Is it Time to Quit?

Hi there. How are you? 

It's been almost nine years since I entered my current "Mixed Media Period." It was the summer of 2006, and I spent part of it living in Portland, Oregon. I had a lot of time on my hands and I was itching to make. I brought my watercolors, but never used them. Instead, I started cutting up the Domino magazines I was reading.

Here are some of the first pieces I made:

After that summer, I was hooked. It was a flurry of magazines, glue and Micron pens. And it was all about flowers. All fast, loose and gestural. I loved what I was doing and was making every chance I got.  

Then I made this chair.
It was a one-of piece I did for a friend. The image ended up in a brochure for a local gallery walk. People called the gallery wanting more chairs. So one chair turned in to years of chairs.

Enter the ball point pen.
My technique changed, but my primary subject did not. I still enjoyed illustrating chairs, and people were buying. So, I kept making. 

Then it was birds.
Matt (my husband) is a bird lover and encouraged me to try illustrating his feathered friends. Despite the fact that I didn't particularly care for birds HATED birds, I drew some. People loved them, so I continued. (After drawing birds for 2 years now, I will admit that I have more of an affection for birds than I used to. I think they're pretty darn cute now. I just don't want to touch them.)

There were abstracts too.
Throughout the whole 9-year creative phase, I've always made abstract work and drawn abstractly in my sketchbook.  I've made abstract collages, all about shape and color.

I've made abstract line drawings, all about form and movement. 

9 years is a long time to work without a plan.
I've flitted from one subject to the next, one show/event/fair/project to the next without much forethought. I've delved into wholesale, Etsy, a new website, new products, more art fairs, less art fairs. I never took the time to make a solid plan. There was never time. I wanted to make art, I wanted people to buy it, and I wanted art to be my main gig. I've had some successes, lots of failure, and I've learned a lot. But right now, I'm feeling burnt out and uninspired. I'm not confident about my current work and feel like I'm just going through the motions.

It's time for a break.
I'm not quitting art. I promise! I just need time to regroup, think, and plan. I won't be making any more mixed-media pieces for a time. Instead, I'm going to polish up that new website I started working 6 months ago, continue to blog, and do a lot of thinking. You'll still be able find and purchase my existing work on Etsy, at Dayshift and Bricolage, or directly from me. (If you've been wanting to purchase an original piece from me, now is the time! Get in touch!)

But I will be back. 
When I reemerge from this break, I'll have new, exciting, and most likely, very different work to show you. I promise to keep in touch and share my insight along the way.

Now it's your turn to talk. 
How did you know it was time to quit or take a break? In your work? In your life? In your education? I'd love to hear from you! 

Until next time. Ta-ta.

Keeping a Low Profile

Hi there. How are you?

You may have noticed, that I have been keeping a low profile on the interwebs lately. Until this past week, I've done very little posting on my Facebook fan page, Twitter, or Instagram.  I haven't posted here on my blog for well over a month now. It was time for me to step back from it all for a bit.

I'd like to believe that being active on social media leads to more sales. The truth is, it really doesn't. At least not right now. It just makes me feel good to get those likes, comments, replies and retweets. But those good feelings are not really what I'm after! Besides that, social media can be such a time suck! How many times have have I sat on the couch in front of the TV while mindlessly trolling my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds? Gross!

I find that I can waste the most amount of time on Facebook.......It's the nosy part of me that likes to know what's going on with everyone else. To make it easier to keep myself off Facebook, I deleted the app on my phone. I still do have the "Pages" and "Paper" app, but I do find that my time trolling Facebook has diminished greatly!

Instead of spending time online, I've been:

• Spending time in my studio, making things and learning about selling wholesale. 
• Spending more quality time with Matt and Jack. 
• Enjoying the hell out of this beautiful summer.
• Exercising every day. (More on that later.)

Now that I've got a little more time on my hands and some new exciting projects to spread the word about, I will be posting more regularly on social media. But I won't let it take over my time anymore!

How do you keep social media from sucking your time? Do tell.

Ta-ta. 

It Will Be OK: A Very Special and Very Personal Story

Hi there. How are you?

Today's blog is a very special one.  Jenipher Lyn, an artist friend of mine, has written a fabulous book for teens/young women. As part of Jenipher's book launch,  I was asked to write/doodle on the topic of depression. As you may or may not know, I have some experience on the topic.

