Success

I am going to talk about something artists hate talking about. Money.

I started doing this because it was something I enjoyed doing, just for fun. I wanted to get better at it. So I did it more often and I took some courses. Which led to more courses, and more fun. Before I knew it, I had gained a new circle of friends and acquaintances. I just kept at it, learning and growing. Now, I find myself at a point where people are asking me to display my work and produce commissioned pieces, and money enters the picture.

Frankly, it is awkward and feels a bit strange to charge people for something I love doing. Every moment spent with a paintbrush or a drawing tool in my hand is enjoyable to me. But somehow I have to come up with prices for what I produce. It has been a tough thing to do.

Quincy Jones, a well-respected music mogul, said in a podcast on creativity, “God walks out of the room when you’re thinking about money.” I really respect that thought. God, or the creative force (as I prefer to see it), disappears when your focus is the cash. You lose your way.

What I know is that all of this won’t work for me if I don’t above all love the process of creating. If I love what I am doing, all will be well. Therefore, I will not sell anything just for the sake of the sale and I will not be an artist that tries to chase money.

Having said that, I want my work to be affordable to people that do appreciate it and want a piece in their home and so I keep my prices reasonable. I cover my materials and I estimate a minimum amount for my time. If a piece is particularly complex, I might quote a bit more.

I won’t be upset if you don’t ever want to buy anything and you just want to look at my work. My mentor, Carol Wylie, said to me “Your job as an artist is to do the work and to get it out there". What happens after that is out of my hands, and it doesn’t really matter.

If I make a little money to cover my costs, that helps. But success to me is enjoying the ups and downs of the creative process, forgetting my problems, trusting my instincts, and coming out on the other side with something pretty cool in my hands. Anything else is just a bonus.