Ugly or a masterpiece, art has the opportunity and possibility to expand beyond the limits I have given it.
This week, I will focus on then next suggestion:
"Go deep. The deeper you go the more likely you will discover something of value."
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Do Something
"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." - Shira Tehrani
Friday, July 11, 2008
I Expect You to Read This
A buzz word for me this week has been "expectations". I looked up the definition, which said, the act of expecting. That didn't explain it to me so I looked up "expecting".
1. a. To look forward to the probable occurrence or appearance of:
b. To consider likely or certain: expect to see them soon.
2. To consider reasonable or due:
3. To consider obligatory; require:
4. Informal To presume; suppose.
The last definition of the informal use, "to presume", triggered me. This is why I have been struggling with expecations lately, others expectations of me, and my expecations of others and myself. The focus is on the future and are often undeclared. (The undeclared expectations get me in trouble all the time.) All of a sudden, I see this word with a lot of power and influence now only on the future but also on how I feel and respond in the present and how I remember the past. It also impacts how I interact with others and the world. I gravitate towards people and situations where my expectations are fulfilled and drift away from situations where they are not. I end up manipulating my situation and my attitudes so that my expectations are realized one way or another.
If I expect something to happen tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, something else had occurred, my expectations go unfulfilled. If my expectations continue to go unfulfilled, I remember that they have been lacking for a while and I noticed that my expectations change in such a way that I expect that they will be unfulfilled and thereby, I fulfill my new expectations, my expectation that my original expectations will not come true. My memory of the past influences what I want in the future. I don't want to be disappointed so I change the expectations to fit what "will" be coming along. On the flip side, if I often get what I want then over time, I learn to expect that I will get what I want. One way or another, my expectations will be realized. I heard it often described as writing my story. I have a story to that describes me, what has happened to me and what will happen to me. That story are my expectations.
So I throw in the exercise of focusing on the process and not the outcome and things get interesting for me. Expectations are focused on the future often outcomes. Therefore, the power of expectations may be reduced by concentrating on the here and now and doing instead of what might happen in the future. Wow! I can't imagine the impact of "letting go". My head is spinning a bit from all of this but I think there is something here. I wonder what is the impact of minimizing the effects of expectations. Perhaps that will free me to be more present in the moment and less critical in general. Perhaps this will help me "get out of the way" and let things unfold naturally. I don't think it is possible to eliminate expectations but I can see how changing them can play a pivotal role in the idea of positive thinking and manifestion. I can also see how reducing my concentration on them may change me to be more open and flexible.
When I sat down to write this afternoon, I had no idea what I was going to write about. I was without any expectations except that I would write something. I experienced exactly what I presupposed what would happen. It appears to me that my expectations were fulfilled once again.
1. a. To look forward to the probable occurrence or appearance of:
b. To consider likely or certain: expect to see them soon.
2. To consider reasonable or due:
3. To consider obligatory; require:
4. Informal To presume; suppose.
The last definition of the informal use, "to presume", triggered me. This is why I have been struggling with expecations lately, others expectations of me, and my expecations of others and myself. The focus is on the future and are often undeclared. (The undeclared expectations get me in trouble all the time.) All of a sudden, I see this word with a lot of power and influence now only on the future but also on how I feel and respond in the present and how I remember the past. It also impacts how I interact with others and the world. I gravitate towards people and situations where my expectations are fulfilled and drift away from situations where they are not. I end up manipulating my situation and my attitudes so that my expectations are realized one way or another.
If I expect something to happen tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, something else had occurred, my expectations go unfulfilled. If my expectations continue to go unfulfilled, I remember that they have been lacking for a while and I noticed that my expectations change in such a way that I expect that they will be unfulfilled and thereby, I fulfill my new expectations, my expectation that my original expectations will not come true. My memory of the past influences what I want in the future. I don't want to be disappointed so I change the expectations to fit what "will" be coming along. On the flip side, if I often get what I want then over time, I learn to expect that I will get what I want. One way or another, my expectations will be realized. I heard it often described as writing my story. I have a story to that describes me, what has happened to me and what will happen to me. That story are my expectations.
