The Joy of it

I know a lot of people who make art without the desire to sell it.  Some people make a lot of art, and they give it away.  Some don't give it away, they keep it and let it stack up.  I have counciled against keeping things but again, my perspective is mine and it doesn't have to be yours.  Ultimately, it is about the joy you find in creating art.

People come up to me about their friends, their children, their spouses..... they are so good, they tell me.  How do I convince them to sell it too?  Do you love these people?  Do you want them to be happy?  Why complicate their lives with a business too?  Sometimes turning art into a business robs the creator of joy.  It is a lot of work to create and market.  You put yourself out there to be judged by all sorts of people and they aren't always kind.  Contests where you are judged by your peers against other peers, Oy!  Soul tearing!

There are a lot of studies out there that are legitimizing something that all of artists know, doing art makes you smarter and calms your spirit.  We don't need government funded studies to prove this, we live it.  My mother pushed an art career for over 40 years.  She taught me most everything I know about the business.  She is retired now.  She is painting carousel horses in Sandpoint Id for Carousel of Smiles. https://thecarouselofsmiles.org/  It makes her so happy, she is working with a life sized coloring book.  She has reached a point where doing shows is more than she wants to deal with and who can blame her.  40 years is a career with retiring from.  I could sell her left over uncast editions for years.  (She also taught me to be prolific)  

When you know someone who spends money on art supplies, craft, or fabric, keep in mind there are worse things to be addicted to.  I know families that have been torn apart because of gambliling, drugs and alcohol.  Being an artist is kinder in the long run.  There is no discriptor in front or after the word artist, did you notice?  No Pro- before or student after, no degree either because it isn't needed to be an artist.  No one went into the cave in Lascaux and demanded to see those artists licenses.  Did anyone look for a resume or a CV? nope.  People have been asking for centuries, why this here?  As an artist I can tell you, it was a good place to do it at the time.

Create, don't question.  Don't defend, don't explain unless you want to.  Find your happiness in the moment and just be an artist.