Art and Creativity Journal: Jamming a Lot Into Very Little Time
Part of the challenge of doing outside events as an artist is that you're always striving to have a strong representation of your best work on hand to sell.
In an ideal world, that suggests planning far ahead, but I have just never been particularly good at that. That is to say, I do plan ahead, but the process of show preparation gets crosswise with creating new work during the final few weeks before the event.
Which is where I find myself now, with a week to go, balancing painting, with general show prep... and let's not forget the daily business of simply making a living, which doesn't magically go away, just because you have an event to get ready for!
I suppose the situation is different for artists who are actually pursuing their art as a full-time occupation, but I don't happen to be one of them. I want to get to that point, but it remains something out in the future that might happen someday.
This all becomes a bit of a balancing act, in which you get to choose where you are willing to come up short and where you're not.
I was planning to be spending the rest of the weekend painting, and my cutoff time will be the end of Monday night, in order for the paint — and then the finish coat — to be able to fully dry and cure a bit before go time on Friday. We will be leaving here early afternoon for setup at the event — about a 45-minute drive from here — before the initial opening to the public at 6:00pm on Friday.
I have always liked to be part of "paid events" where the people in attendance have already paid $50 to just be there, before they even start doing anything "extracurricular" like patronizing vendors. It means they are serious about wanting to be there and have the experience.
There is no Such Thing as "Ready!"
If there's anything I've learned from decades of doing not only art shows, but also trade shows, it is that there is really no such thing as "ready."
You will never get everything done you were hoping to get done... you just pick the "high points" and get as much done as you possibly can, and then it's go time.
The thing worth remembering is that pretty much everyone else — perhaps with the exception of the handful who are "show circuit professionals" — are in the same boat as you... and we all pitch in to help each other with forgotten tools and supplies.
Thankfully, this event is not too far from where we live, so if we discover that we are missing something on Friday night, we can always bring it on Saturday morning when the "main" events schedule takes effect.
Final thought: could I be painting right now, instead of writing a blog post?
Absolutely!
But I like the idea of having some "record" to revisit from a future vantage point, and — besides — I needed to take a break and rest my eyes for a while before resuming work.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!
I appreciate you coming to visit and please do leave a comment if you feel so inclined!
Thank You!
If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!
Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.
Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!
My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal
Alchemy Stones web site and blog
Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!
Thank you for supporting independent art & creativity!
2024.11.03 AS-TXT-290/260