A blog is a bit like a diary before anyone is really looking at it. It makes me not want to share it. When things are feeling like you're very much in the middle of a struggle, that is when the story is most interesting, right? That's what you want to read. The conflict or struggle makes to story relate-able. There is something to fight for. To fight against. The persevere. Well, I'm going through it.
In May, I'll be two years at trying my hand being an entrepreneur. I'm not really making much money. I'm feeling the struggle right now. If I weren't being supported right now, it would be impossible to live day to day trying this. How do I make it click? Make it move? Connect people? Maybe I'm not trying hard enough.
No one who knows me personally would want to hear this. It makes us feel uncomfortable to be confronted by the daily struggles of our acquaintances instead of the pleasant nothings we comfort each other with in our public dialogues. But you, stranger, I hope it comforts you.
I've been recently working with reverse income in mind. In October, I made my own wedding dress. Now, I'm working on Christmas gift paintings, telling myself that they'll add to my commissions folder and another month without income will be fine because I am making handmade thoughtful and very valuable gifts. SIGH. I don't feel like I'm succeeding unless I'm contributing to the household income. I want it very, very badly.
With dwindling reserves to invest in show entry fees and advertisements, I'm feeling the pressure and stress of where to try and put myself out there with the highest possibility of exposure and return. I just read about putting an ad in a local paper or two as being usually remotely successful for portrait painters. I may try it. I still need to apply to the successful shows that I was in last year, but I must invest in a new e-z-up tent cover, as mine is ruined. It is not all roses, no matter my positive attitude in public.
I, and all other artists, hate the term starving artist. And so it is, that if you are not seen constantly to be positive and successful, hiding what is your struggle, you are susceptible to the label. I am not starving. I am struggling as an entrepreneur, not an artist. I am constantly working through new pieces and adding to my inventory. I struggle with marketing, confidence, introverted tendencies, and risk taking, not the actual artwork.
With the current state of fear here in the states of whether our entire world will be thrown off balance by a wild and uneducated new President-Elect, it's hard enough for me to pretend everything will be normal and the same in my future and to try and work in that world. In reality, I am going to have to adapt to making a living in the unpredictable chaos that will be our next four years. It's obviously going to be difficult to do.
It's been a hard day... but I did still paint in spite of it all. And so I will tomorrow.
-Abby
Monday, November 28, 2016
Monday, October 17, 2016
Pilot
Oh. Hello there. :D
I've decided to start a blog. Finally.
As a ramble-y sort of person who thinks out loud, a blog is great. I can let all of this word jumble out and just leave it here for you. You poor poor person who has found my blog.
I apologize.
Since I am an artist, I plan on posting about art that I make, have stumbled upon, and ideas surrounding art. Also, I'm going to post about whatever I want and like. Baths. Cake. Cats. You get it.
So, about how I got here.
About a year and a half ago, I quit my day job. It was really hard to do; as in, I felt guilty quitting. I thought about doing it for a year and it took me that whole year to build my confidence so that I could one; give myself permission and do what I want with my life, and two; disappoint my boss by sitting down and telling them to their face that I wanted to leave to do something else. I was doing graphic design for a small business. It was fine, but after 3 years, it wasn't challenging.
So, in May of 2015, I quit.
I started painting like mad. I did so much research and read art business books. (If you're going to read one, I recommend Art & Fear.) Youtube videos are so inspiring. I went out and visited so many art shows. In 2016, I had gotten into and sold at 5 different outdoor shows. Two flipped a profit. I'm not easily discouraged.
I recently invested in a nice home printing setup and opened up an Etsy store to sell prints of my work. A few people that I know started buying prints. They say you need many baskets. Like, of eggs or something... anyways, you know, many different revenue stream options.
It's all still starting to grow, so it's a bit of an uneasy time. In a Colour in Your Life video that I keep going back to, (I'll put the link at the bottom) I remember an artist saying that the reality is that you need someone who supports you for those startup years that you need to get going. It's invaluable. It's necessary. It's the biggest help an artist can receive. My s/o is doing that for me and I'm ridiculously grateful. I remember all the time to bring it up and thank them. I can't wait to contribute again. I write a lot of lists and the top of my goals list is to bring my equal share to the table again as soon as I can.
Being mindfully grateful and trying to live your life slowly has increased my overall happiness. by the way. I highly recommend actively thinking about it. Breathe. Slow down where you are. Think. Think about what you are grateful for.
We're getting married in less than two weeks. For all of October I've been hand altering my own wedding dress. It's been fun like a senior fabrics class final project is fun. There's a deadline, but you'll be proud that you made the thing. After the big party times, I'll be back to painting full-time and putting up work. I've been quite restless not being able to devote time to painting.
Until then,
Coffee and thread,
Hemming and pins,
Abby
I've decided to start a blog. Finally.
As a ramble-y sort of person who thinks out loud, a blog is great. I can let all of this word jumble out and just leave it here for you. You poor poor person who has found my blog.
I apologize.
Since I am an artist, I plan on posting about art that I make, have stumbled upon, and ideas surrounding art. Also, I'm going to post about whatever I want and like. Baths. Cake. Cats. You get it.
So, about how I got here.
About a year and a half ago, I quit my day job. It was really hard to do; as in, I felt guilty quitting. I thought about doing it for a year and it took me that whole year to build my confidence so that I could one; give myself permission and do what I want with my life, and two; disappoint my boss by sitting down and telling them to their face that I wanted to leave to do something else. I was doing graphic design for a small business. It was fine, but after 3 years, it wasn't challenging.
So, in May of 2015, I quit.
I started painting like mad. I did so much research and read art business books. (If you're going to read one, I recommend Art & Fear.) Youtube videos are so inspiring. I went out and visited so many art shows. In 2016, I had gotten into and sold at 5 different outdoor shows. Two flipped a profit. I'm not easily discouraged.
I recently invested in a nice home printing setup and opened up an Etsy store to sell prints of my work. A few people that I know started buying prints. They say you need many baskets. Like, of eggs or something... anyways, you know, many different revenue stream options.
It's all still starting to grow, so it's a bit of an uneasy time. In a Colour in Your Life video that I keep going back to, (I'll put the link at the bottom) I remember an artist saying that the reality is that you need someone who supports you for those startup years that you need to get going. It's invaluable. It's necessary. It's the biggest help an artist can receive. My s/o is doing that for me and I'm ridiculously grateful. I remember all the time to bring it up and thank them. I can't wait to contribute again. I write a lot of lists and the top of my goals list is to bring my equal share to the table again as soon as I can.
Being mindfully grateful and trying to live your life slowly has increased my overall happiness. by the way. I highly recommend actively thinking about it. Breathe. Slow down where you are. Think. Think about what you are grateful for.
Until then,
Coffee and thread,
Hemming and pins,
Abby
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