So I throw in the exercise of focusing on the process and not the outcome and things get interesting for me. Expectations are focused on the future often outcomes. Therefore, the power of expectations may be reduced by concentrating on the here and now and doing instead of what might happen in the future. Wow! I can't imagine the impact of "letting go". My head is spinning a bit from all of this but I think there is something here. I wonder what is the impact of minimizing the effects of expectations. Perhaps that will free me to be more present in the moment and less critical in general. Perhaps this will help me "get out of the way" and let things unfold naturally. I don't think it is possible to eliminate expectations but I can see how changing them can play a pivotal role in the idea of positive thinking and manifestion. I can also see how reducing my concentration on them may change me to be more open and flexible.
When I sat down to write this afternoon, I had no idea what I was going to write about. I was without any expectations except that I would write something. I experienced exactly what I presupposed what would happen. It appears to me that my expectations were fulfilled once again.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Sell it on eBay!
Commercialism is a rush!
I just finished setting up my eBay Store for Nolan Studios (http://stores.ebay.com/nolanstudios). I expect to have items listed by the end of the week. I am currently experiencing a rush of adrenaline coupled with a bit of anxiety. This is uncharted territory for me. I like the idea of being a "shopkeeper." It feels so medieval. Since I quit my corporate job to focus on art full time, the past 3 months have been packed with first experiences and there seemed to be no end in sight. Change is coming faster and faster, and with it, I'm doing more and more. It seems to feed on each other. The more I do, the more things change. The more things change, the more I do. Along with it, I am gaining a rise in personal energy. Today was one of the most productive days I've had in ages or even perhaps ever. I'm very excited. Just one more day on the emotional roller coaster.
The excitement today is originating from the idea that it is possible to step outside of the conventional norm and thrive. I have been having doubts. What I mean by stepping outside the norm is being true to myself, deciding specifically not to follow the crowd or societal expectations, but to do my own "thing." I have hope now. Hope for the future, hope for the present. I am willing to try for the sake of trying, not for what might come out of it. I don't think I could have said that in the past. I always felt constrained, limited, suppressed, intimidated. Sure, I was successful, according to the definition of others, but I never felt that way. I always felt like I fell short. The truth is, I was falling short, according to my standards. And with falling short, I criticized myself and others. That didn't help AT ALL! If fact, I think it made things worse. I was so focus on the flaws of others, I distracted myself from seeing what I wanted, what I needed to work on, how I could be a better person, how I had the potential to make myself happy.
So what I noticed about being true to myself is that I have to let go. (No, this is not an ad for Alcoholic Anonymous - Let go, Let God. Never a bad idea however.) I have to let go of expectations, those I have for myself, those I have for others, and those others may have for me. Only then can I truly be true to myself, step outside convention and do my thing. I want to focus my energy on what I have control over, namely me. Everyone else can go do their thing while I do mine. This all sounds very good to me. I'm not there yet.
What does this have to do with eBay? Today, I let go of the negative comments I have heard that one cannot make money selling art on eBay. I think I may have even repeated it (if not believed it) myself. Before I pushed the button, a wave of anxiety hit me. That was all I needed to feel to KNOW this was the right thing to do. I threw away old expectations and beliefs based on hearsay and conjecture (I wonder how much fact actually lives in expectations) and pushed the button. Instantaneously, the anxiety turned into excitement for what may happen next, what door this may have opened. Old habits are hard to break but I think it is time for me to let go some more. I enjoy being an artist and a shopkeeper.
I just finished setting up my eBay Store for Nolan Studios (http://stores.ebay.com/nolanstudios). I expect to have items listed by the end of the week. I am currently experiencing a rush of adrenaline coupled with a bit of anxiety. This is uncharted territory for me. I like the idea of being a "shopkeeper." It feels so medieval. Since I quit my corporate job to focus on art full time, the past 3 months have been packed with first experiences and there seemed to be no end in sight. Change is coming faster and faster, and with it, I'm doing more and more. It seems to feed on each other. The more I do, the more things change. The more things change, the more I do. Along with it, I am gaining a rise in personal energy. Today was one of the most productive days I've had in ages or even perhaps ever. I'm very excited. Just one more day on the emotional roller coaster.
