I framed two paintings and spent most of the day designing business cards. Who knew that it would take 8 hours to design a 3.5 X 2in. card.
One more day before I get to see my dancer painting framed and ready to hang. I am very excited. I hope it fits in the car.
The man of the house finally installed some shelves in my studio. I have been begging and pleading, crying on the bathroom floor patiently waiting for over a year for some shelves. Getting these beautiful additions to the studio meant I had to spend a little more time rearranging all my junk tools of the trade.
I worked on opening an online store for merchandise that I will unveil very soon. I am just waiting on a sample of one of the products to make sure it is good enough.
I also re-wrote my artist statement and read some more of a fabulous self-marketing book that I will write about once I finish reading.
I did not get to paint at all this weekend. Time went by so fast and I was busy non-stop. I still have so much more to go, but that’s the nice thing about being your own business, there’s always something to do.
I am relishing all of these little things. Making my business cards, while frustrating, was so exciting. Reading about the ways I can market my artwork sparks so many ideas. These are the things that show I am running a business. Painting is only part of the package. These odds and ends that I have to do day to day are the support system and building blocks that surround my artwork. It’s a little like parenthood (I think), yes, you have the baby (or painting) but then you have to feed it, change it, make sure it gets into college, etc. If you really love your baby (artwork) then these things should be at least somewhat of a pleasure because you are nurturing what you really love. Even the tasks that are such a pain (as is matting) give me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing I am one step closer, I have one more thing checked off my list and I am about to show my stuff to the world (and by world I mean friends and family of my fellow graduates.)
I know one day this excitement will wear off, but right now I am enjoying the newness of it all, the realization of such a big goal. I am at a turning point and it feels good to live in the moment of it all.
Note: Originally posted 7/20/09 at blog.limitedpalette.com
