EBBS & FLOWS

The ebbs & flows of life as an artist. You can say it’s a constant movement. Oh so many things happen to us: turning a corner, a false sense of security, telling our truth & being vulnerable, rejections, acceptions, threats/challenges of all shapes & sizes, really big highs, really big lows, etc. The list goes on.

How do we do it?

The past few weeks have been wild. I’ve certainly had ebbs & flows! Rejected out of a juried show that I have been consistently selected for the past 3 years. Accepted in a show I didn’t think I was going to be chosen. Damn the ups & downs! It is a wonder that I can stand up at all. But the necessary thick skin develops over time. Acknowledging that the path will not be straight, nor will it be clear, helps. An artist needs to be strong, accepting of the situation & to keep going. I might stomp my feet but I get it. Gird your loins and all that.

Imposter syndrome

We all have it. The doubts pile up. Am I good enough? Should I be in this room? At this gallery? With this team? F*ck yeah! Absolutely! The feeling of being an imposter does not go away but you learn to push through it. Believe it or not the more you get rejected the stronger you become. It still hurts but you learn to let it go and move on. Not the right opportunity at this moment in time. 

Mistakes will happen

Not only do we have imposter syndrome, we also have to deal with mistakes. However, if you are not making mistakes you are not learning. Failures are good. Really good.I cannot tell you how many times I have painted over a painting that was not working. I tried to make it work but it got away from me, it happens. I know that I will not do that same thing again-I grew in the process. Blew some paint but now I know. So what. I learned. 

Accountability partners are dreamy

Perseverance is key. I have an accountability partner that is truly dreamy. For 10 years now! We don’t live near each other, not even in the same state, but we connect regularly. Currently, we meet about every 4-5 weeks for about an hour. It started out every month, with a list. We each had long, tiresome lists of the most basic things. We worked on those lists and got stuff done. Eventually it became a check in. How we were each doing, what were we creating, who were we contacting.Then we went back to lists. Sometimes it’s personal. We have both been through some rough spots. The calls become more support than business. It just keeps changing to our current needs. It is really the best way to stay on track and stay in tune with another fellow artist, struggles and all. Highly recommended.

The tribe

A tribe is grounding. Very necessary to an artist to help deal with the ebbs & flows. Call it the inner circle (my Mom’s term, used regularly, very fitting), the friend group, the support team. These are the people you can count on no matter what. The conversations, the therapy, the cash, the pat on the back, hand me a tissue, can’t live without people. They bring me back to earth. They understand. Share their love and guidance.They are vital.They help the feet to keep on marching.

With all the ebbs & flows – I wouldn’t be anything else in the world but an artist!