Getting my ducks in order

Dear Art Friends,

I'm not a list maker, unless it's for things I HAVE to get done by a certain time. Not one to make and cross off things I can see in front of me having to be done. But I am thinking that relaunching my art effort is going to require a loooong list.

Number 1 of course is: Do the art. I've been fairly good about that. And Number 2 is: Improve the art. With classes and every day drawing and doing art as often as I can, I think that's happening too.

The rest of the list is more vague and less firmly in place. Before I relaunch, I need to update my website. I want decent human portrait samples and enough woodcut prints to make it look like I'm serious, which I am. I am thinking of a "subname" too, maybe: Portraits, Pets and Prints.

I need an art show set up. I need to find shows. I need to enter competitions. I need professionally done cards. Lots of needs!

And I want to have more energy which I know is eating better and exercising more. I'm trying to cram all these things into my limited "free" time without losing quality of work or quality of time with those I love. I also know that there's no perfect time, but I know it's not yet.

So...if I were in Candyland, I'd be pretty much a few spaces off of the starting point...and lots of spaces ahead. Where are you? Do you have some suggestions for me that I'm missing? I'd love to hear from you. Robin

Do you really want this?

I'm so glad to see other artists commenting! I hope you'll share your insights and opinions as well. Because this is just my viewpoint, what I've learned so far and I think it's great to mull issues over.

Some days I say I want to be a fulltime artist, others, not so much. I think that means, for me, that I'm really not ready, despite the fact that chronologically, I should be firmly entrenched in my art career if I want to "make it". But does "making it" have to be all or nothing?

I like having the money to buy any art supply that I might feel like. Even if I use it once and say, "not for me". I recently bought every shade of printmaking ink that Daniel Smith sells, before I had even printed in color. I like that luxury, and when I tried out working fulltime a few years ago, I was very very careful with money and wouldn't have done that.

Same with taking art classes. I knew I needed them, and exceptional quality community classes are available to me. But they do cost money and when you're hoarding your money in case your commissions dry up....

I feel like I stopped my art growth because if I didn't have commissions, I had to market to get them, again to pay the bills. And bottom line? I really want to be all that I can be, reach the best of my abilities as an artist, first. Sell, second.

I like not having to produce salable art all the time to pay the bills. I couldn't just relax and try something different, and fail. I felt guilty when I was out in the garden, one of my other interests. That's nuts.

I also didn't like the isolation of being at my home studio day in and day out.

I learned a lot when I worked art fulltime, and one of the things I am sure about is that if I were to do it again fulltime, I would need a studio out of the house among other artists. And to be in a financial position to grow my art business freely.

So for me, and I suspect for many people who still hold "day jobs", the question is, how much do I want to make this jump? Again, is the jump all or nothing?

On the one hand, it's hard to build momentum when you have less time to devote to art and your art career.

On the other hand, day jobs take a lot of pressure off of you. A lot to consider.

Right now, I am content with part time art and full time work. When I do leave the day job world, I don't want to ever need to go back. The trick, then, is to make the best use of the time I have when I'm not at work...and I'll talk about that next time!