2020 was A YEAR (to put it mildly)! Like so many artists, I did a lot of reflection on what I wanted out of my career and life in general. I have been working on projects that I was reluctant to share on social media. It was amazing to acknowledge my feelings about 'cutting off' the potential for online approval. I found myself at times doubting my level of productivity. I realized I had equated quick finished products (content) as the measure of success. Now I am working on a children's book about Autism. I have spent the past year (July 2020) experimenting with illustrating on a tablet. It has been such a journey working on character design and working to perfect my skills (or at least get better). It has been a fascinating realization to see how anxious I get not having a finished product to share and/or getting paid for my efforts.
And so I am leaning into that anxiety in 2021. I decided early this year to take a sebbatical from the festival circuit. I have only two art exhibits scheduled for this year. One is currently on display at the Page-Walker Arts Center in downtown Cary, NC. In late November I will have another exhibit in Cary, NC. Aside from those commitments, I am creating commissions and working on my book. Even writing that gives me anxiety. It is not financial anxiety. It is an anxiety that stems from the dysfuntion of social media. If I don't share my work with the faceless masses, does it have value?
What is crazy to contemplate is that I am not someone who creates currated photos of me working on my paintings in perfect makeup, etc. But clearly the idea that I need to create content to move up the professional ladder has permeated my brain. I have noticed I am not alone in my reflections on social media. Artist accounts I follow are increasingly pushing their followers to subscribe to their websites instead of the social media platforms. I am taking their example to heart.
Moving forward I am going to make THIS website and its content my means of communicating with clients and potential clients. I will also be using this blog to share some of my musings about being an Autism Mom. I am really going to make it a priority to use this site and not just have it as an afterthought. If you pay for a website, use it. Right? Alright. Let's do this. Please subscribe to stay in the loop about upcoming shows, new inventory in my online shops, all of it! Stay healthy. Stay safe. Until next time.