I dealt with a bought of depression, that started in the summer of 2005 and lasted a whole year. I had trouble getting out of bed, trouble eating, and lost my desire to do just about anything but sit on the couch and cry. I thought it would pass. I'd get over it. But I didn't. I needed help. I couldn't fix it on my own. But I still didn't want to admit that.

I knew things were bad when my Dad came over unannounced one afternoon. My Dad is not the most talkative or emotional of men I know, so when he sat me down that day, I knew it was important.  My Dad proceeded to tell me about his own battle with depression. I had no idea that he battled the same demons I was.  I had always known that we had a family history of depression, but I had never known that Dad himself had dealt with it. This visit and this talk convinced me that it was time to seek some help.

The next day, I called my doctor, got hooked up with a counselor and started weekly therapy. Therapy helped, but it wasn't enough. I was still imbalanced, chemically imbalanced and all the therapy in the world wasn't going to change that.  I was prescribed an anti-depressant, but didn't fill the prescription right away. I didn't want to have to take a pill everyday to make myself feel better. There's such a social stigma to taking "happy pills."

After some encouragement from my parents I started taking a daily low-dose antidepressant. As time went on, things got better. I still had setbacks, depressed times, but overall I was feeling better. Feeling like myself. 

I caught some flack for taking antidepressants......A friend of mine couldn't believe I would think of taking them. They would change me. Make me crazy. It's quite the opposite my friends. Not being on antidepressants makes me crazy! After taking antidepresants for about a year, I tried to wean myself off (under a doctor's supervision of course.) After the pills had totally left my system, I was right back to where I started, in my black hole. I went right back on the antidepressants and haven't looked back. 

I am a better version of myself on antidepressants. I still have emotions. I still have low points, I still have high points. I'm just a heck of a lot more even and more able to enjoy life. I have been on antidepressants for close to 10 years now and will most likely be on them for life. And there is nothing wrong with that! 

I know that antidepressants don't work for everyone, but they work for me. If you are depressed and need help. REACH OUT! And take the meds if they help! If you are physically sick, you go to the doctor and might go home with a prescription. Why is a chemical imbalance any different?

Its OK to ask for help. Its OK to take medication. 

Thank you to Jenipher for asking me to be a part of this event. Ta-Ta for now!

“How Being Stubborn, Depressed and Unpopular SAVED My Life” offers an honest and encouraging view on topics such as depression and body image. The book explores the many issues that can start in childhood and follow us into adult life. This post is part of the DoodleDream* Blog Party.  Learn more — and join us! – by clicking here.

Snowed In

Winter weather was out in full force again this weekend.

While on our way up to Rockford to visit my stepson Jack, we got caught in a white out. 

There was a few hours of white knuckled driving. Not fun! 

We intended to take the 6 hour drive back home to Carbondale on Monday,

 but got caught in a blizzard and had to say an extra night.

Despite the crap-tastic weather, we still managed to have a nice visit with Jack and the rest of our family. 

We celebrated my cousin's 21st birthday with a Sunday morning breakfast. 

Instead of taking a picture of my fam, I took snap of this cool sign. 

Sorry family.

I got to see my 92 year old grandmother. (Again, no picture.) 

While I was at her apartment I came across her great collection of icons. This one is my fave.

  Jack has been drawing again and allowed me to share a couple of his faves here.

 

 I was able to work on this red-belied woodpecker. He's just about done.

Now we're home and about to go enjoy a walk in 60 degree weather. Yahoo!  

Hope you have a great week. Ta-Ta for now! 

Time and Money

Time and money. Common stresses for many people, right? Me too. Big time. In fact right now, I'm feeling paralyzed by them, and I don't quite know what to do about it.

Time doesn't often feel likes it's on my side when it comes to my art career. There's just never enough time! I feel guilty saying that, as I used to hold down a challenging full time job and still manage to make art. Now, I still work, but less....And feel like I am accomplishing a lot less in my art career than I did back then. 2.5 years ago, when I left my teaching job, I was hoping I could make a real full-time go of being an artist. Today, I feel stagnant, and rushed. Very rushed.

There seems to never really be enough time to think things all the way through, to plan and figure out my next move. There's always a home project, a looming deadline or a trip that forces me have to make decisions without a lot of thought. I hate that feeling. I don't like feeling like this art career of mine doesn't have a good solid vision behind it. I know I want to make things. I know that I need to do some things differently than I have in the past, but there never seems to be time to make that happen.

