Hi!
I wouldn't trade my life as an artist for anything in the world.
I love what I get to do.
But I've had a busy week cleaning up some mind-bending clutter and right now I need a cup of tea.
Spring is in full swing here in SE Michigan, and you know what that means? Yep! Summer art shows will be here soon.
There's the Ford House Paint Out on June 1st.
I am told I may also have some work at the Wyandotte Street Fair in July as part of the River's Edge Gallery booth.
And of course, Dearborn Artists' Summer Showcase and a couple other shows are on the horizon.
I will add these and other upcoming events to my EVENTS page as I have more information.
Exciting stuff, yes? And yes, I AM genuinely excited,...but...
Question:
When does an art business-related activity become just another noisemaker?
Answer:
When it no longer earns its upkeep.
After careful thought, I decided that I will stick to what I do best and resist getting sidetracked.
So I've done a lot of 'spring cleaning' over the past few weeks, getting rid of some cash sucking apps and social media platforms which I no longer find useful, and re-inventing how I use the ones I am keeping.
I won't list all of the ones I ditched. That list is way too long.
I was even on TikTok...once...for about a minute. That one hot minute was enough to make this semi-reclusive farm kid scream.
And you'd think a bird lady like me would just naturally gravitate toward that one with the cute little blue bird icon. Nope! Not for me. I prefer to get my daily dose of birdsong from actual birds.
Chirp chirp.
The puzzle pieces that I feel will be most helpful going forward are:
Social Media: Mainly Facebook and Instagram.
E-commerce: My FASO website of course, Etsy (refocused) and Patreon (launching soon).
So you won't see any more coffee mugs in my Etsy shop.
That drop-shipping episode seemed like a good idea at the time, but ultimately became a distraction from the art.
My Etsy shop, Dale House, will now only offer small artworks and fine art prints. I will be adding to it regularly. Click HERE to see its new look.
In Person Shows: No more than five per year.
Groups: Dearborn Artists (who gave me my start), International Guild Of Realism (to stretch me like a Gumby), and Plein Air Squadon (to hone my plein air painting skills and si I have an excuse to ignore the sink full of dishes and enjoy the quiet outdoors).
So today I leave you with a bit of wisdom.
If you feel overwhelmed by the cacophony of voices calling you in eighty directions at once, make a list of everything you are involved in.
Keep those things that are helping you move in the right direction and cut out the ones that only add to the noise.
Then sit back and enjoy the sweet sound...of birdsong.
Jan
P.S. Next giveaway will be June 8 and MAN oh MAN, will it be good!
See? I even gave you a hint right there and I bet you still won't be able to guess.
