7.21.2013

clarity...

i had an overwhelming sense of clarity when i woke up this morning. i knew without a doubt that it is time for me to put the Etsy shops - all three of them - in "vacation" mode with the real possibility of closing them completely.

why?

simply put: they have served their purpose.

opening the shops was a way for me to get me feet wet. a chance for me to share my work. a means of getting to feel okay with selling it.

check, check, and check.

but the amount of time it takes to do the work, photograph it, list it, etc, etc, etc, is really eating into the time i need to devote to moving forward as an artist.

i want to do more work. bigger work. smaller work. 2-D. 3-D. any and all kinds of work that will best answer the questions i pose. 

i want the work out there being seen. 

i want it in reputable galleries. in private and public collections. in print. in juried venues. in solo shows.

i want to move it out so i have space - literally and figuratively - to do more work.

i want to experience a residency that would allow me to totally immerse myself in a body of work, or discover new directions.

to realize any of this means i really need to step up my game and put in some time:

- scouting out galleries that might be a fit.

- answering "calls for entries".

- writing for publications.

- applying for residencies

in short, taking the time to do all the things that i haven't been doing because of the time i've spent on Etsy.

and the only way i'll get that time is to respect my work enough to make it the priority - not the sales and stats (or lack thereof) on Etsy that gets The Committee residing in my head working overtime convincing me that i'm a fraud. a failure. or worse.

thank heavens for this quiet sunday morning that has shifted something inside me.

thanks heavens for this clarity.


untitled. plastic mesh, machine stitching on paper. 9 x 12 inches. 2013


: : karen anne

7 comments :

  1. Doors open and close all the time, Karen, and it's great that you have control over that door knob. Sometimes we just get sucked into the "great plan" without stepping back and assessing. Good for you! I love the image of the The Committee in your head.
    Funny!

    It will be interesting to see where you go! I'm sure that it will be full of surprises and I'm especially interested in seeing where your artwork will go. I've enjoyed watching you think through ideas and processes.

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    1. Thank you, Rachel! I'm equally curious. But I DO know that all my work has a common thread - that of dedication to warp, weft, and stitch. Stretching the boundaries of traditional fiber art, but it grows from the same place.

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  2. Good for you. I hear Etsy is a good place to start, but not the place to stay if you are trying to further your career as a serious artist. Best of luck to you on your gallery search!

    Heather Daveno
    AugustPhoenix.com
    (and a fellow TAFA member)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for wishing me luck! I've long been an admirer of your work - and your work ethic; you really stay on task and on track!

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  3. Great decision! There may be sales on Etsy but there's no freedom or creative joy. It's an extremely competitive market that drains out your energies. Your work deserves far better.

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    1. Ersi - thank you so much for your support of my decision. I feel so much lighter and freer with the decision. And I love your last sentence - the work does deserve better!

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  4. I love reading about your thoughts because many times they mirror my own... I think you've accurately summed up what every artist faces with regard to making their work a priority and creating opportunities for growth of that art. What a great choice to make! I wish you all the best, and I look forward to reading all about the new directions you go with your art!

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