Confessions of A Puppet Person 4
5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming A Full-time Artist
1 - It's a Job.
Good news/bad news: turning your art into a job makes it your job. Say what?!?Here's the thing about jobs... Even in the best cases, some days are rainbow pony rides, some days are broken overfull bus rides while you sweatily try to balance all of your art in a rain and tear-soaked granny cart.
Bonus pro-tip: give yourself days off.*
3 - You Will Make A LOT of Art
For me, I make mostly small, affordable art objects. And when that is what you sell for a living, you have to make a lotttttt of ‘em in order to buy sandwiches and dog food. If, however, what you make are pointillist replicas of social uprisings, you’ll probably spend a lot of time making that one thing. Either way, you spend a lot of time doing it.
Bonus pro-tip: make time to make art that isn't the art that you're always selling, too.
4 - Fame is for the birds. Famous birds. Like Donald Duck.
There is much in our collective mind that tries to convince us that, in order to make a living as an artist, you must be sought after, world famous, and look great in everything you wear. Only the last part is true.
If you are making something that other people like, and enough people want to buy it, you just need to find them. And the only way to find them isn’t fame.
Bonus pro-tip: It's ok if you become famous, too, as long as you don't mind strangers talking to you all the time.
5 - You're Doing Great!
Success is how you define it, not how others or the world perceive it. I don't care if it sounds trite, hold that close to your heart and head.
The world likes to look at things and judge them. Come up with your own metrics, and reserve the right to tell the world to go for some sort of a hike. Because, last pro-tip, hikes are also great.
Note: Standards for success should include but not be limited to looking great in everything you wear, and hanging out with Donald Duck.
Bonus pro-tip: You're still doing great!
If you come away with nothing else from these musings, know that the adage, “If you do what you love you won’t work a day,” is garbage-nonsense. Garbonsense.
Make no mistake: I love this job. And! I work like a bewitched forest creature who has been wizard-compelled to build a teetering palace of sock puppet pictures. It's my job.
*ironic and telling reality: I’m writing this newsletter on my one ‘day off’ this week. But afterwards I’ll go on a bike ride to visit friends in the park.