“What’s your goal with your art?” My husband mentioned my Etsy page looks commercial. It was a good question that one anyone should ask periodically. The answer came easily- I want to make art and sell it. I want to paint because it feels good and helps me work through feelings. I want to sell art because everyone should have some art, we only have so much wall space at home, and sales fund my costly materials. Let’s be honest, sales (and shows) also make me feel legitimate. It’s the world we live in. I make a painting and I feel good- or don’t feel good and rework it. But then you buy it, and I really feel good. That’s called external validation.
This weekend I decided to focus on two sizes. Large is for big ideas to share in galleries. Small is to open access to affordable art. This is where Etsy comes in. If a small piece is more approachable because of the subject, size or price, that’s ok with me. I have no shame in the thrill of the idea that my art might be the first you ever buy, the beginning of a collection. Remember the goal? Everyone should have some art.
On any given day, I have to choose how I use my time. We all do, if we’re lucky. I feel selfish when I choose painting over just about anything else- even things I enjoy. Finishing patient charts, making a dentist appointment, cooking dinner, planning a girl scout meeting, calling my mother, email, volunteering in class. “You’re so lucky! How perfect, ” they say, that my job is part time. It’s true, I am lucky. I have one or two days per week that I’m not at work. Half of the time ends up being work overflow, and the rest is “mine.” Don’t be fooled, though. I can’t paint even a fraction the time I’m off, since I’m doing all of the above.