Resilience
Resilience is the key to survival as a professional artist. When it rains it pours and when the rain stops there are desert walks in search of an oasis. It is easiest to survive these periods with the proper training, mental set, tools and an easy way of looking at life. These are the times when one appreciates one’s way of life the most, when hard pressed. The intelligent artist is frugal and budgets for these natural episodes. I have a habit of pouring my money back into the business quickly, which is good for building but can pinch when collectors scatter. Discussing one’s weakness may repel, but this is the cycle of my business. I have built a refined art making machine by taking chances when I felt there was room to do so. These maneuvers are surprisingly modest in the grand scheme yet critical with an artist on a limited budget. I do well for myself, but when I press hard, as with the past winter, when I spent all my time and money renovating my second property, there can be a slack period where I must focus intensely to regain my footing. I reach out and wait for the collectors to return while reflecting on the rising beat of my career, I keep the faith and plow ahead with the many projects in my studio, half of which are labor monsters and expensive only in this way.
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