TEN PERCENT
That’s right. Ten percent of my working life as an artist is spent painting. Is it because I’m a dilettante? No. It’s because the business of being an artist is voracious for my time.
It’s a business. I have to file taxes. I have to keep books. I have to store ridiculous amounts of paper to prove that what I spent is what I spent, and that paper must go in files.
Files! I have to file my artwork. First I have to make an inventory: on Excel; on the work itself. Title; inventory number; medium; date; copyright notice; size (live with it, I’m only doing the inches – you do the conversion). Oh yes, PRICE.
Price. That reminds me, I have to work at sales. In this age of wonderful opportunity I am beholden to no gallery owner, but that means I own my own gallery on the Internet. Someone else built my custom management system; I have to maintain it. So people can buy what’s current.
And then I can do order fulfillment.
So. I’ll paint tomorrow.
At least I can keep a sketchbook, so I can draw on the train, on the way to the shrink, to discuss my feelings about TEN PERCENT.
Have a sketch:
A moment of peace amidst the clatter
Derwent 9B Pencil on 1/2 of an A4 Moleskine Notebook page / September 2010
I love this sketch. It does a wonderful job of expressing calm and clatter.
Oh if only I could claim 10%! Juggling family life with two children at home – no regrets, it just limits my time. Also have a partner who works ridiculous hours so I’m also chef, finance manager, teacher, domestic goddess (not!) and artist (who has an unhealthy love of connecting with others online) phew. But I paint because it keeps me sane and hope that one day it will be full time. And then I’ll get to 10%
Great sketch btw. Speaks volumes.