- Love the place
- Be flexible
- Never quit
Easy sounding? Here are the details:
1. Love the place – take a camera everywhere, always be on the lookout for a different angle, another landmark, better light, something never noticed before. Take what feels like endless photos of Sequoia trees, Mineral King, oranges, poppies. Learn as much as possible about the landmarks. Meet as many people as possible who have lived here a long time, especially those who know people who know people, go places when you’d rather stay home. Pay attention to the geography, the seasons, the agriculture, the flora and fauna.
2. Be flexible – learn to teach drawing lessons, figure out how to give both private and group lessons and workshops too, learn to paint when you’d really only prefer pencil, learn to do murals even if you think it seems impossible. Accept commissions of things that don’t seem worth painting or drawing and figure out a way to make them look great – find their beauty and show the customer. Enter shows, schlepp your work around, try new shows, take your work to different places of business so it gets seen because there aren’t many galleries in Tulare County. Listen to suggestions by people of what to draw or paint. Be willing to give talks to groups. Be willing to open your private studio to the public from time to time. Reproduce your work as cards, prints, tee shirts, whatever it is that people are wanting to buy. Write a blog. (NEXT WEEK IS MY 6 YEAR BLOGIVERSARY!) Maintain a website when you’d really rather be drawing or painting or blogging.
3. Never quit. Get a second job if you have to, but don’t quit trying to make it with art.
P.S. Every so often, publish a book. Upcoming from me, The Cabins of Wilsonia.