Fueling the creativity.
It's 4:30am and i am up.
Early mornings are just the best. fresh air, fresh ideas and there is something so enchanting about starting a new day.
I am excited. I have 50 things i want to do ALL AT ONCE. It is quiet and once again, the world is at my finger tips.
Unsurprisingly, research says that of the top six most happiness-inducing activities, after sex and exercise, the other four are all arts-related.
They are, in descending order:
1) Intimacy/making love
2) Sports/running/exercise
3) Theatre/dance/concert
4) Singing/performing
5) Exhibition/museum/library
6) Hobbies/arts/crafts
Without a doubt, creating art fuels my happiness and it is the fruit of my experience.
I am certain that all artists will agree with this statement. Studio, music, color, peace and paint.. nice... BUT what happens when no one buys my art?
Can i still be the happy creative person that i am? Mmm…Probably not?
So as i see it, selling my art that fuels my happiness is as much of a joyful experience as creating the work itself and therefore imperative to the cycle of creative growth.
I have had a fantastic couple of years in my art career and since I started painting again, I've had my first solo exhibition in Harare in September 2011. This was followed by a very successful joint exhibition with Katerina Ring from the USA in Lusaka, Zambia. And gratefully, i was commissioned to do +24 pieces for Pamuzinda Safari Lodge in January 2012 amongst all the local support, selling just under 80 pieces of my original paintings in 2 years. I have also introduced a line of limited prints, created a blog, recently created a website, am rapidly growing my Facebook presence and joined several Online Art Communities which are starting to reap the rewards. My train is still steaming ahead and 2013 has started with a bang!
My point is, being an artist can be the best job in the world…… if you can sell your artwork.
I believe that success in any profession consists of 2 talents and in art i believe you have to own your passion and you have to know how to sell. Being creative is the easy part of the journey but selling takes an enormous amount of time, research and persistence.
I recently met Larry Norton and had the honor of being invited to his studio to learn a few tips and trades, and although unsurprisingly his technique is phenomenal and his approach to his canvas is fascinating, he is the most humble and likable man you will meet. The importance of the rapport you create with your viewer and your buyer suddenly dawned on me. He made me WANT a piece of his success and more importantly for me, added fuel to my fire.
I am 29 years old and by no means consider myself an "established" artist and in fact, in the art world you are considered a junior painter until you are 30, but i believe in myself and every day i wake up eager, feel motivated and get excited for what is to come. I know how difficult the market of selling your work in Zimbabwe is, and i would like to share some of my research which i believe will get me and you places so that you can keep fueling your happiness.
The two biggest things i believe cater to the success of an artist today are the following:
Times have changed.
"We" (the artists of the world) all have equal opportunity to be successful with the presence and exposure the online world has to offer. As i see it, we are not “discovered." It is about putting your work out there, self promotion, exploring the art world, being patient and persevering until you finally (and you will) explode.. and the world will see you!
Selling your art is selling yourself!
The appreciation of art is complex. Different people like different and particular art for various reasons and often the reasons don't have a lot to do with the artwork itself. It may have to do with the gallery the work is in or the gallery representatives who have "sold" it / you? It may be because the artist is liked socially? or it could be the excitement in the "discovery" of an artist? and in Zimbabwe's environment it seems to have a lot to do with the signature on the artwork? But if it is not out there, and you are not shouting out your name, believing in yourself, getting involved and selling yourself, you are not going to sell your artwork.
If you have ever exposed your artwork, thereby exposing all your vulnerabilities and in essence "you," you have courage! If you have courage, you have what it takes.
My artwork may not change the world, but it affects people and it affects me. I believe in personal growth, i believe in being joyful and i believe that if you are doing things that make you happy, you cannot fail.
Contact:
Follow me on Facebook: Nicole Sanderson's Paintings
Website: www.nicolesanderson.co.zw
Blogspot: nicolesandersonpaintings.blogspot.com
Email: nicolesanderson@gmail.com
Tel: +263 772 619 007
Skype: nicolesanderson1
