WHY I DON’T PAINT EVERY DAY (PART 2)

Because I have other things to do.

All joking aside. I don’t paint every day because running a creative business requires…well, business stuff.

I’d love to paint every day, but I also enjoy the variety that comes with owning a small business. I get to ‘wear a lot of hats’ so to speak. There is nothing wrong with being a hobbyist, painting every day because you love to paint. And there are professional artists that are ‘daily painters.’ I’m just not one of them. But what people often think professional artists do and what they actually do are often two different things. You would never see my art if I painted all day without doing anything else. There’s a book titled “I’d Rather Be in the Studio” by Alyson Stanfield that focuses on exactly that.

A day in the life of a creative entrepreneur…here’s why I don’t paint every day.

Gesso. What’s gesso? It’s a binder that prepares the surface for paint, and I’d compare it to a primer. Without it, the paint soaks into the weave of the canvas. Oh, and three layers are always a good idea.

• Wiring and framing. Each painting must be wired to hang. And some are framed too.

• Varnish. Each painting is coated with an archival varnish. Again. three coats. This protects it from light or dust and contains UV light stabilizers that inhibit damage. It also gives the work a more finished appearance.

• Commissions. Many artists paint commissions, and the process is collaborative and takes time and energy to ensure the client is happy with the artwork.

• Shipping. Safely packaging paintings and getting them to their final destinations is essential. And time-consuming. This is one of many reasons I love working with galleries because they handle this process (along with a lot of other things). I ship with UPS and USPS mostly.

• Working with galleries. I enjoy my relationships with my galleries. Painting can be isolating, and I love the friendships that have formed. I try to ensure I’m providing them with what they need to sell my work and best represent my art. I still keep in touch with a couple of lovely ladies who used to sell my work and have since moved to the beach.

• Delivery. This takes time out of the workday. It’s also a challenge right now since I sold our SUV. My mid-life crisis convertible doesn’t hold big paintings too well. Practical? Well, no. I actually took a canvas and measured the back seat and trunk before buying it a few years ago. For now, I borrow my mom’s or son’s car when I have a large painting to deliver. And I don’t ship super-large paintings that frequently.

• Photos. Taking good photographs is a must if you sell your work online. Or even if you don’t.
  Inventory. Gotta keep track of them somehow, whether you use a CRM, a spreadsheet, or a piece of paper.

• Editing photos. The photo needs to look exactly like the painting. Unfortunately, sometimes my iPhone photos have a yellow cast. Even with a DSLR, the photograph doesn’t always look exactly like the painting. I don’t want any surprises for my collectors, so I tweak the photos and compare them to the originals.

• Bookkeeping. I use Quicken, which is easy but still requires tracking expenses, costs of goods sold, revenue, and profit. Remember that accounting stuff.

• Sharing my work. Instagram. Sigh. I loved it at first. Sometimes I still do. Sometimes not so much. Sharing your work doesn’t have to be salesy. I just share what I paint or show my process. I don’t like selling, but I’m pretty good at sharing.

• This blog. For me, this is pure joy, a creative outlet that is not necessary, but I enjoy it. I think it is a great way to tell the story behind the art.

• Website. I have two. Efficient? Probably not. But my blog is on a WordPress platform and I use Shopify for my storefront. It all has to be updated on a semi-regular basis.

This is a snapshot of life as a professional artist and why we often don’t get to paint every day.

What I love about owning a small business is the variety. I get to do a lot of things… It keeps my brain happy because I get to use both the left and right sides of my brain. The switch from the creative ‘right brain’ activities to the more tactical items keeps my creativity fresh and probably keeps me from getting burned out.

None of this is hard, and I’m grateful that I get to do this as my job. I love every minute of it. Well, most of it…

Want to read part 1 about why I don’t paint every day? Or see what my work?