Written by Ok guys. I’m going to be ballsy and use this “blog” function, even though I’m not sure Its meant for me and/or whether I need permission and/or vetting from rafi & Klee.
My guess is that we the community are meant to experiment with this brandspankin new tool and as long as our intent is good, you’ll let me know if its appropriate.
Anyways. Hello! I’m a relatively new artist but a relatively old human. I one of those guys with a job that got ever more soul-sucking as it went as it get ever more seniority here at my hum-drum day job. You’ll understand then why Rafi’s life experiences resonate so strongly with me. Though I’ve not been an artist exactly for all my life, I’ve been visually inspired all my life and I truly Deeply enjoy the imagery of the natural world and my life-long obsession with daydreaming in it.
I started art around the scary days of the pandemic and relatively excited by some early victories; took my best paintings and began my business a little more than a year ago.
And what I’ve noticed is that being an unknown artists kind of sucks. Since art is subjective, most rejections are very polite but they are rejections nonetheless. I’ve also noticed that there really is a relatively Good opportunity to get your art out there if you absolutely obsess about getting to the venues; especially in the summer. Alternately and additionally, Organization is not only handy is absolutely freakin huge and a total kryptonite for me.
So this fall at seeing opportunities within the venues, slip through my fingers I resolved to find , no make a little community of fellow artists that was ambitious as I was.
It isn’t easy! Tbh Most of the local artists seem to have jealously hang on to the success they have or they kind of tbh have given up on being ambitious. Now I don’t want to be too mean to be a whole group of people that really pretty awesome guys and gals. These are people that would give you the shirt off their backs- its just that clearly in their opinion, being a successful artists is nearly impossible; so either they have no success to share or they really feel they have almost nothing to give.
So what I did was I found some other beginners and I got myself the start of a little community of ambitious artists and we hopefully are on track to meet and art weekly building friendship and respect.
My big plan is to get us (the four of us) together regardless of who is what company; and do whole venues together- so we have the manpower to be organized, and the amount of artwork to truly attract Real attention. I spose time will say how this works. But I’d like to get some people’s opinion here on this brand new place, especially because it could kind of be like the same thing- a bunch of fellow artists working together helping each other out, and offering actually friendship as we develop our internet audience.
I also ought to add, that in my dizzy daydreams I imagine us (meaning a local group of artists) pooling together resources and offering ways to monetize merch without have prices so high that you can’t sell anything (which I think is the BIG problem with so many POD services.)
What’s your honest opinion.
Are we artists more like cats? Will new friendships sour when the money gets bigger? Why do so few artists work together when its clear that 5-10 artists attract attention solo artists can’t hope to have?
PS. I have been kicked out of my first gallery for lack of sales. I’m not sure to take that- only that its clear that its pretty unreasonable to expect someone else to sell your paintings for you.