Recently I was talking with a friend who has three young children. Her life is, as you would expect, very chaotic at times. She talked about the terrible weather lately and how it had forced schools to close for days at a time. Her family lost their power for two days and things were pretty stressful in their house.
“The thing is,” she said, “it’s not like I can just throw in the towel and say ‘I quit.’ It doesn’t work that way. I’m in this on the good days and the bad ones. And believe me, on the bad ones there are moments when I fantasize about running away. But would I actually do that? Of course not. I chose this life, it’s what I want. Nothing is going to be great 100 percent of the time.”
Running your own career is like that, too. You chose this and, no matter how hard it gets sometimes if you want to make it work you can’t throw in the towel and walk away.
It might be necessary at times to take a step back, re-evaluate some things, maybe even make changes to how you are running your art business, but it is absolutely imperative that you stay the course no matter how low you may feel at times.
The thing is, everybody who has ever run a business (or raised a child) has had moments when they say to themselves, I can’t do this. It’s too hard. It’s not working out the way I imagined. That’s just life.
If you can get through the hard days and learn something from them–or sometimes at the very least just get through them then you will be that much closer to succeeding.
For many, many who choose a career in arts the course will not be straightforward. There are day jobs to contend with, rising costs of studio space, balancing the needs of artistic practice with family life and social needs. Life generally does not sit back and wait while you become an artist.
For these reasons, it is important to go into a career in art without any romanticized, pre-conceived notions that you will be immediately “discovered” and picked up by a gallery. There will be struggle. Surround yourself with tools and allies.
Praxis Center is both tool and ally. We not only offer a comprehensive suite of courses in everything you need to know to work toward a sustainable art business, we also offer you the keys to a community of peers and colleagues. You will find more than just advice, you will find kinship and solidarity.
Nothing in life is ever achieved by having only good days. Let us be there when things get difficult. Let us be the ally you need to jumpstart your artistic career.
That was great to read this morning thanks Brainard
[…] At the same time, artists must face another slice of reality outside their comfort zone and that is the daunting task of running a business. While you are busy seeing the world in all its pain and glory, you must also make room to seek out the avenues that will get your work into the world. This road will not always be without obstacles. For every open door there will be dozens of closed ones. As I have said before, in a sense you are only as good as your worst days. […]