My Career, Such As It Is

A detail from one of my pieces was chosen to be on the cover of the studio tour guide.

I always feel that I am being a bit of an imposter when I talk about my career as an artist. At art school they told us if we were still making art ten years after graduating we were a success. By that standard, I have done pretty well. Looking back, I see that I was on the right path, having shows, making connections and getting funding. The path has had quite a few zigs and zags over the years. Sometimes I think if I had just stayed in one place, things might have developed in a more fruitful way, career-wise.

But building my resume has not been my focus. The work is what carries me along, and gives deep satisfaction. Sharing it with others is something I crave though, and yet when it happens, as in a show, I feel I need to apologize somehow. Crazy, isn't it?

So yes, getting my piece on the cover of the tour guide was good - no doubt it will bring more visitors to the door. But I am slightly freaked by the pink/magenta overlay. They asked for my approval to use the image just hours before it went to the printer, and I wasn't about to be a diva and insist on changes. So I have mixed feelings about it.

Also this week I was visited by curators from the Nanaimo Art Gallery. Very nice people, they asked good questions and seemed to like my work. Given that I have sent out a bunch of proposals and heard absolutely nothing back, the curators' visit was a nice little boost. I have had this happen before: I work in isolation, then get a brief flurry of attention, my hopes rise and then months go by with nothing. Just when I am ready to pack it all up in despair, the phone rings with an offer of a show. It's an emotional rollercoaster. One must have faith.