The excitement today is originating from the idea that it is possible to step outside of the conventional norm and thrive. I have been having doubts. What I mean by stepping outside the norm is being true to myself, deciding specifically not to follow the crowd or societal expectations, but to do my own "thing." I have hope now. Hope for the future, hope for the present. I am willing to try for the sake of trying, not for what might come out of it. I don't think I could have said that in the past. I always felt constrained, limited, suppressed, intimidated. Sure, I was successful, according to the definition of others, but I never felt that way. I always felt like I fell short. The truth is, I was falling short, according to my standards. And with falling short, I criticized myself and others. That didn't help AT ALL! If fact, I think it made things worse. I was so focus on the flaws of others, I distracted myself from seeing what I wanted, what I needed to work on, how I could be a better person, how I had the potential to make myself happy.
So what I noticed about being true to myself is that I have to let go. (No, this is not an ad for Alcoholic Anonymous - Let go, Let God. Never a bad idea however.) I have to let go of expectations, those I have for myself, those I have for others, and those others may have for me. Only then can I truly be true to myself, step outside convention and do my thing. I want to focus my energy on what I have control over, namely me. Everyone else can go do their thing while I do mine. This all sounds very good to me. I'm not there yet.
What does this have to do with eBay? Today, I let go of the negative comments I have heard that one cannot make money selling art on eBay. I think I may have even repeated it (if not believed it) myself. Before I pushed the button, a wave of anxiety hit me. That was all I needed to feel to KNOW this was the right thing to do. I threw away old expectations and beliefs based on hearsay and conjecture (I wonder how much fact actually lives in expectations) and pushed the button. Instantaneously, the anxiety turned into excitement for what may happen next, what door this may have opened. Old habits are hard to break but I think it is time for me to let go some more. I enjoy being an artist and a shopkeeper.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Process, Process, Process
Last week, I tried to incorporate the third recommendation from Bruce Mau's "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" which is:
"Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there."
I found this one fascinating, mainly due to my past life in corporate America as a Six Sigma Black Belt, or the process efficiency guy.
Everything is a process. Every process has and outcome. Every outcome has a process. It is a question of priorities. When the outcome is emphasized (as in business), the process is refined and tweaked to ensure that the outcome is repeatably, predictably, of the highest quality for the lowest cost. Makes sense if your a factory and you want to make 100,000 widgets that are all the same. The flip side, which is what this week was about, is placing emphasis on the process and allowing the process to naturally produce the outcome. I interpreted this approach along the lines of the old adage "its the journey, not the destination that matters." There's a lot here, not just in a heady, philosophical way but also in a daily pragmatic approach to things.
First, I had to undo years of training and work experience. No easy task. I think I only began to untie the knot. Towards the end of the week I was equating it to un-brainwashing me. For me, the process-outcome connection was learned and fortified over the years. Start with what you want in the end and then back into the process or series of tasks to make it happen. And by the way, make it happen the same every time, as cheap as possible. As an artist, this approach limits me. I limit myself by creating in advance of the creation what I want it to be.
Recognizing that I was handicapped in breaking my old habits, I began to play with the process, focusing on the process and not worrying about the result it may produce. Images I had had for some time I found the courage to tackle. In the past, my thoughts would have circled around things such as "I don't know how to technically achieve that look," or "I can't do that," or "It won't look right," etc. You get the point. I was self sabotaging. So I wouldn't start. Focusing on the "doing" part versus the "result" part freed me from those old thoughts. They hold no value if I am playing with "what if I do this or that". That was the first big thing I noticed. I started doing more, starting doing new.
The other thing I noticed was that my process became creative itself. I changed the order of the steps, I changed the tools I used, the colors I used and even the media in a few cases. All under the guise of "what if". I had fun. I enjoyed the experimentation and, to top it off, the results I also enjoyed. I didn't just like them, I enjoyed them. I felt accomplishment not only from what I did, but the entire time I was doing it. Focusing on the process extended my sense of accomplishment, appreciation and gratitude well beyond the final product. And, I am excited to go back and try again, to do more. I have a sense of curiosity. What will happen next.
