Balance, are you juggling or dropping all the balls?
People come up and ask me how to talk their family and friends into selling art and I say that they really don’t want to do that. Mainly because when you turn a joyful hobby into a business it can rob the hobby of the joy. The other reason is because it is a very complicated business. Whether you are a performer, visual artist, or writer; you have to pay attention to everything all the time. If you have people who represent you, you run the risk of them making choices for you that you may not like. They may spend your money in ways you don’t approve or over spend and put you in debt. Many singers loose control of their own songs and have to sue to get them back.
As a visual artist, we don’t have a lot of people who want to step up and represent us. We end up doing everything from inventory, scheduling, accounting, marketing, research, pricing, branding, website design and maintenance, finance and budgeting….. and then there are other things that we don’t think of until they jump up like a skeleton in a corn maze. We make professional circus jugglers look like hacks when we are doing it right, and then our lives resemble a teenagers bedroom when it all falls apart.
One of the things we lose sight of is that we are in control, not the business. We can take the time to make choices that make sense for us. I was recently given an opportunity to do something amazing but, I had to come up with the money and make the decision really fast. It broke my heart to turn it down but it was too fast. I realized that I wanted to chase that same kind of opportunity again but on different terms. I get to choose because it is my business. I also have to pay my own taxes and file the appropriate paperwork so there is tradeoffs.
Balance comes from recognizing that you set your own timing and choosing the goals and destinations. Every year I am working on my story board, a visual aid of goals and dreams that help me understand and see what I want to do. One of the most amazing gifts that I have is a partner who supports me and this board. The board is also for him but I am not sure he looks at it very often. The fact is, he is there and understands what I want because I communicate. I can communicate because I keep having clear goals.
So balance comes from keeping the speed manageable, clear eyed goals, and giving yourself permission to say “no”. When you get to feeling overwhelmed, Sit down in your favorite chair, put a cat on your lap, grab a cuppa, and take a breather. It is your business and you have that right. See you on the road.