Think you're the only one? Hardly ... even the best marketers, most optimistic folks like Abraham Lincoln (well, not exactly an optimistic guy, but you know what I mean) and the fabulous Napoleon Hill experienced disappointments and complete failures.
Surprised? or had that somehow eluded you?
You push and push, you keep trying something new and what you had envisioned as a dream come true keeps ever in the mist leaving you with a huge sense of disappointment and regret.
Shall we dwell there? should we blame _____ and ____ and you know that worst one ____, your personal nemesis.
What kind of perspective do you use, what do you believe in? What do you do so you are no longer as susceptible to the old patterns, and they naturally begin fall away? Any secrets to share?
Comments
From Andrea Conway's newsletter. I recurrently suffer from a lack of faith, but here I am years later and life is pretty (well sort of) good.
Thomas, you are right. Some show directors do check out show applicants websites, but the purpose is to verify information and to check for any possibilities for buy/sell. To make sure applications match the body of work. No show director wants a surprise day of the show with work showing up in a booth that isn't what was presented in the images. It is admitted out loud by the show directors, nothing secret about it. The more high level the show the more likely that applications are more closely scrutinized.
There is a buy/sell/manufacturers rep who has been around for a long time getting into shows under false circumstances. When the work seemed like there was no way it was being done by just one person the website gave lots of information.
I don't think that's what happens, TF. Not everyone has their own website and thus don't list it in their applications. Look at any show with an artists list and you'll see plenty without website URL's. They got into the show somehow.
I sometimes wonder if art show directors or jurors visit the personal websites of artists who apply to rate their overall professional stature, than just the images submitted for the jury review. They probably wouldn't admit it if they did, as that would undermine the appearance of hurting, but at home, behind closed doors etc.
I should have addressed the issue of creating art based upon what customers are saying to us since we don't create our original artworks with customer requests and feedback in mind. We have a little, but seldom do. We create what we want to create and eventually it works itself into a sale. Sometimes what we do isn't as well received, which is one of the factors that hurt us in 2011, so in a way we payed attention and stopped developing the particular series of work and went back full throttle (and then some) into what we do best and variations of it.
Listening and scrap pile are key to this conversation, I think, and it makes me realize that I, too, have been creating what I like and feel moved to create but perhaps I should put my ear to the ground a little and see what's out there and what people are buying. In regards to the scrap pile, in my case yarn stash, I often think; do I really need to buy more yarn or what can I make from what I have? Usually this results in something more creative because it forces me to think differently about originality, ingenuity and frugality. Love everyone's comments and this discussion...thanks for getting it started, Connie.
Thomas Felsted, I'd like to see your art. Got a link? Got some pics?
Keeping expenses as low as possible, which means being frugal as heck. I can't remember the last time we spent the night in a hotel endorsed by a show since they're usually more expensive than what we can find on our own. We cook in our room rather than eat out. Sure, we splurge a little every now and then, but we can keep our food expenses easily below $20 per day for two people. Our average hotel cost is $54 per night and we spend close to four months on the road. We paid cash for our van and it gets 22 MPG even when packed to the hilt. When we bought it, it had 86,000 miles on it. So no car payments and minimal insurance.
I agree with Richard about using the scrap pile. We more often make creative decisions based upon what we can rummage from our left overs rather than to buy new materials and incur another expense. One of my best and most striking frame designs happened in this way.
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