The Hobby Artist's Paradox

An Emotional Attachment or A Lack of Time, Resources, and Outlets

I Recently Revealed A Habit ..

Of mine to a steemit friend. I could almost hear the gasp when they wrote "Wow. You've got to be kidding me.", after I showed her a picture of my art works that are taking over my studio/office space and neighboring closets. I shared the pictures you will see below, but they are only an example .. there are many more piles. I have all types of paintings stacked, piled and stored here and there. Canvas, oil, paper, watercolors, hardboard pieces.. you name it and its sitting there somewhere. I ask you other creators out there, do you have a similar habit? Am I alone here??

I Am Thinking Three Scenarios ..

First one (best case scenario) is that I have a problem separating with my work; an emotional attachment of sorts. Second one is that there is a lack of quality resources and outlets for listing and selling my pieces. An out let for the hobbyist who has little time available to devote to maintaining an online storefront. Third case scenario (worst case scenario) is that my work sucks and no one would want it anyhow. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that the root of my problem is a combination of scenarios one and two. I would be curios to find out if I am alone in this or not.

Photo Source - Cute Penguin

I Laid Out 22 Paintings ..

Small works/pieces on paper. Now mind you, these are just a handful (of this particular type) that I have created in the last year. I laid them out onto the floor as I was rummaging around looking for one in particular. I made a recent promise to a family member that she could have it. Go figure.. I can in fact part with something, even though the actual 'parting' has not occurred yet. haha.. So they are scattered about the floor and I feel the OCD need to line them all up and then count them. Pepper then decides if I'm interested in this painted paper on the floor, he should be too. I firmly tell him not to make a bed out of the pile.. his almost instant reaction to said pile. He's cool with just looking at the mess, for a while at least. I hurry up and take a few photos and then neatly stack them back up to place on a shelf for the next 100 years or so. :-/

Pepper is not a happy camper being told to stay off of the paintings. Really Pepper?? You actually think they will make a good bed? Crazy pup!

While Taking These Pictures ..

And talking to my friend, I realized that this was definitely going to be the subject of my next post. I also come to the realization that I need to stop dragging my feet and find the RIGHT outlet for my work. But What? Where? and the ever dreaded How Much to charge for my art? While researching this a bit, I now know that I am not alone in wondering about the above questions. There are a lot of people trying to do the same as I am; trying to find a good outlet to sell their work as well as deciding on a competitive pricing that reflects the artists time, effort and material investments. I suppose, in the end, it is a personal decision that has to be made independently. For some Etsy is the answer, while others choose Ebay, Amazon, or Facebook as online store fronts. Some artists I know travel to art shows or craft fairs. While this is a decent choice, I just don't have that kind of time to invest. My choice is going to be primarily based upon the online options available.

My work space in my home studio .. Paintings drying or just conveniently stored there :-)

For Now I Am Content ..

Knowing the right option is out there waiting for me. I guess I need to slow down creating for a while or until I figure this out.. haha. I also know my creative Steemit friends will help me out with some advice!!

No one ever told me, when I decided to become an artist, that one day I would have to deal with this emotional attachment to my work. I guess that's a small price to pay for being blessed with the ability to express myself through painting and loving what I paint :-)

Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!

All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.

About Me ~ The Artist

My art work incorporates a wide variety of subject matter, including landscape, seascape, cityscape, and still life images. My works are the product of a continuing process of exploration through which I seek to portray personal and visionary interpretations of my surroundings. My paintings are impressions of places and events from everyday life, an interpretation of my imagination, and personal responses to what I see and feel on a daily basis. More recently I have invested generous amounts of time into my landscape painting. I am surrounded by natural and man made beauty, which inherently presents itself in the tri-state area, and almost demands that I paint it.

Not everything is art. Art is not everything, but it comes close. Art is everywhere and all the time. Art makes you experience the beauty of the world, the people in it, and the places we call home. Art itself is so influential that it can tell stories, show feelings, and express passion or fury. Art exists in addition to language; expression of sensations and thoughts, revealing a way of thinking too subtle and delicate for words.

For me art requires love, honesty and perseverance. In return, it reveals some personal, non-analyzable, and creative untamed passion. For the public, art with its magnificent beauty, improves mood and health and builds better human beings and communities. It engages the intellect, softens the heart, strengthens the soul and frees the spirit.

If Your Interested In Purchasing Any Of My Work:

They can be found for sale in

My Facebook Shop

OR

My Etsy Store

If you don't see the piece in either shop, It may still be drying. Let me know and I can upload it as soon as possible to be available. Or you can always make me an offer (in SBD or STEEM) in the comments section of this post. If we agree on a price, I will then ship the painting to you. (shipping costs will be determined by your location).

Molly and Pepper waiting for their daddy's return home from work ..

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.” – John Grogan