Wednesday 25 March 2015

The struggles of the Part Part-time Artist

Well it's been a while, and that just goes to prove my point: it is hard to be a part-time artist. This month's excuse was children sicknesses. Next week could be work overload from the part-time job, and next month something else again. Juggling between looking after young children, working three days a week and finding time for the Art business is just something that requires a strict discipline, I understand that now, it took a while to accept it.

Making creative time sacred

There's a huge difference between doing something because it has to be done, or doing something only IF there is time to do it (There will never be time to do it!). And the only way the wannabe artist will become one is to make creative time something that MUST be done.

For me the solution was to have a planner, on the wall, that was pointing it's finger at me every so often, sending me with my marching orders straight to the studio. I was able to allow three evenings of studio work, that's about 7 to 9 hours per week. Not a lot, but since I can't afford daytime work yet (it will come soon, once the kids are in school every mornings), I still wanted to give myself some evening ME time. I often do more, especially when I have some deadline or special commission, but at least, when I do take the night off, I am guilt free.

Work that can be done with children running around should be done when children are running around!

Researching the internet, making simple updates to a website, flicking through magazines, looking for inspiration, updating your accounts, in addition to all the household chores can, in general, be accomplished when children are around and without completely neglecting them!!
If it is another employment that is taking your time, use your breaks to sketch a bit, browse pinterest, update your Facebook page. I am lucky enough to have a part-time job which requires me to be very creative so I am constantly getting the brain in right gears and I am fully hands on as well. But if it's not the case, a few minutes here and there through the day is all you have so make the most of it.

The 3 P's:
Planning, planning and planning

I mentioned above my week planner, I also have my year planner on which I try to always have the three months ahead planned out with 4 to 5 general objectives per month. For example, for April I intend to
1.revisit and review my stockists
2.Complete my 1st quarter review
3. Make product samples
4. Look into SEO and into business set up
May and June have different objectives, but I haven't planned out everything further ahead than this because things take shape as I go along. That keeps me focused.
I also have a To-Do list which is always with me. That planner is for specific things that have to be done in the days ahead. At the moment: -finish Dublin painting, -Print store signs. -Deliver prints to... and -Blog (Check!! That's the most satisfying thing about lists and planner, when you get to score them off!)

Making all the spare time count

That's not to say work all the time, but for me, I find very little satisfaction in just sitting watching tv. That's my spare time (normally an hour before turning in) and I'm allowed to do what I want and since I enjoy my work, I choose something that is easy, relaxing and pleasant. I do enjoy a good net browsing (even if they say it's not good before bed), or looking through art magazines and books, or browse all my photos for the inspiration for the next painting. Whatever it is, if it has a creative side it will count, and I am less tempted then to browse the internet when I should be productive in the studio!



Sunday 1 March 2015

Dear diary... where do I start?!?

Well, from the beginning might be a good idea...

I said 10 years didn't I? Well that's just ten years of contemplating that maybe somehow, someday, it might be possible to be a full time artist... That was a lot of maybe's underlined with plenty of if's. Before that, I just didn't think it could ever be anything else than a hobby. And my work was eclectic, unrefined and I wasn't practicing with enough discipline and regularity to improve it! See for yourself!

                                           
With my twenties came the move to Ireland, and the discovery of a place that welcomed art with open arms... but closed Gallery door.
Mistake no 1: Rushing into it.
I gathered a small body of work, with no real quality, with no real unity and sent a rather basic portefolio to some galleries. Unsurprisingly, I only got negative responses and you know what, I would say no myself looking at it now...
                                                                                                                                   
                                                 









 I had somehow got it into my mind that the only way was to get into galleries, and at the back of that same mind, was resolute to die a poor, unrecognized artist!

And let me just go back on the title of this blog, "Wanna be..." I know has the implied meaning of someone who lacks the qualification and talent, and that's where I was, lacking qualifications from lacking practice, and lacking talent for not allowing my hands to do what they wanted to do and over thinking what would make me different, what would make people buy me.

But then I painted these, and for probably the first time I thought; you know what, I could be onto something after all:



 Coming up:
The struggle of the Part-Part-Time Artist





NEW TITLE, NEW CONTENT! What's this all about anyway...

First things first, if it's the first time you stumble on my blog, let me just briefly introduce myself, save you a bit of trouble to search the archives if you're interested!

My name is Jessica Baron, originally from Québec in Canada and now settled in Ballydesmond, West of Ireland for nearly 10 years. I am a painter, or at least a wannabe painter.

And that's really all you need to know about me for now.

I have been wanting to be a painter for the guts of the last 10 years or more, and in the scheme of things, haven't got very far YET.
And that's the whole point of this blog, in which I will share my bumpy road to becoming an artist so far. If you're in a similar quest, I will hopefully somehow offer a few tips, share the traps I fell into in the hope you won't get caught yourself. I will express all the frustrations that pop-up now and again, and the delights that come with the successes, however small and trivial. And who knows, I may someday have to change this title again, when I can call myself a full time artist and drop the "wanna be"!!

So that's what this whole change of direction is all about. I already have a facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/jessicabaronartist)
and a website (http://www.jessicabaronartist.com to take care of all promotional stuff, so I can't see the point in having a third page for the same purpose. And there is still a bit of a selfish reason to it: I believe that looking back on how you got where you are can be of great support in looking ahead at where you want to go!