new year new projects new to-do lists

With every new year there is a moment of pause. Time to reflect on the last years work. This year I have a few big goals, big changes and revelations.

Numero Uno : Dump licensing. Seriously not worth the effort. If I count the hours spent generating art and submitting compared to the payoff - not worth it. Out with the dead wood. Besides, licensing seems more like a pyramid scheme than a legitimate way to earn a living. Well a living that you can 'live' off at least.

Numero Dos : Spend more time asking for referrals. I pride myself on being easy to work with, on time, and deliver a great product. My customers love me, and not in a weird way, but in a 'You just saved my bacon' sort of way. With that kind of relationship I need to ask for referrals. They know people, and if I can make their contacts look good, we all come out heros.

Numero Tres : Revamp the website and put the work that pays and is in demand at the forefront. Seems obvious but I get busy with paying work and the website loses out.

Numero Quatro : Be a better blogger. I know, I know I have said this before. Maybe not on my blog but in my own head. This year, more sharing of my work, my successes and my mistakes. What works, what doesn't, and musings along the way.

Numero Cinco : Be a better networker. I like people, I am chatty, don't mind meeting new people and make friends easily. Not to mention I like to snack and drink wine. Why am I NOT going to more networking events? I don't know either.

Numero Seis : Don't be ashamed to toot my own horn. I have been thriving (more or less) as an illustrator for the last 10 years, I need to stand up and shout about it and let people know without feeling all humble and embarrassed.

Numero Siete : Keep volunteering and doing good deeds. This isn't really career related but it feeds my soul and reminds me why I am alive.

How running a marathon is NOT like being an artist

Ok so I am about to run my first marathon. I started thinking about all the training and time spent for the darn thing. I also was thinking 'Dang, I need to post on my blog'. Naturally the two seemed meant to go together. And, it seemed that I could really tie the whole, running a marathon IS LIKE an art career together. But then it occurred to me, they are NOT alike.

The most obvious difference is that with a marathon, you train a very specific way. Oh there are a lot of degrees of training, but everyone agrees, run, and run a long run once a week. But for art there is no tried and true way to 'make it', or train for it. Seriously. You can buy books, read blogs, but really half of making it is luck. No one wants to admit that but seriously you can make the most beautiful thing ever, but unless the right person sees it at the right time, and other people are in the mood for buying, you won't sell it.

Secondly, with a marathon you have a goal, 26.2 miles. All you have to do is run that distance and voila you've made it. But with art, there is no real goal. It is nebulous, it moves around, it is elusive and can completely make a 180 on you before you know it. Some ambiguous goal like 'success' is so hard to define that really, seems pointless. Realistically you can only hope to make art, and sell what you can, if that is what you want. But the goal line will move, whereas 26.2 miles will always be just that, 26.2 miles.

You don't have to carbo load for art. Oh sure it sounds like fun, and if you are in the mood you could even justify it "I am so busy with ideas that I need to fuel up so I can create all of them". But really, we see through that. No, carbo loading is NOT necessary for making art.

No special clothes or gear are required for making art. I suppose if you are a welder, or depending on your medium you may need a few things, but most of us can get by with non-high-tech gear.

You don't lose your toenails doing your art. Unless you drop that giant coffee mug on your toe on the way to your office/workspace.

Ah ha, I do have a similarity though. Discipline. Yes you need discipline for both. If you don't dedicate the time to each endeavor, and follow through you won't get where you want to go. So there, in that instance Yes, running a marathon and making art is similar.

Feel free to stretch after a quick warm-up when you are done reading this. However, the ice bath will not be necessary.