I remember exactly when this particular journey started. I pulled into the parking lot for a particular Florida wetlands where I was participating in a photo workshop. I had brought my car. So there I was in the parking lot in the dark with my expensive sports car when other participants start to pull in. I began to feel really, really out of place. Everyone else was driving some kind of Jeep or SUV, high clearance, 4 wheel drive and here is Alison with an immaculate 350Z. I wanted to scream, I really am a nature photographer. I have camped in the wet, the cold, and the heat. I have walked many miles in search of the perfect photograph. I belong here.
It was right then that I felt to my toes the split of my life. The camera in my hands said I was an artist, a photographer, a lover of the out-of-doors. The car said I was a highly paid, pampered computer programmer with too much stuff to ever totally respond to the artist in me. Things had to change.
I originally moved to Florida in search of the good life. I wanted a nice house, a pool, a sprinkler system, no more cold, and maybe, as just a minor thought, to do something with my photography. That something turned into art shows and art was in full scale war inside me against the good life of lazing in the pool and puttering in the garden. That moment, in that parking lot, I chose sides.
I spoke to a friend about it and she said “Why don’t you just scale down, quit your job, and do art shows?” It’s not that easy. I have one piece of advice that I always offer to any young person who comes to me and says I want to do art shows. Do it early! Do it before you have a mortgage and a spouse. Do it while Ramen noodles is still an acceptable dinner. It is one thing to choose to change your life in a drastic way. It is entirely another to make that choice for your spouse who is quite happy with his life the way it is and who you really want to have with you on the journey.
So I do it slowly, serving two masters, art and job. It is the standard two pronged approach, reduce expenses, and increase income. The car and both motorcycles were the first to go. The car and my motorcycle were traded in on a Jeep. Financial net result was even but there were unexpected results well into the plus column. My husband loves the Jeep. He loves finding the challenging trails and winding our way through fire roads with a map and a compass. Where previously I had gone alone on photo trips he now joins me, taking great delight in finding new and different places for me to photograph. I push the envelope on art shows, honing my applications and trying for better and more lucrative shows.
We are making progress but the move to Virginia has thrown a temporary screw into the gears of our plan. I have a massive amount of unpacking and rearranging to do and no vacation days because I used them all on art shows. Moving expenses have slowed our financial plans to a crawl. Working full time from home means more time in the morning and the evening but also requires an extra push at work to let them know I am still here and still valuable and an entirely new and different market for my art means an extra push to find the right shows again.
I’m tired and having problems getting the energy for pushes on all fronts. But I did a really smart thing over Christmas. I applied to and was accepted into two shows in my area. I don’t know how they will turn out, but getting ready for them is getting me moving again.
One step at a time, one show at a time, I will get there.
Comments
Thank you so much Geoff. And yes Bill it does get really, really hectic during certain times of the year. But when I haven't done a show for a couple months I get really antsy to get out there again. I'm busy but I'm having a great time!
I just want to add a note that AFTER you conquer the business world(6 figures and a VP), after your family(3 boys through college) while you're still paying the mortgage, IF YOU ARE YOUNG AT HEART, you can start a new life in art.
This cougar is making sweet music with the Muse.
A moving, honest post completely devoid of self-pity. Straight talk.
Nice job, Alison, and my early nominee for Post of the Year. Thanks for taking the time to write it.
And good luck in Virginia!
The most original art owes its existence to Medicis and day jobs. If you have a full time job it takes a tremendous amount of energy to do the shows. even a half dozen a year can be a challenge to one's stamina. They don't tend to spread themselves out evenly over the calender year.
In my experience fewer shows and a sound financial foundation was less stressful while working toward the day when I could go full time with the art. The tough part in the early days was tearing myself away from being on a roll in the darkroom and going back to work. I really don't know the solution for this except sticking with it. Meanwhile, never be afraid of shooting for the best shows. You may get some pleasant surprises.
Thank you for this post, Allison.
You expressed many of my own feelings. I feel the stong tug of the art world and want to spend more time honing my skills as a jewelry artist. But I do have a full time career as a teacher. With just a few more years till retirement, I'm finding it difficult to balance the two. My husband resents my time spent creating and the weekend shows. Yet, he spent way too much money having my favorite mirror repaired. He even researched canopies and traded in my sedan for a wagon.
I'm trying real hard to stick to the "one step at a time" mantra. I don't think my husband realizes what I've laid out in application fees. So I'm hoping the shows I've booked work out. For this summer, as I wade a little deeper, I decided to stick with local "upscale" shows.
Good luck to you in your new locale.