Finding a balance as an artist blog:
There has been a good deal of discussion on the blogs over the last few weeks about ways in which we operate as artists. This covers a vast range of issues from making a living, to subject matter, working intuitively versus politically and the dirty matter of being able to market yourself and retain integrity.
I wanted to add another voice into the discussion. Joanne Mattera is an American artist who writes a great blog, in particular, her Marketing Mondays (MM). Bear in mind that a) she is American, b) her work is very much in the traditional gallery model of making and selling and c) she deals with the US philanthropic way of operating all the time, so many posts deal with auctions and fundraisers – the type that we don’t really have (YET!). Other than that, she offers some great experience, anecdotes, advice and wording for emails and letters. She represents an especially generous type of artist to me; one willing to share so much with her peers.
This MM post looks at changing career tactics (the old argument of the starving artist in a garrett versus sleek marketing artists – In reality I guess most of us sit in the middle). She says
“The new breed of artists—and many mid-career and even late-career artists, who are purging themselves of ingrained old-think—are not just working in their studios but presenting themselves to the world.”
http://www.joannemattera.blogspot.com/2010/06/marketing-mondays-new-emerging-or-re.html
I liked anon’s response:
“Anyway, I believe that every artist seeks (and hopefully finds) the balance between promoting the work and not having that promotion interfere with artistic integrity. Each person’s balance is sure to be different, and the main thing is to find what feels right to you–even if it means living with fewer material comforts (which in itself is not a bad thing)”
My position is similar. I want to get paid and I want to have integrity. I believe a balance is totally possible, but I also don’t expect to be 100% pleased all of the time. I also want to be in art for the long haul, so I feel like it’s really important to find my own pace and not worry too much about what everyone else is doing, at what age etc. I still do though, of course! Perhaps the artists shouting the loudest are not the most interesting anyway. I often find that the artists I admire most tend to slip away for periods of time, probably when work overwhelms everything else.
Pragmatic wihout denying the inner drive to make art – Anthony Boswell’s last few posts have pondered some of these issues: www.a-n.co.uk/p/567127
he says in #44:
“I have done too much empty talking -just forget what it is to be an artist, ask the questions inside what we want answers to and make the work.”
On that note, I better go and get on with some…
