Art and the dealings thereof

Do you remember the Roadrunner cartoons? Remember when Wyle E. Coyote's would run off a cliff and not realize it until he's just hanging there, he looks down and PIFF! He's falling down into the canyon of jagged rocks below? Yeah, that's what it's like running an art group. And especially if you've never run a group of people before...EVER.

One: When people get initially excited about something it is short lived. Say you're putting a show together and you tell your artists about it and the first ones to get REAL excited to be part of the show are the first ones to flake when it comes down to the real work.

Two: There are some very helpful people out there. I've run into people who have bent over backwards to help us out with our shows. Its fabulous to see how much art is really appreciated here in the Vortex of Hell. (Please see tomorrow's "Vortex of Hell" post.)

Three: Promotion is expensive!!!! Holy cow! Seriously? Should I just give you my ovaries for that 1 x 1 in the paper? So for color and a 2 x 2 it'll be the ovaries plus a kidney? No thanks.

Four: Any art show held at a hotel is not going to make the serious artist any money. If you're making Christmas trees out of seashells, you'll be banking at these shows.

Five: You never know until you ask. If you have a request you'd like to make of someone, then do so because the answer just may be yes. I've learned not to be afraid of asking questions or requesting something of someone. Being afraid is a waste of energy.

Six: You will get a thousand people telling you how much they love your work and maybe one person will buy it. Get use to that quick but it will happen over and over again.

Seven: Price your stuff for what you would feel comfortable paying for it. You know the work you did. You know what your supplies cost you. You know how long you spent on it. You know what it means to you. Don't go on what others may think you could possibly get for your work. It's your piece, pick a price and be comfortable with it.

Eight: There is an endless amount of work that you will never be paid for and you will never get thanked for so you need to make sure you have a good support system to pull you a step or two away from the edge when you get frustrated with all of it. They will let you vent and curse and be ugly and then say, "Are you done? Then get over it." It works. Trust me!

Nine: Believe in your work. If you don't, then walk away. Continue to learn and continue to be inspired.

Ten: You will be working with many different people and they are ALL DIFFERENT and you can't change any of them. You can change your working situation with them, like choose to NOT work with them any more. But you cannot change them. Ever.

No matter what you do, how you prepare, you will be Wyle E. Coyote. You will be running only to look down and find out the ground from under you is gone. Hopefully you'll have a great support system who believes in what you are doing as a group.