I've started early with my New Year's resolutions for 2012. Several months ago I decided I was going to enter art competitions until I was at least juried into one. This is a big step for me. While I have sold paintings over the years, I have never made a concerted effort to sell them.
I have some health issues I live with that make it difficult if not impossible to have a booth at an art festival like so many artists do. I know a couple who are both artists in their own right. They spend the summer going from one festival to another across the country. They spend the winter at home producing work to sell at the next summer's festivals. They are successful, true, "working" artists as the festival life is one of hard work.
With festivals out of the question, how should I proceed? Entering competitions seems like a good place to start. For most of them you email digital images to be judged. This is a lot less expensive and a lot less work than shipping paintings to the festival committee. So far I've entered a competition for pastel paintings and one for photographs. Neither one amounted to anything, but I did it! It can be emotionally difficult to put your work – your baby – out there to be judged.
We're coming up on the new year and my goal is to continue to focus my time on painting and selling my work. What are your New Year's resolutions? Are you giving yourself permission to focus on your creativity? I hope so.
Until next time,
Susan L Stewart
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