Here is the story of Rose, one of the Praxis Center students, and also a quote from her post in the classroom forum to highlight her accomplishments and to encourage others.
We all know that it is no secret that the life of an artist is full of frustration and disappointment when it comes to taking things to the next level professionally. Like many others, she had been in the game for a long time when she finally joined Praxis. She had a bio and an artist statement in place on her website but it wasn’t getting her much traction.
After a year of hard work and using the resources Praxis has to offer to the fullest, things began to change for Rose. Here she is in her own words,
“The other day I was offered a major solo show at a college, completely out of the blue because the curator found my work online. Today I got an email from the producer of Maryland Public Television’s “Artworks” series and they want to feature my work…I realized that the all of this happening after I updated my bio and artist statement…I have been a member since January 2017. Almost a year. All I can say is keep going. Keep upping your game, making authentic, truly original work…listen to Brainard and Cheryl and Julia on presenting that work. If you are called to be an artist, it is not an easy road, but it is a sacred duty, and you can get there.”
Artists like Rose know that there is more to making an artistic career a success than simply being a good at your chosen medium. There is the business of being an artist to contend with. A few simple things can help start turning your career in the right direction.
- Polish all written documents with the help of an editor. This includes artist bio and statement. An editor can help you get the meaning across while keeping word count under control and making your language come alive.
- Learn how to approach galleries in order to give yourself the best chance possible.
- Use social media to get your work noticed and sold.
The good news is, you do not have to go this alone. Surrounding yourself with a network of peers and a community that not only supports you but enriches you as an artist is a great place to start. And bringing in the help of professionals who know how to tackle some of the important aspects of managing an artistic career can help you bring your work to the next level.
At Praxis Center membership gets you unlimited access to courses and expert advice so that you can start to see results from your hard work. A career isn’t born overnight, but with the Praxis toolkit at your fingertips, you too could start to see change on the horizon.