On the days that everything seems a little harder – getting out of bed, the kids are cranky, you didn’t get something you wanted – it’s especially important to pay attention to the little signs. To either snap you back into reality or to refocus your mind so you remember the path that you’re on.
The other day, I was feeling a little down, after finding out that I didn’t get into a show I’d applied to. Rejection is never great news to receive, but it is a part of life, if you risk putting yourself out there. Of course, if you haven’t had to deal with that for a number of years, it can start to play on your neuroses and so naturally doubt started to creep into my mind.
If I can’t even get in to a local show, is my art not good enough? Does anyone even want to buy my stuff?
Shortly afterwards, I made a sale on Etsy. The next day, I made another.
Little signs! Thank you to the people who are still supporting my dreams and my business!
That same day, there was an email newsletter in my inbox from Stacie Bloomfield of Gingiber. The timing and the subject of the email was perfect.
In the email she talks about a student of hers who was struggling with her artistic path too, wondering if it was even worth it to go on, with all the things going on in the world lately. Her response to this was:
Your art isn’t frivolous. It isn’t small. It isn’t “less than” just because it doesn’t solve world hunger or fix the economy.
I needed to see and hear this too as I often wonder if there is a place for my art in the world.
Stacie also includes some really great tips in the email.
So, I’ve been making some new art.
My to do list is long and who knows if I’ll get to half the things on my list this month, let alone, this year. The important thing for me is to keep going.
Our family has taken a brief pause on the daily drawing habit, but Brighton wants to continue with it. I’ll share some more of those drawings soon.
