One thing many people do not know about me is I am terrified to share my artwork (my other fear is public speaking). Strange when weekly I get on LIVE on the internet with no preparation and paint! It was not until my 40's when in spite of my fears I decided to put it all out there. Share what I love and do what I love!
My next storage tip has to do with facing your fears and sharing/storing your completed artwork! I NEVER would share my work unless it was published in a magazine and therefore I felt validated that it was good enough! I was literally the photographer without one photo on my wall! The scrapbooker with her pages tucked away in books on the highest shelf. Crazy when that is such a big part of who I am. This fear of people seeing my work or me comparing it to others was/is stagnating. Now my artwork is out on display in my house (and has also become the best way to sell my original art pieces!)
This is one of my favorite corners of the house right outside my studio:
I still have to catch myself when people are admiring my work and asking if they can buy it (that never gets old!) from saying...are you sure you really want it? Why not? it is a true labor of love and why not show off living your passion every day.
I remember long ago someone asking me where this "art deal would ever lead to".....the great thing is I have no idea but I sure do love what I do. I get to share it with so many others who get it. AND......my kids see on a daily basis Mom pursuing what she loves. She is not hiding it....in fact it is out on display. Lots of fear, lots of risks but where this "art deal" is taking me I am forever grateful. This is my path...these are my walls, lots of "storage" space!
So what I say to my fellow artists, display your work, be proud of it, give it, donate it...sell it! I encourage you to have an Etsy Store. Sell your work at an art show! Enter the county/state fairs! Just this week I sold 20 journal kits which are on the way to Canada! And I was asked to create a custom piece!
Feel free to visit my Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/twstudios
It is not a leap you need to take...a first step. Do what you love and love what you do....the rest just kind of falls into place one fear at a time! Stay tuned for more storage tips.
"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
Love that wall of art outside your studio, Tracy! Russ is a photographer (when not at work), and we have a lot of his work framed and hanging on our walls! I don't want to compete with his work, so have confined my creative works to my third floor studio, where the ceilings are slanted due to the roof design. I do have one very special piece of purchased art hanging in the stairwell, however! (Mwah!) The bulk of my work (other than scrapbook layouts) has been I my art journals, so that also presents framing problems. I do have some pieces that I have done with which I am very pleased, so may try to find a place for those. Thanks for your encouragement!
Posted by: Kay Wallace | Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 07:45 AM
Thank you Kay! Your comment means a lot to me and I am going to make it a point to get some more of my artwork and photographs up on the wall! It is time to bust yours out too woman! I am proud to have one of my pieces in your studio! You are such an amazing artist that I admire! ♥
Posted by: Tracy Weinzapfel | Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 08:21 AM
Hi Tracy,
Very cool wall!!! Yep, I think that's what I need to do. For me it would show the "revolution" of my art. Where I started and the road I'm going down, trying to find myself.
I didn't participate on Monday but am hoping to watch over the weekend. I have a confession. I have spray paint AND stencils. I'm just not sure if I want to mess up my stencils with the spray paint.... did you get the paint off your stencils? It's kind of like buying that new notebook. It's so pristine without any handwriting in it.
Hugs,
Kay
Posted by: 505whimsygirl/Kay | Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 09:04 AM
I finally hung up most of my canvases on the wall in my computer room. I also display one every month in the front hall. DH noticed the one I did for the March dare and asked if it was new?? Haha - been there a few weeks.
Posted by: mjmarmo | Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 01:30 PM
You GO girl !! I'm so proud of you Tracy! Not only do I love WHAT you do ... but I love HOW you do it!
Posted by: Von | Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 03:12 PM
Thank you Von!
Posted by: Tracy Weinzapfel | Friday, March 29, 2013 at 11:38 AM
AWESOME Jean! I am happy to hear that!
Posted by: Tracy Weinzapfel | Friday, March 29, 2013 at 11:38 AM
Thank you so much Kay! I love that path of finding yourself in art and ever evolving and learning!
In regards to the stencils...I have OCD and have always tried to keep my rubber stamps and stencils clean but have let that go and now use them freely and don't care so much how they turn out in the end (clean or not). Letting that go frees me to use them and not worry so much. I have not had the paint come off on future pieces. The spray paint will stain them but I figure I don't display them so freed myself up. But I do know about the new notebook and the pristine!! Being creative means being messy :)
Posted by: Tracy Weinzapfel | Friday, March 29, 2013 at 11:41 AM