Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Business Day

What is it like to be an artist?

Every morning, the art studio calls. Every night, the studio calls. As much as possible, I answer the call.  Here is what the studio looks like right now--I've got about ten projects going on here. It looks like a complete mess to you, but believe me there is order in the chaos, and it is my sanctuary. As Tom Lundberg says: "Work is worship." I love this.



Yes, any day of the week, I'd rather be in the studio. However, an artist must promote herself. 

Today has been a business day.

  1. Interview potential client for starting a new business (more on that later)
  2. Buy some supplies, including a tapestry needle (what?)
  3. Update my artist bio to better reflect my current artist self (I've changed in the last year and a half)
  4. Photograph new products for selling on Etsy and to FoCo businesses
  5. Email FoCo sellers and attach edited photos
  6. Apply for Support Local Culture
  7. Update blog
  8. Create a new Etsy listing
  9. Post to Facebook
  10. Cook a dish for and attend the Hotdish, the monthly artist networking event, organized by the excellent Elizabeth Morisette, who writes Northern Colorado Art News (you should subscribe)

Business stuff sometimes feels productive, and sometimes it doesn't. It's the right thing to do. More often than you think, you have to do this if you're going to be a professional artist. I'm still getting used to this.

Here is my photography "studio", and the photo that resulted from it. Check out my Etsy to see more. 

 




1 comment:

Alyson Stanfield said...

Nice work, Heather! I love your list of work for the day. People don't realize how much is involved in the artist's life.