60/40 Flip

I was meeting with a friend a few weeks ago and we talked about goals and he asked me what I want to change to achieve these goals. I paused because many things came to mind, but the overarching thought was that I’m running my art business at a 60/40 effort rate. Meaning I spend 60% of my time doing everything but creating art. And that’s a problem, especially with a full-time job and managing my art business part-time. Now I’m only referring to my art business in this ratio because that was the topic of our discussion. My answer to him became a declaration that I have to Flip it. My art creation efforts have to become 60% of my small business activity. And that felt good to realize but then overwhelming. I fundamentally know what effort I have to put into creating art, and certainly didn’t start out doing more of one over the other. The challenge now is switching things around when I’m a sole business owner with no one sharing the load or a budget to hire someone. If you’re an artist you know process stuff like marketing, attending meetings and consultations, collaborations, planning, budgeting, coordination of people and things is not what gets us up in the morning. I have an analytical side so these things listed are doable, flipping a switch to nurture my creative side takes time, care and some preparation. Ultimately this transition requires consistency. Some of my best and most memorable work has been produced when I’m focused and consistent. So how do I get to the 60/40 flip? I’m starting with one small deliberate change in my habits, like creating a painting schedule posted in a visible place and inviting others to access it for accountability. And after some progress with this actionable change, I’ll add some more small changes to increase my creative efforts. My hope is that this realization backed by actions lead to new habits and more fulfillment in my work.

This blog post image is a snapshot of a limited edition, signed, 11×17 canvas print created especially for my current exhibit, available for $25 each by calling the gallery at 253-682-1735. A percentage of sales are donated to charity. (This blog post, the design of this poster, coordinating the photography of the art, printing, and marketing efforts are examples of non-art creation work needed to run my art business.) Click here for more information about the exhibit.