Facing Anxiety / Opening My Studio
The anxiety of putting myself out there!
Kia ora e hoa!
As artists, we all love to sit in our happy place and create. We want nothing more than to be left alone to work on our craft. We begin our journey because we fell in love with art process and creation. We tell ourselves we don’t do it for money, we do it because we love it. And in a perfect world this would be the case.
Unfortunately, in the real world, we have expenses. Mortgages, food, kids shoes, braces…you name it. Therefore if you TRULY love art, you will learn how to stop being an amatuer and learn what it takes to go ‘pro’. What does that mean? We must learn to balance what it means to be an artist, creating what we are interested in what we are good at, and with what people willing to pay for or what does the market desire. See a handy chart i found online below demonstrating the sweet spot to find.
For me currently, I am moving from this amateur stage, where I was full of excitement and wonder just learning all the fundamentals, to where I am trying to transform into the professional, so I can continue my art journey for years to come while still providing for my family. Picking up a few contracts here and there has given me confidence that at least I can bring value to the world through my art, yet these contracts a few and far between, so I need to keep thinking of how to reach for the next food basket.
I don’t have all the answers for on how I’m going solve this yet. But I can assure you, the struggle is real and full of anxiety and self doubt, but I continue to do what I can, aiming up, and forever moving forward. I am finding the anxiety and self doubt can actually be used as a positive energy, pushing me forward, even if at times I want to let it overwhelm me to the point of hiding away.
So let me share how this relates to me in a practical sense right now. Here in my home town of Upper Hutt, Wellington New Zealand, I signed up to a community event called the Upper Hutt Art Trail. This is a community lead project that connects many artists in the area, allowing us to open our studio doors to the public to show off and sell our art. A map is given out and the public who can visit the artists of their choice. This is a really a ‘jump in the deep’ end for me, knowing if I sign up for something like this, it will force me to grow. The self doubt and and anxiety is at an all time high. I’ve thought about emailing them and saying I can’t do it many times.
Well, I’m doing it family, so if you are in the area on the weekend of October the 12th and 13th, I would love for you to come meet me, talk to me and let me open my studio to you. So put it in your calendar. There will be some prints for sale, and maybe some free donuts.
It may not be the path to being ‘pro’ I am searching for, but I welcome the growth being a part of this will provide, as well as the connection to community we all need as humans, especially artists.
Thank you for being a part of my community!