Of course the outcomes are not a complete surprise. As a rational person I know that a certain process automatically aims me to produced something withing the realm of what I was thinking. The details however are determined in flight by the process of the day, of the moment. That is the fun part. That is the creative part.
I like that I can see and do this from both perspectives, process-outcome and outcome-process. There are some things that are not open or beneficial to be nebulous and up for grabs. The other things, the creative things I do, definitely benefit from me letting go and allowing. This I think is the biggest benefit of focusing on the process. It allows me to let go and allow things to unfold naturally. I get out of the way.
This week, I'm exploring:
"Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day."
"Process is more important than outcome. When the outcome drives the process we will only ever go to where we've already been. If process drives outcome we may not know where we’re going, but we will know we want to be there."
I found this one fascinating, mainly due to my past life in corporate America as a Six Sigma Black Belt, or the process efficiency guy.
Everything is a process. Every process has and outcome. Every outcome has a process. It is a question of priorities. When the outcome is emphasized (as in business), the process is refined and tweaked to ensure that the outcome is repeatably, predictably, of the highest quality for the lowest cost. Makes sense if your a factory and you want to make 100,000 widgets that are all the same. The flip side, which is what this week was about, is placing emphasis on the process and allowing the process to naturally produce the outcome. I interpreted this approach along the lines of the old adage "its the journey, not the destination that matters." There's a lot here, not just in a heady, philosophical way but also in a daily pragmatic approach to things.
First, I had to undo years of training and work experience. No easy task. I think I only began to untie the knot. Towards the end of the week I was equating it to un-brainwashing me. For me, the process-outcome connection was learned and fortified over the years. Start with what you want in the end and then back into the process or series of tasks to make it happen. And by the way, make it happen the same every time, as cheap as possible. As an artist, this approach limits me. I limit myself by creating in advance of the creation what I want it to be.
Recognizing that I was handicapped in breaking my old habits, I began to play with the process, focusing on the process and not worrying about the result it may produce. Images I had had for some time I found the courage to tackle. In the past, my thoughts would have circled around things such as "I don't know how to technically achieve that look," or "I can't do that," or "It won't look right," etc. You get the point. I was self sabotaging. So I wouldn't start. Focusing on the "doing" part versus the "result" part freed me from those old thoughts. They hold no value if I am playing with "what if I do this or that". That was the first big thing I noticed. I started doing more, starting doing new.
The other thing I noticed was that my process became creative itself. I changed the order of the steps, I changed the tools I used, the colors I used and even the media in a few cases. All under the guise of "what if". I had fun. I enjoyed the experimentation and, to top it off, the results I also enjoyed. I didn't just like them, I enjoyed them. I felt accomplishment not only from what I did, but the entire time I was doing it. Focusing on the process extended my sense of accomplishment, appreciation and gratitude well beyond the final product. And, I am excited to go back and try again, to do more. I have a sense of curiosity. What will happen next.
Of course the outcomes are not a complete surprise. As a rational person I know that a certain process automatically aims me to produced something withing the realm of what I was thinking. The details however are determined in flight by the process of the day, of the moment. That is the fun part. That is the creative part.
I like that I can see and do this from both perspectives, process-outcome and outcome-process. There are some things that are not open or beneficial to be nebulous and up for grabs. The other things, the creative things I do, definitely benefit from me letting go and allowing. This I think is the biggest benefit of focusing on the process. It allows me to let go and allow things to unfold naturally. I get out of the way.
This week, I'm exploring:
"Love your experiments (as you would an ugly child). Joy is the engine of growth. Exploit the liberty in casting your work as beautiful experiments, iterations, attempts, trials, and errors. Take the long view and allow yourself the fun of failure every day."
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
How Much Does It Cost?
