Taking ourselves seriously as artists

Please excuse my silence this week. I have a back that has gone into spasm...very ouchy and not quite recovered yet. As with all these things, you have to choose your attitude. I have been tempted to feel very sorry for myself as its been quite debilitating (not being able to put your own socks on let alone getting the kids dressed!) but I let that temptation pass and decided instead to tackle a lot of organisational projects around the house that had been neglected due to my immersion in the big mosaic commission which finished last week.

As part of my tidying and sorting, I came accross a document I wrote about 10 years ago, when I set up my Organisational Training and Consultancy business. I was so thorough...market needs analysis, clear list of products that related to my areas of skill and interest, marketing plan etc... There I sat, reading this document and I thought, "why am I not taking the same approach with my art"? Now, I know that for us lucky makers, work is play and I certainly don't want to be too 'serious' about my art. But I do want to take it seriously and give it the attention it needs to flourish into the possibilities that are there, waiting for my nudge, my direction, my intention. I realise that art, as a line of work, still needs to be nurtured, structured, planned and administrated if it is to grow (as we all know when tax return time comes knocking!).

One thing led to another...the fermentation of many thoughts going round my head as a result of Kelly Rae's Flying Lessons, the accidental stumbling upon this document... And so, after more than one year of going 'pro' with my art... ladies and gentlemen... (drum roll)...I have finally.... set up my office space! Yup, a desk, a printer, a special place to put all the bits of paper associated with my art, categorized so they are easy to find. A place to keep the inspirations and ideas to hand and in sight.  A place to jot the things that need doing. Pictures of my beautiful family on the desk. A stapler...

I know, I know...for many, this act of setting up an office is not worthy of a fanfare. But for me, it is a huge, HUGE event that marks a transition, a mental shift. You see, 18 months ago, I chose to give up a career in social work, advocacy and training that I had spent 20 years building. I have never been without a 'professional' office space to work from. Leaving my hard built career was a scary, risky process for me (more about that another day). For now, its enough to say that the arrival of my creative business office space heralds the completion of that transition from social worker to artist. A letting go of all that was good from the last 20 years and a big, proper, unabashed HELLO to this new path, these new possibilities. I am happy, proud, excited and...eeek...I want to tell someone, show someone! So here you are...thanks for listening ;)