Whose approval am I looking for?

Dear unknown reader,
Nowadays it's so easy to get sucked into the idea that we need more "followers" , "shares" and "likes" on different social media platforms.   It's easy to get obsessed with the idea that everything is one big popularity contest. If I could get enough followers would people buy my product? If I get enough followers will I be famous? I start thinking about what other people want to see instead of what I should be doing. I lose focus on what's really important.

I understand that there are things that are generally more well liked by many people. If I try to play the game of posting pictures of cute animals or pretty flowers or drawings of celebrities I will get more likes and followers. But if all I do is pander to the lowest common denominator I've lost the point. If I do what I already know is liked there will be no creativity, no real beauty. It will be an empty facade. A cute animal is not a bad thing but if I'm only posting it because I know it will get more likes then I've missed the point.

Recently, I've noticed that if I post a painting related to Yosemite it gets more likes just because Yosemite is a majestic and popular place. But if all I make are paintings of Yosemite I will have missed the beauty of the places that don't have important sounding names. Also, I've been trying to force myself to paint in a certain way because I think it will be noticed more. But if my motive is just to be noticed I'm doing it wrong.

My real motive should be to honor God. I know that God has allowed me to have and develop skill as an artist. To make art to honor God rather than to obtain the "likes" of people should be my ultimate goal. If people like it good. If not that is up to them. There is a lot of poorly done "Christian art" out there. I would like to make paintings that strive to be highly skilled and also honoring to God. Whether that is a landscape, an abstract or a historical painting so long as it is to honor God that should be my real goal.

The Day Job vs. Earning a Living with Art

During the day I have a different job.  It's the job that pays the bills because my art does not right now. Many of my coworkers really enjoy their jobs.  They express how much they appreciate being in this line of work.  Many people outside of this line of work or those who have retired from this line of work also are positive about it. Since I consider it my day job and not my career I feel a little fake when I hear how committed others are to it. I try to do a good job but I'm also just there to earn a dollar.

In the afternoons I come home and create my work as an artist.  At home there is cooking and cleaning to do.  Sometimes I need to go to the store or do other things.  But I try my best to put in my time with painting.  When I think about the possibility of making art for a living instead of working at my day job I'm motivated to work as hard as I can.
Recently, I met some artists in galleries around this area and found that they first retired from other jobs before creating art full time. I really don't want to resign myself to being someone who waits until I retire to create art.  1. Putting off the creative process is not acceptable. How can I consciously tell my creativity to dry and and blow away for the time being and then expect it to just be there waiting for me 30 or 40 years from now? 2. Art is my career. 3. I don't expect retirement  to be a plausible option for most people when I am 60 or 70.  I am a pessimist and I don't see America being able to sustain things like social security.

I recently bought the book "Artists and Graphic Designers Market".  I have been trying to think about how to earn a living with my art. It's hard to know who to ask when I have questions about how to earn a living with art. It's also difficult to sift through which information on the subject of selling art I should be concerned with.  I'm not sure which information is more important and which is less important.  What I can say is this, I'm working towards the goal of being a full time artist rather than a part time one.

When I go out to beautiful scenic locations I try to take photos I may be able to use for paintings. 

Sometimes I have the opportunity to paint on site.

I sometimes make a watercolor sketch before I make a final oil painting.  It helps me to work through the composition, colors and details before creating the final painting. 

I try to apply to put my work in art shows. 

If I get my work in to a show I prepare it for hanging.  This painting has been framed and I have attached a wire to the back for hanging. 

How to find your art style

Finding a style to paint in?
It's often suggested that an artist should find his or her style but that's easier said than done!  I've heard the idea that an artist should find a style stated but not explained.  People don't tell you how to go about finding a style.  They tell you to find one but I've often found this instruction vague and frustrating.  There are so many many maaaaaaannnnyyy ways to put paint on a canvas.  How am I supposed to decide what I want to do?

I've spent time making many paintings.  One of my college professors once told me not to worry about creating a style.  I took his advice and didn't force myself into locking myself into a style right after graduating. However, if you want to sell art professionally you eventually have to find your style.  So, here are my suggestions for going through the process of finding your style.


1. Test out ideas
In the beginning it's good to try out different ideas.  Try out different medias or combinations of media.  Try out different brushes or other tools. Try using different techniques that you have learned in classes.

2. What's working vs. what's not?
Take a look at what's working and what's not.  Some things may be working better in your art than other things.  Sometimes it's obvious what's working but you shouldn't just depend on your own eyes.  It's good to have someone else, preferably another artist friend, take a look and give you some suggestions.  Go over the process of analyzing and critiquing your work more than once.

