Starting up as an independent business owner (throwing papers for newspaper companies in my area) was no easy task, especially with the work schedule and two toddlers, and three other jobs on my plate at the time. I dreamed of doing my own thing for so long, wishing I could let my creative side out. I painted furniture in our house. My oldest daughter’s first twin-sized bed, which happened to be her father’s childhood bed, was plain white so I added painted floral and butterfly décor to the head and footboards, painted Winnie the Pooh scenes on their ceiling fan blades, and created several drawings and paintings over the years for them, yet I never had the bravery take that first step into the world of Fine Art and discovering my strengths and limitations as an artist.
Last year, everything changed. Intense situations in life re-routed all of our plans as we both found ourselves out of work. As one door closed, a new door opened, and an opportunity arose.
Reflecting now, as we are coming up on my first year as a freelance artist, on all of the work and research I have done in building up my little studio with the help of my ever so patient husband Allen, there are some key things about being an independent artist that I have come to realize:
First, having the time and freedom to sit and create a work of art is soul healing. One day our story will be out, but for now, I will say life has been challenging these past few years for our little family. Art is an amazing therapeutic treatment for anyone, for me, it is my spark, and when I combine singing with creating, I find myself lost in imagination, letting go of all the tension, recharging my energy into positive vibes, and bringing myself to a newfound inner peace.
Second, planned projects are fun and smart, but having fun side projects and things to help recharge inspiration for bigger projects is crucial to my process. I find myself getting inspiration blocks on works I have had going for a while that just do not quite feel complete. I discovered when I took breaks and made smaller fun projects or started something new to work on in addition to my larger projects, it was easier to envision clearer what I want the outcome of those larger pieces to look like.
Third, I have come to realize I need to learn how to call something done, or it will be on the drawing board forever. More time on a project means more detail and development and I love telling stories in my work. My favorite all-time piece so far is one that I intend on revisiting this year. It was my debut into the gallery world and since it was a project for a class originally, I was limited on time to work on it, though what I produced required two weeks of dedicated work. I have always known it is incomplete and that I would like to readdress it, if not recreate it, and develop it further, and soon, this plan will come to fruition. I have learned from my work on the Elephant that a piece is never really “complete.” There will always be that one thing that needs to be tweaked or this detail I want to add.
Commissions are hard, but they are great learning projects. I find myself trying new things when working on commissions, drawing subjects outside my “comfort zone.” I am naturally meticulous in my work and may restart a project as many times as it takes for me to be satisfied with the direction the work is going before moving on to finishing steps and presentation and the more that I work the faster I am at accomplishing my goals, and my client’s reactions hold all of the rewards to the labor.
Finally, each lesson we learn is a small building block to who we are becoming. A year of planning and reflecting and building has taught me that all of it will add up to a brighter, and more prosperous spiritual, emotional, and artistic future. Having faith that we will get to that future that we envision is half the battle.