Parting with your Art

I think you’re right Gwylym, in an ideal world we would love our customers and our customers would love us back. Unfortunately, as you mention, that’s not always possible especially in this day and age of online sales.

I am curious, however, whether you (or anyone else out there) has ever turned down a sale because you either didn’t care for that person or you just didn’t want him or her to have a particular painting?

C’mon you can tell us–No one actually reads this stuff anyway ;)

Hi Judy!

I think you have a great approach to this whole sentimentality thing by not dwelling on a particular piece and simply moving on to the next project. I think sometimes the more you dwell over a piece of work, the more you get wrapped up in the process. After all, it’s much harder to sit around and dwell on the past when you are working your tail off creating the future. . .

Thanks again Judy for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us!

It’s always great to hear from you Julia!

I think it’s interesting that you mention the difference between creating a piece of art for friends and family and creating one for someone you don’t know. To me it seems that there might even be more pressure creating for friends and family because these are the people who are often the hardest to impress. After all, these are the ones who knew you growing up and long before you became this rich & talented professional artist.

Do you think that there’s any truth to this?

The thing that really struck me, however, is when you say that you “wonder if somehow the painting I just finished might be my last painting for whatever reason” — I think that this really is a universal fear among any creative professional.

“What if this is it and the creative well has run dry?”
“What if that was the best I can do?”
“What if that last one was just a lucky fluke?”

It’s not just a sense of lingering doubt, however, because there have been numerous artists such as J.D. Salinger, Harper Lee, Vanilla Ice (hee hee) who ended up paralyzing themselves creatively with the fear that their subsequent efforts couldn’t possibly live up to their previous work.

These are the ones who turn into the “one-hit wonders” of the creative world and eventually show up on a VH-1 “Where are they now?” retrospective.

Hmmm, I’m beginning to sense a new post topic coming on. . . . :D

Well they do say that children are a parent’s greatest work of art. If only there was a reliable pricing guide for that. . . . ;)

Hi Melissa!

You gotta love the “lets toss everything before she gets home” anti-materialism parental training method. Of course, as someone who still has way too much unnecessary crap in my house, I could actually use someone to come in and help me find my zen minimalist happy place (burglars need not apply).

Overall, it looks like you’re doing all the right things to get your name out there online. Just keep working and try to get involved in as many different artist communities as you can–before you know it, you’ll be selling art and rolling in groceries :P

Hi Felicia!

I love the “Heads-you-don’t-want-it” and “Tails-I-get-to-keep-it” sales methodology you’ve got going on there :)

I certainly don’t think you’re alone here. From a lot of the feedback that I’ve gotten so far, it sounds like most artists are willing to sell, but at the same time, they would also love to have some type of reproduction of the work for themselves not only for emotional reasons, but also as Julia mentioned above, to “check back on them as reference for how I painted a certain thing”.

If this is the case, I can’t help but wonder if extensively documenting both the final piece as well as the work in progress (photos, video, sketches, etc…) would help an emotionally attached artist let go of a piece more easily?

Hi Shell!

I think that’s a beautiful way to look at it. Sharing a piece of your soul with another kindred spirit who saw something in your work that spoke to her directly. That’s all we can hope for as artists.

Hi Charlie, welcome to the party :)

First of all let me say that I love the whole get-rid-of-it-while-you-still-like-it perspective. I know for me personally there is certainly no shortage of my previous work that now induces cringing when I go back and look at it again. I think this naturally reflects our growth as an artist. We don’t always recognize how much we have matured as an artist unless we’re actually confronted with our previous work.

I also really like your idea of saving several pieces each year as a type of artistic scrapbook and a record of your development. I think that someday it would make a great career retrospective exhibition as well.

Kudos to you also for recognizing the overall value of the process versus focusing exclusively on the final work itself. Far too many artists/writers/musicians simply judge themselves on the final product and they forget to enjoy the creative process along the way.

Tack!

Thanks Bob for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us!

I do think it’s a good idea to take a picture or somehow document each piece that you create so that you will be able to go back and revisit it and see the progress you have made.

I enjoyed seeing the artwork on your site — Keep creating (and selling!)

Hi Priya!

First of all, congratulations on your recent show–that sounds awesome :)

I do think it’s a rule (Priya’s Law perhaps) that the one painting you really don’t want to sell and overprice will inevitably be the first one out the door. On the other hand, the more reasonably priced work will be haggled about by low-balling high-maintenance customers.

Welcome to the mysteries of the marketplace!

Hi Tracy!

It’s interesting because the more I think about this issue, I can’t help wondering if this whole “can’t-bear-to-part-with-it” is a personality thing or more of a maturity of an artist thing? (not that I’m calling you “mature” ;) )

Maybe it’s just the experience that comes from years of creating and then letting go of the work, knowing that another creation is just around the corner. Maybe it all goes back to that confidence thing that Julia was talking about earlier–knowing that inspiration will find your again. Or maybe it’s just the fact that some of us are natural “hoarders” and we can’t bear to part with something that’s become a part of us. . . . (coming soon to A&E “Artist Hoarders”)

I am curious, however, about how you can tell if a particular work is a “turning point” for you without the benefit of hindsight. Even though I have definitely seen my own writing style change and evolve throughout the years, I’m not sure that I could have recognized that change at the time. Are you generally able to tell right away?

Hi Jennie!

It is always nice to have friends (or at least people you like) purchase your work so you can have “visitation rights” :)

I find it interesting how as creators, we’re so often “appalling judges” of our own work. I wonder if this is because it’s so difficult to step back and judge our work objectively, or simply the fact that everyone likes different things?

It does seem that most visual artists whom I talk with have some type of internal “Not for Sale” list except for the right buyer at the right price. My question for you is, how do you assess the right buyer? How can you tell if a particular buyer is right for a particular piece? Is there an actual process or is this more of a gut feeling kind of thing?

Great stuff!

Thanks for stopping by Phil and sharing your comments with us!

I love this image of the artistic road littered with souvenirs :) I also agree with you that collecting your old work just for the sake of possessing it does seem a bit counter-productive for a professional artist.

The idea that your old artworks sit there in a dusty pile and and mocking you and halting your artistic development also has a great deal of truth to it. To me creativity is all about keeping that creative energy moving.

Create and release.

Create and release.

When you stop the releasing part, it eventually slows down the creation process as well. Things become stagnant and new ideas are harder to find. In the end, creation is still a process and part of that process is letting go of the old in order to be able to create the new.

Thanks again!

I think that’s a pretty natural reaction, Celeste. As creative artists, I think we all want our work not only to be sold and enjoyed but also passed down as treasured family heirlooms generation after generation. I understand, however, that may not always be the reality. As a writer, I still hate to think about my books sitting unloved on a remainder table, garage sale, or at the thrift store. Unfortunately, we have little control over what our customers ultimately do with our creative work after they purchase it, a little optimism and delusion can go a long way ;)

Thanks for stopping by Madeline and I know how hard it can be to release your creative work into the world. You’re right, we are always learning from our previous work and it often shows us where we need to go next. I think becoming attached to your creative work, especially when there’s a chance it may find itself a new home, is natural. We put so much time and creative energy into our work and the thought of letting it go is terrifying, exciting, and depressing all at the same time, even more so when that work represents a new stage of creative growth for you as an artist. You can’t let it stop you, however, because creating and sharing your work with others is ultimately why we do what we do.

Congratulations again Madeline on your gallery show. Good luck, and I’m excited to hear about where this new journey will take you!