Today I’m going to share with you a bit about being a professional artist, beyond the art making.
There’s a whole other side to being an artist that does not come naturally to most artists, and definitely did to come naturally to me.
If we want to be successful, we have to understand business, how to market ourselves, how to advocate for yourself when no one else will, to believe in yourself when no one else will.
How to edit files and take photos and document our work and our process, be videographer, photographer, editor, actor and director all in one. How to create pdfs and send out emails, package and ship your work, schedule and manage your time and projects, how to run and manage an online shop and website and social media accounts.
Of course you can hire someone to help some with of of these roles, but that’s not always realistic when most artists already have to pay for both a place to live and an art studio, on top of art supplies and all the other expenses required.
I’m not complaining, any job has its challenges. And running your own business is always going to be difficult, which is why not a lot of people do it. Being your own boss is equally amazing and awful at the same time.
On days when I’m not feeling good or feeling my best, it’s hard for me to see the beauty in my work or the potential in an idea. It requires momentum, and sometimes that energy is just not there. So I have to learn when to take a day off, when to shift my focus or when to let an idea go and try something new.
This collection was actually a lot of fun, it had its own challenges but by the 4th painting I had figured out my method and process that worked for me.
Thanks for reading :)
