“Art history is the history of money and art.”

–  Peter William Brown

I haven’t reached yet 100 rejections this year but I got a few unscheduled positive surprises as they seem to break my poor record of pity and misery. Oh, there is some hope for the poor starving artist myth.

The first time I came across the above-mentioned article I wondered if that was a life, I wish for myself. It is for some of my friends and colleagues who committed themselves to this process but it is rarely spoken about in the artist community and art academy. I wonder if the reason behind is to protect an image of an artist as clean as a white polished marble without any suspect in their capabilities and success! Would it remove this soft sfumato over the artist’s persona if they would admit that it sucks! It sucks to be an emerging artist and I don’t know even what means anymore. I just know that I am not any more in the group of a young artists because I am over 40, established neither, emerging neither, middle carrier neither so what basket we, the late bloomers should all go into?

In his impressive list of interviews, Paul Klein who passed on unfortunately for us too early said that there was a market for every artist. His website is a never-ending source of inspiration and support for all those eager to listen and to learn about different artistic paths. For some artists, it is a matter of being at the right place at the right time and for Others, there is a 100 rejections per year process and many creative sources on ‘how to succeed as an artist. There are so many recourses that sometimes I wonder, what are we missing or getting wrong or doing wrong or are we stupid because it seems that the number of 100 grows to 150 or more?!

          Photo: Ivana Filip, Lori, 2021

There is a list of jobs you can do to support your practice but nobody would do it had they have another option. Do you think it is your right to live from your art? Yes, so do it but as Elizabeth Gilbert writes in her book Big Magic – find a job that will support it because it is nobody’s responsibility to take care of you and your art but your own. Though this world needs your creativity…

“This is a world, not a womb. You can look after yourself in this world while looking after your creativity at the same time – just as people have done for ages.”

Artists become administrators. They keep a second job and the third one – of an administrator. I thought think it scares my creative spirits away. They run away when I sit in front of my computer scouting for the next ‘big opportunity’ that never comes. I sometimes have to remind myself that I should turn off that screen and start drawing or contemplating my artwork, stop writing the next application, the next and the next. I still am on the road to nowhere…I mean..learning to count! Nobody said it was easy… goes the song…

So, stop administering and start creating! Write that application and no, you don’t have to play the game of counting. I know you just want to turn off that sweet shiny slim laptop of yours, so seducing and clean (why do we want our art spaces to be clean and duplicating a dentist office) making you feel like the whole world is yours. It is not and it will never be! You have to create it for yourself and get real. – self talk to me!

“We don’t have time for perfect. Because the truth of the maker is, most people don’t finish things!”, E. Gilbert.

Love and thanks,

Ivana