Skip to main content

How I had the best art year

 

This was the year I got rejection letters from every open call I applied to. Granted, it wasn't very many I applied to because I am very picky about what I sign up for AND I am also very jaded about these things of late. 

However, this was my best art year to date and I kinda love that it was all rejection notices this year and I STILL HAD THE BEST ART YEAR EVER.

Takeaway: Today's open calls are very "agenda based" and the jurors they choose to judge have their agendas. Some want more millennials and younger artists and shun the older artists, some want you to tackle race, gender identity, politics, feminist, pro this or that.... And my art does not. I'm going to stick by  my "Nature is more important than most bullshit" stance till I die because the very atom of life and Nature is more important in my eyes than most of the stuff humans do to feel more important than another group. 

But I digress! I did not get into the velvet rope clubs and it was great. I have been in the velvet rope shows and you know what came of that? Absolutely zero. 🤣 


I got to pay shipping costs to get my work there and back and got to pay for airfare to get to the shows and I didn't sell anything because those shows are designed to pack em in and make money for themselves and while I had fun traveling and feeling important the end result was less money in my pocket. Experience, yes and that is a great thing. My resume is fat because of it but in the end... Not exceptionally fruitful.

This year I took a different approach. I went for the oddball opportunities. Not formal galleries. More community minded venues and working with friends who reached out.



Not only did my art sales rocket but my sense of feeling community and tribe and intense support reached all-time highs. This was so much better than getting lost in the fray of open calls and group shows and feeling empty. 

There is power in tribe and your neighborhood and friendships. No big gallery, no big brand is ever going to give you that feeling. I feel so much gratitude and LOVE by actual people I hold dear. 

This is how I had the best year ever. Bypass pretense, connect authentically with yourself and others and create, create, create. 



I raised my value, I believed in myself and my tribe kept pushing me higher. I created more art than I have in a very long time and have planted seeds for next years growth.

I hope my journey helps you in yours.

You are worth it. ❤️ 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Words!

  Hello! I haven't blogged since last year. Even writing the word "blog" felt foreign and weird! I have actually been writing stuff on my Patreon account so if you've missed the updates you can sign up for free over there. There is also an option to pay a few dollars a month to help support me as an artist and get "extra" content- in case you are of that mindset and either way- thank you for caring about the art adventures.  I have missed blogging actually. I guess I like to make words, string them together like a pretty necklace and let them live their own expressive life wrapped around me.  Times are different. Times are weird! But I guess you know that. And also times are the same and as old as time. Is it really more terrible than any other time or are we humans just more "connected" to the propaganda and daily bad trip in a way that is insane and unhealthy? Either way I do my best to keep my sanity and I don't believe about 98% of what I s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Addicted

  Well it's official. I am addicted. Luckily to nothing horrible. It was bound to happen. I'm addicted to the morning walk...the endorphins...the serotonin...the "me" time....the solitude....the music pumping in my ears...the nature I see and feeling like I control my day.  I'm usually up before the sun and getting as much mileage as my body allows. Sometimes it's more than others but it's always good. I'm going to add in more sprints here and there as "burst" exercises are better for me than long running sessions.  Yes, even on the weekends I'm out doing it. There is no sleeping in and admittedly I woke up at 2:30am and started having my morning coffee in preparation... Even though I will wait till much later to go out. That's how I know it's an addiction.  Currently on Week 6 and haven't missed a workout or even postponed it. I showed up for myself and made myself a priority every morning. I am proud of that and so much LESS...
2 comments
Read more

Everything in it's place

One of photographer Franks Lopez's vintage cameras Last week was a whirlwind of deadlines, bus trips and fun...all culminating in an art show on Saturday night and two glasses of celebratory wine for all my efforts. I had set a goal for three new vinyl works  to be done in about a week and actually made that happen (actually make that 4!). Normally 3 new vinyl pieces would be nothing for me to do in a week but I had challenged myself to work outside my realm of expertise and delve into the world of LED lights, epoxy, drills, bolts and other fascinating construction. The end result is that I can now push my vinyl creations further - the finished piece was well received! Sales were made and sales are pending and a whole new crowd has been exposed to my work. YAY!  I found myself modeling for local photographer Frank Lopez last week and was thrilled because I like his work very much. He was doing "tintypes" and I got to see the whole process in action as well as ex...
Post a Comment
Read more