There is quite a space between the first time that I ever showed work publicly in a Birmingham Art Show back in 1971 and the event pictured here. Art and architecture have been part of me for just about as long as I can remember, but I don’t recall it feeling this personal. There is quite a difference between working for someone on a project with a clear expectation of a contractual payday and creating work that you really enjoy doing, in the hope that someone will share that enthusiasm and seek out your work…and pay you for it. I know that concept isn’t new. It is, oddly enough, something that takes a bit of getting used to. I know of other artists who work hard, create excellent work, and yet struggle to make the connection with clients who equally appreciates the creation. One might think that this is a simple step in the artistic process that begins with an inspiration and ultimately ends with a happy, paying customer.
Some artists are able to do it all: plan, create, produce, market, sell. Others find folks in the middle who help with pieces of the puzzle that are distasteful/uncomfortable and then trust them to be a part of the process of connecting all of the dots. I am grateful that there are people who can do the heavy lifting of marketing and sales so that I may focus my energies on a body of work, a better studio space, and a healthier lifestyle. There is a little letting go involved. There are clear benefits to realizing that you don’t have to do everything yourself and that letting go is the right direction. It just takes some people a little longer to figure that out.
