Ten Things I Learned in My First Year as a Full Time Artist: Part I

My happy place, Grand Cayman

Last year, 2013, was my first full year as a professional artist.  As I reflect back on the past twelve months, I thought I'd put down a few of my thoughts in my blog, in hopes that other artists can glean information from it and also that those who are non-artists can see a little bit into my life as an artist!

So here they are, and while there are far more than ten and they don't only apply to art, here are the first five that really stuck out at me over the past year (in no particular order):

1. Painting is Only Half of Running a Business.

I had to get this into my head. Fast. More importantly, I had to accept this as a fact.  When I quit my corporate job, I remember thinking I would have all the time in the world...I would paint for ten hours a day, maintain a perfectly clean home and run the business side all at the same time.  Wrong.  I quickly realized that while I do have a lot more time to paint, I also became my own CFO, Marketing Manager, Office Assistant, and Head of PR. Tracking receipts, updating my website, ordering supplies, framing, consulting, building relationships, paying bills, creating newsletters, blogging, Twitter, Facebook, you name it, it all adds up.  I think I had an inkling walking into this, but I don't think I really realized just how quickly time flies and how a few days can whiz by without even picking up a brush.

That said, there is joy to be found in running the business side.  While I think I could gladly sit behind my easel and paint all day everyday, it's important to take a break to exercise your brain, stay organized, get yourself out of the studio, and expand your reach. 

2. Staying Organized is Critical.

I could probably qualify this point by referring you to the point above, but seriously, I had no idea all that went into maintaining a business.  There are so many facets, and it's not just critical for your own sanity, you have Uncle Sam to report to, as well.  As a result, I keep a binder of all of my receipts and invoices and have a Profit & Loss Statement via Excel (big thanks to my hubs for that!).  This helps me to see very quickly what I'm bringing in and what is going out, and helps to keep a pulse on my business and what are busy sales months vs. quiet ones.

Also, an organized studio is just as critical.  A cluttered world creates a cluttered mind, and a cluttered mind hinders creativity.  Even if the rest of my house is a mess, I clean up my studio after every painting.  It helps to create routine and keeps the mind like a clean palette, ready to create.

3. Set Goals and Reward Yourself for Attaining Them.

Day at the pool...classic summer reward for a hard day's work

There are about a billion business books in the world and just about all of them will say to set goals.  I'm no expert, but in my experience, it's been a critical part in keeping me focused from a business perspective.  My first full year, I really didn't want to set a monetary goal from a revenue perspective, so instead, I set one from a profitability perspective.  It can be scary to put down a number, so I instead wrote down some other goals and verbalized the number.  Goals don't have to just be monetary, they can be for a certain output (x number of paintings), getting into new venues or shows, or even goals of just getting yourself out there (approaching x number of galleries, etc.).  

Some of these goals can be more daunting than others, so I rewarded myself after I achieved them.  I met my profitability goal for last year (yay!), and when I realized it, I bought myself the curio/hutch above to keep my art stuff organized.  And it doesn't have to be big (or cost anything) to be a reward.  When I am working toward a show or have a tight deadline, I reward myself by taking one night a week off completely, no thinking about painting at all.  It really does help to refresh and renew and is a dedicated treat!

4.  Invest Earned Money Back into the Business.

Business cards!

I once heard publicist Kelly Cutrone put it best when asked about how she built up her business to the success it is today.  She said when she started out, she'd make some money, set a little aside, and put the rest of it right back into the business.  When she started making more money, she'd still set a little aside, and put the rest back into the business.  The percentages never changed, but the numbers started getting bigger.  As an artist (and in any business), it's so easy to hoard for a rainy day when you don't know when the next paycheck is coming.  That said, I've come to realize that when you own a business, just about everything that you put out there reflects back on you.  Now I'm all for never stepping into Michaels without a coupon, waiting for sales, and spending for need and not want, but there are certain things that I've realized make an important impression.  

My first set of business cards as a hobby artist were cheap...and they looked it.  My second set of business cards were more expensive (nothing crazy, but pricier), and I could tell the difference instantly.  So could others.  The comments I've received on the second set make the cost worth it, and I wouldn't go back to the cheap version. Of course I spend within reason and in accordance with what I am bringing in (the cards are by no means gilded or laced with diamonds), but I remind myself that artists are creative by nature, and most of us are proud of the quality of the work we put out, so it's important to make every aspect of the product and the business as high quality as the art itself. 

5. Know and Work for the Greater Goals.

Courtesy of Baby Havens

I remember walking into a meeting with a gallery and being so nervous.  I had totally psyched myself out.  Have you ever done that?!  It's awful.  Anyway, I remember thinking to myself, breathe in, now ask yourself what are you doing this for?  Not short term, as in, "getting into this gallery, of course!" but really, what am I doing all of this for??  One of the first things that popped into my mind was the Baby Havens, an organization in South Africa that takes in abandoned and orphaned babies in Johannesburg. Being a mission I love, part of my earnings go toward this haven (as it did in the past and would also if I took a job other than painting!).  I immediately thought to myself, if I go in there with confidence, I'm more likely to work with this venue.  If I work with this venue, I have another opportunity to make a sale.  And when I make a sale, that's a little more that I can give to save a baby.  So this isn't really about me, this is about saving a baby.  It totally snapped me out of the nerves and I had a great meeting and started working with that venue.

The point is, that we all get so caught up in the nitty gritty sometimes that we can get nervous, inwardly focused, and trip over our own two feet because we were looking at our shoes instead of what was in front of us.  And while the example I used was charitable in nature, I'm not trying to make myself sound like a selfless saint by any means, rather, it is one of several "what are you working for" goals, but a slightly more impactful one than "single family house with a nice yard."  Ha!  The point is, it can be anything and it's personal but it's critical to keep a big picture to get the confidence boost to step out in faith and take a risk to drive that reward.  I know sometimes (especially when it's flippin' freezing outside like it is now) my great goal is to end up here:

Grand Cayman, aka, my favorite place on the planet

Okay!  Phew!  That's a lot of writing.  Stay tuned for next week, hope this inspired you or at least helped you to appreciate what goes on in my head!