3. Keep trying
Keep making more work.  As you keep working you may decide that you definitely don't want certain things in your work.  Or you may see some things come up as a theme over and over again.  There may be things that you keep trying because you like how it's coming out.

4. When it looks like you it's ready!
Don't give up working on your art. It may take a long time and many works of art to figure it out.  As you keep processing your thoughts about what you are making things may start to form up.  If you start to see yourself in your style that means something is going in the right direction.

5. Keep it consistent
Once you decide on a style you have to keep it consistent.  In order for people to recognize your art as your art it needs to have similarities.  If you keep changing it people won't be able to recognize your work.  If you aren't ready to stay within a consistent style you can go back to #3 and keep trying different things out.

Organizing an Art Studio with Limited Space

I live in a small one bedroom apartment.  Keeping my studio space small is a necessity.  I keep my studio work space down to one two foot by four foot table and a chair.  If you are looking for a way to organize an art studio work space in a limited area here are my tips for you:

1. Weed out items you don't use.
Weeding out items you don't use is very important when space is limited.  Sometimes art supplies accumulate over time and you may not have taken the time to assess what you actually use and what you don't use but keep holding on to.  There may be old worn out paint brushes that can't be used anymore or ones that never seem to get used for any projects.  You may have a large supply of oil paints that you bought thinking you would use them but later decided you preferred working in watercolor. Or maybe you used to use polymer clay and now you don't but you're still holding on to lots of half bricks of clay.
Take out all of the items that you don't use.  You can give them away, donate them to a school or throw them away depending on what they are and how much they've been used. Do not put the items that are worn out or that you no longer wish to use back in a closet or storage box. If you do you are just going to have to go through them again later and decide that you still don't want to use them.

Awhile ago I saw a video about Marie Kondo who wrote the book "The life-changing magic of tidying up". She describes her method as the konmari method.  She talked about how we tend to hold on to too many things that we no longer need or use.  Getting rid of the things that we don't need or use provides more space for the things we actually do use.  This way our spaces don't get overcrowded. It's worth looking at what she does.  I found it very helpful in deciding what to keep and what not to keep.
Click the link to see a 42 minute video of a talk she gave: Marie Kondo talking about her ideas
Click this link if you would like to see her book on Amazon: Marie Kondo's book


2. Make use of vertical space.
When horizontal space is limited vertical space can be used to help maximize the potential of an area.  The photo above is my personal work space containing a two foot by four foot table.  Keeping things stored well creates easy access to the things you need to use often.  I have broken down my space into different areas to describe how I make use of vertical space in my own small studio.
I use a board behind my table to to pin up information I will need and inspiration.  Think of it like a Pinterest board but in real life. On it I keep some reminders to myself and a written goal for myself.  I also keep some of my previous work so that I can think about where I have come from stylistically and where I am going.
On the table surface I keep my current project and the basic tools that I need for all my projects.  I am a painter so I organize my brushes in one container, my paint tubes in a separate container and a tray for mixing paint.  If I have an item that I do not think I will use for all my work I don't keep it on the table top.  I store it.
Under the table I store extra supplies and items that I don't use often.  I keep a box of panels that are ready to be painted.  I use the same box to store some of the finished paintings that are already dry.  In another box I store watercolor paper and drawing paper.  I also have a small brush box that keeps brushes I don't use on all of my projects but would like to use on some projects.


3. Declutter the work space. Keep frequent use items out for use and store away infrequently used items.
It's important not to put everything out on the work space itself.  When the work space is limited it can be tempting to put one thing on top of another creating a jumbled pile.  Doing so makes it difficult to keep track of what is on the bottom of the pile. It's more difficult to keep track of needed items that are not visible.
Clutter makes for poor work flow.  If you have to lift some things to get to others you may end up knocking other things off of the table.  Or you may have to keep your arms in difficult to maintain positions to avoid hitting things or touching wet paint.
Clutter can also create visual disorientation.  If you have too much in front of you it can be more difficult to know what you are supposed to be focusing on.  All of the extra things that you don't use or only use infrequently will still be out on the table.  Every time your eye passes over them you are taking the time to notice something you do not need to focus on. I find that taking away the extra things helps my mind to think more freely because I am not focusing on all of the extra things I don't need too.

Happy organizing and creating!  I occasionally think about and update how my space is organized to make sure everything is working well for me.