About This Blog

This blog will shift in direction as I have gone through the last year’s work of marketing my artwork. I will from this point forward not be concentrating on my doubts and uncertainties and the process of finding my voice as an artist. I’ll still write about developing my voice, but over the last year, I have definitely found my voice, and I have answered for myself any question about the value of my work. The answer, fortunately, is that I definitely have something to say, and people are recognizing that both in terms of gallery acceptance and sales.

My hope now will be to share that part of the story. The story of finding acceptance at better and better galleries, having my first shows, and selling my work successfully at better and better galleries. The goal and struggle for this year will be to find representation not just in any gallery, but in high quality galleries in big city markets around the U.S. My goal is to make a living as an artist, against all of the predictions and pronouncements that we artists hear that it’s simply impossible. 

Most important to me is to share with you all what has been an enormously rewarding and growing experience for me. Contrary to the artists’ popular imagination, I have found the process of marketing my work to be ultimately enormously validating. My belief in my ability as an artist has been reinforced tremendously. I am enjoying my work more than I ever have. I have more faith in myself, and have been able to relax to a great extent the anxiety I’ve always carried about my own potential.

My wish is to encourage all artists who have the goal and are prepared to undertake the journey to pursue their work seriously, to present it beautifully, and to expect that you have the possibility of successfully selling your work. This is the step that I believe represents the fruition, actually the final step in the emotional maturation of an artist. I would never say that you should try to market your work seriously, but I will say that if that is your goal, have faith in the possibilities despite everything you hear. Do not accept it when people tell you that the odds are against you or that it’s all but impossible to make a living as an artist.

I am not yet to the stage where I am making a living, but I am well on my way. I am farther down that road than I might have imagined a year ago when I began this blog. My hope and expectation is that I will begin reaching that point within the next couple of years.

Finally, what I want to say is that you may not be aware of your ability or your potential, just as I was not. What if it turned out that you are actually a master of your chosen medium and you are not fulfilling your destiny as a masterful artist simply because you lack confidence in yourself? I can tell you that that is entirely possible. You may, simply for lack of really sticking your neck out and doing your best work, presenting it beautifully, and showing it to a lot of people, be spending a life doing something you hate when you might be doing exactly what you are meant to do and loving every minute of it. What if you are actually depriving mankind the beauty of your vision for lack of confidence and the willingness to take the risk that someone will reject you? Wouldn’t it be a tragedy to do that? So don’t. Do as I have done and get it together and ask.

You will be rejected sometimes. Maybe you’ll be rejected a lot, I don’t know. You may be rejected for any number of reasons, only one of which is that that person does not think your work is good enough. They may already have too many artists. They may have other artists whose work is too similar to yours. Your work might be wrong for their gallery. Do not assume your work is not good enough. Assume that for whatever reason, this person is not interested right now. Ask them if they can tell you why they’re not interested. Ask them if they can recommend someone else who might be interested. Tell them thank you. And don’t hesitate to come back with more or better work another time.

Despite being rejected some, you will also most likely be accepted and then you are on your way. If you are never accepted anywhere, then look hard at the work that those people are selling and ask yourself whether your work matches up to that work? If not, then get back to work and do better. Then go back and submit your work again.

You may also be accepted by people who can’t sell your work. Don’t take that as a sign that you have failed. Maybe they have failed. Maybe they just can’t sell your work, while someone else can. I’ve had that very experience, more than once. Keep trying until you begin to find people who love your work and can sell it.

Anyway, enough of that for now. I’ll start writing with the day to day things that happen as I go through this process. I hope you enjoy and profit from what I have to say.

Thanks!