Year-End Reflections

Things I learned in 2022.

Things I Learned In 2022 (Or A Loose Recap)

There are just a handful of days left in 2022. It feels like a good time to reflect on the year. My year in art was generally positive and represented moving forward for me. While there are some areas of growth, there were a few lessons learned.

2022 was a re-building year for me, as I got access to my studio space in early January after the landlord’s restoration of the building, following a horrible flood event caused by a September hurricane. (Read my blog post. ) In January-March, there was a good chunk of time spent outfitting my renewed space, gathering new supplies and settling in. That said, looking across the entire year, I was very productive and able to sell some work. Both of those are great blessings.

In no particular order, I am sharing what I learned and perhaps it will help you on your journey as well.

Shows/Open Studios/Craft Shows

I tested the waters in these areas and I learned that these events – whether a traditional art show, open studio event, or an arts and craft show – are all a lot of work, each in their own way.

The preparation took more time and thought than I’d imagined. Whether it’s a market where you must bring your own table, display, works, credit card machine/cash and signage, or whether it’s opening the doors of your own studio, there is planning and time needed for such activities as presenting your work properly, making and distributing marketing messages (print and online) and preparing for sales (credit card swiper, receipts, etc.) That’s all on top of finishing work, sealing it (if you do) and framing or wiring for hanging. Even deciding prices can take more time than you think! It’s not that I didn’t know these things would be required, it was more eye opening to actually experience how much time it all takes.

I also learned that research is needed before applying or entering anything . If it’s an art show, research can help determine if your work fits not just the requirements, but the “vibe” that the organization wants. This can be tough to do but worth digging into.

That said, I did sell my holiday paper products – handmade gift tags – and one customer followed up online and bought more. So that was positive.

I concluded that my artwork and what I need to charge for it really doesn’t fit into the “arts and crafts” space. People wanted to make small purchases, so I mostly sold paper items, but not larger artwork (eventhough I brought my most small pieces.)

I did get work shown in a couple of shows! In the upcoming year, I will apply to more “traditional” art shows, but after thoroughly researching. Sometimes the time required to fill our application forms, submit photos and so on is more work than it appears, so really knowing about the show and even the jurors would improve my chances! I did enjoy the Open Studios where folks come to my space, and I did also sell some work just by having people visit and browse.

Should one change their work to fit into a venue? You can come up with your own answer, but I would think it’s better to find the venue for you than change your medium or work.

Online Classes and Self-Taught Skills

As an art autodidact, I have done tons of learning outside formal education. I deeply believe that I am a person who never stops learning! This year, in addition to reading and watching video online, I took multiple online classes, both in art practice and in art business.

I believe that I benefitted from both types of class. I would say the overall experience of online classes this year was very beneficial, not only in the material presented – which was excellent – but in the inspiration that I got from them, to continue to work on my own, whether in my art practice or in the business side of art.

Also related, I taught myself some new techniques to provide content to social media – videos for reels, adding audio content to stories, etc. These became so important for the social media channels. This was positive, but I would give myself more time to learn new techniques before being up against a deadline.

On my website, I added blog posts and announcements, and I started and added to my online store. Using Square had some positives and some negatives. Looking ahead, I plan in 2023 to learn more about expanding my website and buffing up my online store. I guess my overall goal is giving myself more time to learn things and incorporate them into my online efforts.

100 Day Project

From mid-February to mid-May, I participated in The 100 Day Project. I even wrote a blog post about the lessons of that endeavor. (See my blog review. ) In short, the major takeaway was the benefit of doing something every day. While I have always been inconsistent with dedicating to “daily practices” of all types, the project really showed me the benefits of daily art practice!

I am not sure that I want to do this again, because it was quite a time commitment. But never say “never,” right?

Organizing Supplies/ Organizing Time

Supplies seem to be a blessing and a curse for artists. Sometimes they lead to inspiration, sometimes they lead to clutter! I worked on organizing and streamlining things – life, art supplies and schedules – this year.

Personally, I worked on stepping back from time comittments that crowded my schedule.

Organizing seems to be a never-ending goal, so I will be doing more of that in 2023!

I recently wrote about approaching art through the lens of Limits/Limitless. I plan to focus on how I can apply “Limitless” to my art practice. Stay tuned! I will share more on that.

Projects

I am working on a custom installation for a family member. I am excited about the idea I have for it. I also have larger canvases on deck to “work bigger.” Looking forward to stretching in this direction.

Happy Holidays and a Safe and Healthy New Year!

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