Blog

I have been going to my studio every day Monday through Friday for a couple of weeks now and it feels amazing! There is a shift in my view of myself, my attitude about my work and the value it may have in the world.

One of my fellow resident artists at Studio Channel Islands is the actor Daniel Stern (you may know him from the "Home Alone" movies) who is also a sculptor who creates bronze figures full of life, action and humor. He was kind enough to give a talk in his studio last night (on his wedding anniversary, no less!) and what he said resonated so much with me that I'd like to share it here.

He talked about the value of artists in our society, the stereotype of being considered lazy, no good for nothing else, certainly not good business people. He reminded us that artists are essentially storytellers and therefore the connection between people and generations in our culture, the very glue of our culture that holds everything together. He also pointed out that artists are probably the LEAST lazy people he knows, the hardest working actually, because we have to be completely self-motivated and innovative. Nobody tells us when we have to be at work or what project we should work on. We have to make ourselves get up, go to the studio, pick up that brush, pen, or guitar and get to work! WE are the ones that have to figure out first just exactly what that work IS. We have to come up with ideas, learn about the process and how to bring that idea to life, the technique behind the painting or sculpture. We have to learn about the craft and processes.

And then....here comes the hardest part of all...once our creation is born we have to launch it into the world! Not only do we have to learn to be vulnerable by putting our very personal creations out there for others to see and therefore be open to criticsim and rejection, but we also have to learn about marketing and promotion in order to get it out there in the first place. There are so many skill sets a professional artist has to have, very few other jobs compare. It can be a 24/7 job, be on your mind constantly.

That is why I have made a schedule for myself that, so far, I have been following pretty faithfully. My goal with this new studio and life is to have more of a balance between my work and family. Having a place to work away from my home has made it so much easier to do this. I get up at the same time each morning, answer emails and do a little bit of administrative stuff at home because I don't have wifi at the studio (and will try to keep it that way for as long as possible in order to not get distracted and focus on painting). I get to the studio by around ten and work until 4-5pm. I do stop and check emails and facebook on my iphone at times (a very hard habit to break!), but I try to keep it to a minimum. I have one day a week allocated for plein air painting (outdoors, on site) and one day for more admin stuff, whether in the office doing paperwork, entering shows, updating my website, writing blog posts, sending out proposals, etc. That day was yesterday, but there was so much to do that I am just now writing the weekly blog post (another goal: to post on a regular basis). I am way behind my newsletter, but it will have to wait a little longer. I am itching to finish a painting today and then I have a date with Rich!

Part of living a balanced life is to STOP WORKING before nightfall! It is very, very hard and I always feel like I did not get enough done and want to tweak that piece just a little more or work out some ideas for the next one. But...I value my personal relationships and must nurture them. If I was single it would be so easy to become a hermit in my studio, totally immersed in art. I may get frustrated at times having to stop working, but then I also appreciate that it forces me out of the studio and back into the "real world", to get outside (which I love), to exercise or go do something non art related or to just relax in the hammock even. Knowing that I will be back first thing in the morning helps me to let go of that pastel stick clutched in my tired hand.

Most Saturdays are taken up with art again, either by being present for the Open Studio events or attending exhibits. I am determined to leave Sunday open for family, but I have to admit, I could easily go back to work in the studio if there is a project on the easel that I love working on.

One more thing that Daniel mentioned was that our own attitude towards our work changes once we start paying rent for a place to work. So true! Now that I have to pay for the studio every month, I can't slack off, I have to come to work and GET STUFF DONE. When I worked at home, I would piddle around, get distracted and wasted way too much time not putting pastel on paper. I also believe that the way others view us changes when you're no longer working at home. I love inviting clients to my studio now, knowing that it's easier for them to see me as a professional.

Renting a studio outside of the home may not be possible for many of you, but whatever you can do to create a private space to do your work, to close it off and have it respected by you and those you live with as a place where a serious artist is creating, will help you take yourself and your work more seriously.

Daniel's speech had perfect timing for me. He emphasized the value of what we do and how we need to pass that belief on to the next generation. Let the aspiring young artists in your family know that they can indeed live a life in the arts, that it is a worthwhile contribution to society, but that they must prepare for the hard work it demands. They must learn the skills to make their creations, need to be knowledgable about the history of their particular art, be profficient as their own manager and agent, learn how to use a computer (something that will surely come more easily to them than me), write proposals and presentations and become comfortable talking about your work and handling rejection as well as accolades.

Art is a calling, a way of life but if we want to keep doing it as much as possible we have to treat it as a business. Now, let's hope that society in general and the average person in particular can also see the benefits of what we do and how much it can add to their daily life.

No, back to the easel!