Category: Creativity

How do you value a show if you are an artist? Is it selling out, Is it making good connections(read meeting new buyers) Or is it just being aware that you are lucky to even have a show? I choose the latter.

The soap Lake show was amazing in that I met some wonderful people who are so full of stories and life that it is an honor to be with them. Is that valuable? Yes.
I had a chance to show new paintings to people who would for sure not ever see them unless they were brought to them. Is that valuable to them? Yes.
I sold some painting and now some people have me and my soul with them for as long as they want. Are they happy? Yes.
I had the show to paint that I otherwise would not have done unless I had to get this show done. So now I have a finished new body of work. Is that valuable?  Yes.
I got to get away to a place of no stress for three days. Is that worth anything? Yes.

It was a great experience and one I will savor with my co showmate Susie, forever. We did a show together and had a wonderful time. So all in all, it was not New York, but it was great.

Am I blogging for me or you? Why does anyone blog? Who died and made the blogger worth reading?

I was thinking about this the other day and have come to the conclusion that anyone who takes the time to blog is doing it for themselves and others but they are doing it for others to get feedback. this is my life experience but what is yours? This is what I have learned but what have your learned?  Is blogging nothing more than a glorified diary?

If so then I say horray. I love to know what people are really thinking . It is the ultimate reality show. It is very hard to hide your true self on a daily blog. It makes the computer so valuable to connect mentally with others. It is better than a book even because you can respond. I do read other blogs to get information and experiences on topics I care about and to explore new ideas. I don’t think most people lie on blogs. They tell the truth because they need to interaction just like I do. We are relational to the core. Aren’t you glad we need each other?

Doing a show in a small town like soap lake has its own unigue offerings. for one thing, people do not have tons of art to look at on a regular basis. So they like you and are appreciative. the second thing is that they are in a very small town so everyone knows everyone and they will spread the word pretty fast when something is going on. third is they go all out for an opening with more bells and whistles than a usual opening.

That said it is hard for a gallery to even exist in a tiny town and survive. It is hard to survive in a big town too but with less to people to draw from it is even harder. I would say that The Soap Lake Art Museum is a gutsy, innovative revolutionary, monumental shocking idea for a town of 1700. Nevertheless, it prevails with lots of interesting and groundbreaking shows. One person even drove all the way from Seattle to go to the last show I had there because he couldn’t believe a town had that much courage. Brent Blake is the owner of the gallery and he built it from an old bank.

Does a small town in the poorest part of Washington buy art? Yes they do.  It just shows that you cannot always rely on what makes sense and sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. no matter where it is. no matter what it is.

If what-you-see-is-what-you-get, then you’d better be putting some great things in your view. I can make a concerted effort to only see the good in others and hardest of all myself.  If i spend all my time bemoaning how far I am away from where I want to be two things happen: I don’t enjoy the journey, and I get discouraged. Oh brother, what a waste of time.

I am actually sabotaging myself, without even knowing it. If you start down the”I don’t know if this will work out” path, everything starts snowballing. Not only that , but the snowball gets going so fast that before you know it you block out all the other possibilities that exist right now and start moaning about there not being any. When, in fact, yes there are other things you can do.

If I know this, how can I know it without having to remember it and think about it? How can I make it second nature or even first nature?? I am going to give myself a visual that will be my mantra . Every time I look at my ring on my finger I will make that the memory ring. It will be my power ring. Don’t you want a power ring? Its more than a ring, it is a ring of roses a ring of reasons and a ring of remember this thought.

One thing I would do is try more things while I could. Teenagers are so ripe with possibilities that they do not take advantage of. In a perfect world I would not have to go to school which takes up a huge amount of time. I love the fact that homeschool frees your days up quite a bit in that direction.

I think of the N. C, Wyeth. He was a famous illustrator who had a several kids. He and his wife raised them in a unique way in a remote area in Maine. They were were schooled at home and were given free reign to pursue their dreams at an early age. They lived the ultimate creative life and the result was all the kids turned out amazing.
In this day and age, not enough time is devoted to exploration of who you are when you are young.

Here you have an opportunity to not have to support yourself full time so you can try everything out and see what clicks. I would start a career in art out at the earliest age possible.  As soon as you pick that I would paint and draw all the time and hone skills. I would go to museums and read art books all the time. I would read about artists. I would try and sell work immediately. I would write a book on how to be an artist when I am only a kid. Those years when you are supported by your parents are the best years you have for free exploration. I would not waste time with mundane things like doing what is popular. I would find a mentor and try out a business plan to sell my work. I would find other people who are interested in what I love and hang out with them. I would read a blog that says you can be an artist right now and you do not have to wait to grow up.

I would go to creativity groups and do whatever they say to do. If you did all this you would be lightyears ahead of most teenagers who do not.