My block has been removed, hopefully for a while. I don't enjoy being blocked. This week, I have been painting up a storm. In fact, I don't have enough space to do all the things I want to so I am pacing myself. I'm also running low on supplies which should be arriving in a day or so (how did we live without the Internet?). Regardless, I have things I want to do, namely marketing.
From many artist I speak with, or people in general, marketing is not easy. I fall into this category as well. I find it difficult not only putting a price on my work but also then hitting the pavement and attempting to get it sold. It is far from glamorous but a necessity if I plan to eat in the future. I have found that art fairs are a lot of work and little in way of sales. I am beginning to think that many people who go to art fairs are not serious art buyers but using it more for entertainment. I'm okay with that and recognition is always a good thing but at some point I want cash not just accolades. I have often tried galleries and will attempt them again in the future. There the clientele is more serious but I am limited by the gallery owner selecting me and then turning the shows over quickly so their clients don't get bored. It is all part of the game but not to my benefit.
So now, I'm in the process of attaining a representative. I view them as my sales and marketing arm. This is what they are good at, they have the connections, my work is accessible to their client 100% of the time and the best part, I don't have to do it. It seems like a win-win to me.
The final step however to all of these avenues is pricing. What is that magic dollar amount the people are willing to spend and I am willing to release my work for? There is a special number. But the number changes depending on a number of factors such as the piece, the area, the artist popularity and other subjective variables. And there lies the issue. The criteria used to determine a price is subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and since art is a commodity, at the end of the day, all the criteria gets thrown out of the window in I end up in a negotiation for the art work. No, I am not willing to take anything they throw at me. My work has value.
That got me thinking. What other things in my life are subjective that others or myself place value? I think most things in my life are subjective and the value changes, everything from relationships with others to the price of my house or car. And many values are determined (or dictated) by others, imposed on me, or at least if feels that way. If my priorities, likes or goals don't line up with others, how are we to find the common value? I may hold value of something that someone else finds meaningless and visa-versa. I haven't met anyone who has the exact same priorities, likes or goals. It is quite a dilemma. I don't have an answer.
A storm is approaching on this warm July afternoon so I want to finish up, move inside and close up the windows. I value my life (priceless) and I'm not in the mood to be struck by lightening, at least not today.
From many artist I speak with, or people in general, marketing is not easy. I fall into this category as well. I find it difficult not only putting a price on my work but also then hitting the pavement and attempting to get it sold. It is far from glamorous but a necessity if I plan to eat in the future. I have found that art fairs are a lot of work and little in way of sales. I am beginning to think that many people who go to art fairs are not serious art buyers but using it more for entertainment. I'm okay with that and recognition is always a good thing but at some point I want cash not just accolades. I have often tried galleries and will attempt them again in the future. There the clientele is more serious but I am limited by the gallery owner selecting me and then turning the shows over quickly so their clients don't get bored. It is all part of the game but not to my benefit.
So now, I'm in the process of attaining a representative. I view them as my sales and marketing arm. This is what they are good at, they have the connections, my work is accessible to their client 100% of the time and the best part, I don't have to do it. It seems like a win-win to me.
The final step however to all of these avenues is pricing. What is that magic dollar amount the people are willing to spend and I am willing to release my work for? There is a special number. But the number changes depending on a number of factors such as the piece, the area, the artist popularity and other subjective variables. And there lies the issue. The criteria used to determine a price is subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and since art is a commodity, at the end of the day, all the criteria gets thrown out of the window in I end up in a negotiation for the art work. No, I am not willing to take anything they throw at me. My work has value.
That got me thinking. What other things in my life are subjective that others or myself place value? I think most things in my life are subjective and the value changes, everything from relationships with others to the price of my house or car. And many values are determined (or dictated) by others, imposed on me, or at least if feels that way. If my priorities, likes or goals don't line up with others, how are we to find the common value? I may hold value of something that someone else finds meaningless and visa-versa. I haven't met anyone who has the exact same priorities, likes or goals. It is quite a dilemma. I don't have an answer.
A storm is approaching on this warm July afternoon so I want to finish up, move inside and close up the windows. I value my life (priceless) and I'm not in the mood to be struck by lightening, at least not today.
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