Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Why Do We Hold Ourselves Back

I make a comfortable living with my art. Yet there's always more, and my friends and acquaintances are forever suggesting more and better ways for me to make money. I always say no, that I am doing what I like, and don't want to work more. It wears me out emotionally to over-create. But why do I hold myself back?

I have a friend with a showroom at the World Trade center in Dallas. She has offered many times to display my work there.

I have another friend with a huge showroom selling framed prints. She has offered display space for me, but I haven't taken her up on it.

I know people in purchasing for high end retail stores. I don't call them.

Publishers contact me from time to time wanting to publish my work. I say no.

I have a dealer on the West coast who orders paintings in volume, but I put him off for the more lucrative commisision work I am so fond of.

I have a giclee publisher who has to wrench paintings away from me to publish, even though he does very well with my work.

I know at least 100 commercial interior designers who I never call on.

When I get emails from individuals about buying my art, I have to explain that everything on my website is already sold, and a new painting would be a commission just for them. That's usually enough to run them off.

What's wrong with me?

4 comments:

Karen Jacobs said...

Ummm... good question! Seems some of these offers would require little extra effort on your part, and provide an extra measure of money- time- energy. Living on the edge, as you seem to do, has got to be an adrenalin surge... maybe you're addicted to that kind of high. I can understand that some of our best work is created under pressure, but why not use those efforts in the form of multiples for other markets? Especially since you are capable of printing your own giclees. You might want an assistant to handle that venue. KJ

Walker said...

I certainly agree that an assistant would come in handy. In re-reading my own post and in visiting so many galleries in Santa Fe I have almost convinced myself to step up and do at least ONE thing more. ugh Starting to feel lazy!

CMC said...

You've chosen to do what you like to do best...if you can make a living that way, why add too much more to the mix? Why not get transparencies made of some of the big commissions and then you'll have them for the giclee market as well.....killing two birds with one stone.

Walker said...

thanks Cheryl - I did that at one time, but lately have forgotten about it - thanks for the reminder!