shameless self promotion
Should I feel ashamed, promoting myself??
No, i shouldn’t but even after all this time, mostly i still do.
This thought hit me this week, several times….it’s finally sinking in.
As i was talking about my plans for the evening with a artist friend this week, telling her about the 12 beautiful women who were to join my mixed media workshop that night, she asked “what workshop”?! Mind you, this was a good, artistic friend, who I paint with all the time. I’ve been doing workshops for 3 years and never once had I mentioned them to her. It hit me.
During the workshop, I’m talking to the girls about my background and one of them asked, how long did it take you to start calling yourself a professional artist. My answer, 2 years after i started selling my work. 2 YEARS! It hit me.
Later that week, I’m talking to a neighbor, who has been my neighbor for 8 years who asked me what I was always loading my truck up with. After I tell her artwork for the art shows I do, she says ” really, I didn’t know you were an artist”. Mind you, this is a person who has been to my house for dinner, a friend and never had I mentioned to her i was an artist!? REALLY! It hit me.
Take a look at my FACEBOOK page if you get a chance. I have a ton of ‘friends’ who are artists and when you go to there page, you know it. They have their work shown and they are promoting themselves. Not me. Just randomness shown, no substance on who I am, what I do.
Is anyone feeling me on this? Why do we do this??
Is it because our art is so deeply personal? Is it because it feels like a piece of our heart? Is it because we don’t feel worthy? Is it because we don’t have a degree in art? Is it because we don’t have a studio? Is it because it isn’t a painting of a girl with a long neck and tilted head? Is is because we’re scared we’ll be laughed at? Is is because…..
What is your because?
Here are some photos of the Mixed Media Workshop I did this week with 12 creative goddesses.
BTW…I do workshops, lots of them and they ROCK!