One of my great delights has been to get to know Michelle Fillmore--www.michellelizabeth-art.com/. We met at church 4 years ago, and when she told me she was painting in oils in her bedroom, I offered her a work space in my basement. Covid put a stop to that for awhile, but it's been wonderful having her back this past year.
Michelle is the same age as my kids, and we have many converstions about life as an artist. I recently thought I should make a list of some of the things we have talked about. These guidelines don't apply if you want to show at top-of-the-line galleries, but they've been helpful for me to create and move my art out into the world and pay my bills as well.
Here goes...
10 Rules for Working Artists
- Paint (or sculpt or write...) as if no one is going to see it. I often tell myself, "This one is just for me. I am going to do a very personal piece, working out risky emotions or vulnerable places." Then when it's finished, I tell myself, "Surprise! Out you go!"
- Guard your creative time. Create without apology, and don't hesitate to tell everyone, "That's my studio time; I can't get together then. Are you free afterwards?" Light burning sage and resist the sink of dishes, the piles of laundry, and the bills to be paid! (I'm reminding myself of this right now.) Do post your work on social media, but don't let it encroach on your studio time.
- "Yes, and..." This is a fundamental rule of improvisational theater, like when one actor says, "Is it hot in here?" and the other responds, "Yes, and why are we in this handbasket?" In art, if an opportunity comes up, I almost always say, "Yes, and..." Can I mount a show next week in place of an artist who has just cancelled? Yes, and I'll invite a cellist or stage an arrival with suitcases of art or promote it on Instagram and Facebook.
- An artwork isn't done until it's out in the world. Sohlzhenitsyn wrote all these accounts about the Soviet gulag privately for himself, but eventually he needed an audience. People all over the Soviet Union started typing copies of his books and passing them around. In a way, that happened for me, too. I painted privately for 2 years, but eventually the paintings felt like stillborn children. They needed to have a chance to communicate, and I said yes to some less than prestigious venues. The painting sales from a furniture shop on Hayes St in SF paid my mortgage for a couple of years. A basement that tended to flood was my primary source of income for two decades. Now a hotel in Anderson Valley has become vital to my survival. If galleries aren't biting, hang in cafes.
- Prove yourself to be a person of integrity with all the galleries and venues that you deal with. If they expect a commission from outside sales (people who come to you directly but first saw you at the XYZ Gallery), write the gallery a check for their commission. Never undersell a gallery--if the gallery sells a 3'x4' canvas of yours for $3500, don't sell that size for less at your open studios. Be on time. Keep meticulous records.
- Be everywhere at once. Go to openings. Enter competitions via www.callforentry.org. Apply to residencies. Follow artists you like and contact their galleries and apply to the residencies they've done. Hang at your church or synagogue. Make friends with other artists and go to their openings and get together for coffee and brainstorming. Invite them over when you're stuck on a piece. Find a life drawing group or join a printmaking collective.
- Create your own events. One of my favorites was when I rented a hall with three other artists and invited musician friends to perform Broadway love songs on Valentines Day. I also have loved opening up my home for art salons, inviting other creatives to share their music or dance or poetry or art, ending with a potluck dinner. Art is a connection point, a chance to draw people together in fractured times. Art is a way to give love back to the world.
- Never reduce your prices. Collectors need to trust you. Start with prices low enough that the work moves out the door, but when you can't keep up with demand, gradually raise your prices. If some work just isn't as strong, paint over or destroy it. It's rather exhilarating, like destroying the evidence.
- Be impractical sometimes. Create a large painting for a church you love, free of charge. Donate something beautiful to a women's shelter. Paint a mural where it's needed. Take risks. I've had 5 paintings stolen from galleries and open studios. Four of my paintings were defaced in a lobby. I'm still glad I hung them there (although I won't do that space again).
- Just because it's hard doesn't mean you're on the wrong path. Being an artist is hard. That's just the way it is. But look for companions for the journey, other artists who understand and can celebrate the victories and listen when you're discouraged.
