Don’t do the crime…

…if you can’t do the time.

I’ve heard this old saying many times through the years, but never in the world of art. Well, maybe “art thievery”, but not in the general creation process. But I think it could be appropriate here, stay with me on this for a minute and let’s see if it makes sense.

As a fine artist, I do what I love, and that’s paint. When things are going well, it’s as easy as pie, but when the colors don’t quite work, or

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you have this giant bee that keeps dive bombing you, it’s a struggle. But though it’s a struggle, it’s still  beats the grind of office work, for me at least. But success for the average professional artist doesn’t stop when you sign that painting. That is not even half of it.

What makes a successful artist is what comes afterwards, the framing, the labeling  the categorizing, the marketing, the shipping. One cannot believe the amount of time that is spent actually painting compared to everything else that goes with it. I think it would be helpful if one spent a lifetime as a wife/mother. They for one has many of the skills that it takes that an artist needs, or at least knows that it is a job that encompasses everything from infancy to empty nest, or creation to the delivery of art. Like a Mom, you must be multi dimensional. Just being good at art is only going to get you pretty pics for your own walls. Blue collar work, white collar work, everything. Everything unless you can afford or have the connections to have someone else do everything else for you. As of yet, you can see I am even still have to write my own blog!

I was told to make it in this field I would have to spend 50% of the time creating, and 50% of the time marketing and the likes. I actually believe it is more like 40-60, at least for this person, and I still don’t think I’m doing enough. One must sell your work at a price that is fair, and returns a profit. In order to sell, you must have decent art, to have decent art, you must be skilled, to be skilled you must study, and practice. Then when you finally begin getting some quality art together, then it’s out the door putting it out there so others can see it. They don’t see it, how in the world are they going to know they must have this on their walls?  Shows, festivals, exhibitions, galleries, websites, auctions. The avenues you must travel are numerous, and sometimes rocky, sometimes dead ends.

Currently I am smack dab in the middle of all of this. I knew when I began this journey into the world of fine art that it was not going to be all peaches and cream. I am doing my best to rise to each occasion  and tackle things head on. It does me no good to shirk responsibility or pass the buck elsewhere. I believe it only lessens what I am trying to achieve, which is to be the master artist that I set out to be. To be good is one thing, to be great is whole new ballgame, but I know that the path I have laid out before me is in the proper direction. And with patience, persistence, and perspiration I will be successful.

I knew it was not going to be easy, but I don’t mind. The journey to any good goal is well worth the ride.

So I was kind of reaching when I said “don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time”. But if you know you are not willing to do what it takes to be successful and reach your goals, do something else, maybe it’s not really what you want. Is it?