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

At Smith Cove, Grand Cayman, Watching the Sunset

Last week I went through five of the ten things I learned in my first year as an artist, and I realized after writing the first set how cathartic it was to stop and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).  With that said, here are the other five things that stuck out at me.  These aren't all mind blowing, but hey, the little things can turn into big things very quickly!

6. Make Lists

#1 - Teach dog to supervise framing.  Check. :-P

Like writing down your goals, I think creating daily to-do lists is one of those classic success strategies they tell you to do in just about every business book.  It's something that I started to do when I was in the corporate world, but I find it just as important now as I did then.  Especially when you are working on a large or a slow painting, having things to cross off of a to-do list provides a sense of accomplishment.

 And I absolutely put stuff I've already accomplished for the day on the list just so I can scratch it out...tell me someone else does that, too!

7.  Stay Social

My running, ahem, jog-talking buddy, Liz. 

My old co-workers made fun of me once because I told them my new co-worker was a squirrel that would come up to my window every day looking for stale bread and nuts (don't worry, I don't feed him anymore!).  Now while I am teasing, of course, I realized it's important to get out, meet with other artists (and non-artist friends), and be able to talk about what we're all up to.  I've learned that others in your same field are your friends, nobody can empathize, connect, and guide you like another person who does what you do.  That's not to discount non-field related folks in your life, as some of the best advice that I've gotten is from non-artists, it's just that I began to understand the importance of having other artists in the arsenal to lean upon.

8. Technology is a Great Friend

Laptop.  Lap dog.  Two great buds.

I took an art in business class once and the first thing he said was to get online. I guess there is a reason that "googling" is a verb.  Everyone does it, so it's great to have an online presence not only in the form of a website, but in Facebook, Twitter, a blog, what have you.  I think there is a cathartic element in putting yourself out there via all these social media tools, albeit I personally can find it hard sometimes to do that sometimes...anyone else with me?!  That said, I think it's of utmost importance to have a web presence.  I love to share my work and the web enables me to reach an audience far larger than I could have possibly imagined.

9. Take Yourself Seriously (But Not Too Seriously)

Joey Stevens and Bob the Parrot...this guy cracks me up!

To quote Jay-Z, "I'm not just a businessman, I'm a business, man."  Ha!  Somehow when he says it, it sounds a lot cooler.  But in reality, he has a GREAT point. I quickly realized that when I go out into the world and talk in any way about what I do for a living, I am no longer a representative of a company. I am the company. That means what I put out there is important and so the more seriously I take myself as an artist, the more others will, too.  That said, you still need to have some fun. Would I know who weatherman Joey Stevens is without his fake pet parrot on his arm?!

10.  Do What You Love and You'll Never Work Harder  

Lights out?  It's okay...paint in the dark!

We all know that quote, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life." It's false.  I can say with certainty that I have worked harder in the past year than I have ever worked.  But I've also never loved working more, and that's why I work so hard.  I love it.  That said, certain tasks loom over me...I stared down my business license renewal forms for about three weeks, picking them up, getting overwhelmed by them, then putting them down for another day (I think this is why they give you two full months to fill it out!).  But, it's done now, and it's satisfying to have it complete.  Even painting can be tough during the 14th hour of the day and a sore grip, but it's so worth it.  I think I'm probably my toughest boss I've ever had!

No matter what you do, there will be aspects of the job that just aren't much fun, and that's just reality.  But reality is also beautiful and doing what you love is a huge blessing in life!

And there you have it!  Ten things I learned in the first year...maybe I'll do this again next year, it might be fun to see what I learn in my second full year.  In the meantime, I've finished up some paintings so stay tuned for some new work!