There’s an elephant in the room. If you’re an artist you know what I’m speaking of.
The part of the artists life that everyone sees are the days when we are out in public. Painting, doing shows, hanging paintings, instructing, etc. We do tend to be a smiling cheerful bunch, who doesn’t love to talk about our own art? Artists tend to have a knack for blabbering on and on with no gates when it comes to talking about our own art.
Generally speaking artists have a pretty cheerful demeanour and are pleased with the life they’ve chosen. But ask any artist how’s it going and you’d be hard pressed to get an honest answer when they are really in the basement digging holes.
In any normal career the bi-weekly paycheque is usually all that is needed for confidence building or just feeling valued.
Artists, on the other hand are emotionally attached to most if not all of their paintings. We always think our last one was the best one yet, and it will be sold fast, for sure! Right?
But then time passes.
And passes.
And passes.
Soon we’ve moved on, painting another, then another, etc.
Sometimes many days, weeks and let me tell you, I’ve seen months pass between sales. It’s very hard for artists to make it through those long dry times.
While not so much in recent years, but I do know the long droughts. How miserable an artist can be! My uncle Jack Reid ( Passed) used to say of himself, “I’m very hard to live with”.
As time passes we become mature and come face to face with the real reason we paint, it’s truly because we must. It’s an internal drive like no other. Painting fills a void inside like nothing else. So regardless of compensation we simply must paint!
My message to all artists who are discouraged and feeling the pain: Keep painting! Heads up and forge on. I know you’re hardship as well as anyone could and I’ve certainly acquired my scars fair and square. I’ve also seen the rewards and yours will come.
I still allow myself to roll around in the muck from time to time but Thank God every day, blessings come. So hang in there. Better days are coming!
The part of the artists life that everyone sees are the days when we are out in public. Painting, doing shows, hanging paintings, instructing, etc. We do tend to be a smiling cheerful bunch, who doesn’t love to talk about our own art? Artists tend to have a knack for blabbering on and on with no gates when it comes to talking about our own art.
Generally speaking artists have a pretty cheerful demeanour and are pleased with the life they’ve chosen. But ask any artist how’s it going and you’d be hard pressed to get an honest answer when they are really in the basement digging holes.
In any normal career the bi-weekly paycheque is usually all that is needed for confidence building or just feeling valued.
Artists, on the other hand are emotionally attached to most if not all of their paintings. We always think our last one was the best one yet, and it will be sold fast, for sure! Right?
But then time passes.
And passes.
And passes.
Soon we’ve moved on, painting another, then another, etc.
Sometimes many days, weeks and let me tell you, I’ve seen months pass between sales. It’s very hard for artists to make it through those long dry times.
While not so much in recent years, but I do know the long droughts. How miserable an artist can be! My uncle Jack Reid ( Passed) used to say of himself, “I’m very hard to live with”.
As time passes we become mature and come face to face with the real reason we paint, it’s truly because we must. It’s an internal drive like no other. Painting fills a void inside like nothing else. So regardless of compensation we simply must paint!
My message to all artists who are discouraged and feeling the pain: Keep painting! Heads up and forge on. I know you’re hardship as well as anyone could and I’ve certainly acquired my scars fair and square. I’ve also seen the rewards and yours will come.
I still allow myself to roll around in the muck from time to time but Thank God every day, blessings come. So hang in there. Better days are coming!
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