Now that the holidays are over, I theoretically should have time to look back on the good and bad of 2013, and methodically plot my next steps. Instead, I've hastily applied to 2014 art fairs to make January application deadlines. Why am I doing this when there were points in time last year when I wondered if I should even be doing art fairs? (I had some real stinkers last year.) Why do I keep doing this to myself?

And then, when I do take the time to work on business planning, I feel guilty that I'm not spending that time making something. I'm feeling quite guilty as sit here now and write. Is this my best use of my limited studio time as I've only got 1-2 days a week, if that? This is the constant dilemma I have with myself.

I do have some goals and aspirations for my art career in 2014.....

• Make 40+ new pieces.
• Hire someone to design me a new jenniferjohansson.com, that can integrate my current portfolio site, my blog and also a new independent e-commerce site. 
• Build, consistent online sales, and etsy just isn't doing that for me. 
• Pursue wholesale accounts for my prints and cards. 
• Develop an effective marketing strategy.
• Expand my product range, and experiment with printing my work on textiles.
• Hire one of the many artist business coaches out there to help me make a plan and be more successful.

So I've got goals. Yahoo! That's all I need right?? Ha.

Besides time, it takes money to buy necessary art supplies, design a new website, have an e-commerce site and hire a business coach, and there just isn't any for that. Now I guess I could try and put together my own website....There are plenty of different sites out there that make it pretty easy, but I know that I wouldn't be truly pleased with the results. Yes, I know that a website alone is not going to revolutionize my business, but it's something I'd like to do. A strong, well designed and cohesive web presence is important. And the business coach thing......I've read countless blog posts (in fact I spend way too much time doing this), have participated in e-courses, and watched lectures by the experts, all which have been free. But, that's not been enough. I need some one-on-one, personalized feedback. And yes, I know that a business coach is also not going to suddenly make me a thriving artist, but I believe it will give me a good boost, some confidence and some direction. This flying by the seat of my pants thing is clearly not working.

The bosses at my "day job" have asked me to take on more hours at work. This is a good thing, right?  I would take home more money to put towards my artistic goals, but there goes my time! How can I make enough art and do enough marketing in just one day a week? How do I make enough money in art to leave that day job?  Do I just hang up my professional artist hat and just go full time working for someone else? It breaks my heart to have to think that.

So here I am, feeling stuck. What is my next step? How do I make these goals a reality? And how do I become the successful artist I want to become? Feeling a little paralyzed and tired of making bad moves.

I didn't write this post to garner sympathy or help, or money, I just needed to write. I don't know if this will even ever get posted, it just had to come out. And I guess, I'm feeling a little better now that it is.

There are some things you could help me with though. Anyone have any recommendations for a fab web designer? And what about a business coach? Have you worked with one? Any recommendations?  Do you have any experience using/ setting up a Shopify, Big Cartel or any other independent online shopping platform. Any insights would be much appreciated.

I'm off to work. I'll see you next Tuesday with some happier news! Ta-Ta. 

Art Fairs are a Tough Way to Make a Living.

Hi there. How are you? Me....I've been better. 

2 years ago, I quit my teaching job. We moved 300 miles away from home, so my husband could start a new career. I was hoping to make art a full time gig in our new surroundings. 2 years later, I'm feeling dejected and pretty lost. Full time artist, I am not. 

Art fairs were part of my full time artist plan. I had been doing a fair or two each year while I was still teaching and had much success. (I won "Best of Show" in the first art fair I ever participated in.) Now....I'm not so sure about the art fair gig. Let me explain.

I spent this past weekend participating in an art fair in Chicago. This should have been a good show for me, or so I thought. It was a well run, well promoted fair, with a great reputation in a well-to-do Chicago neighborhood. I was surrounded by high caliber artists and I was excited. Conditions seemed ideal for sales. 

Before I get to the bad news,  I'm happy to report that I did sell this Male Cardinal original! (I knew this guy was special and would sell quick. I did this piece just a week before the show.) Otherwise, this fair was a bust..... I  didn't make enough money to cover the application and booth fees I had to pay to participate in this show. This was the second fair in a row this summer that I've lost money doing. Ouch. 
 

I've had bad art fairs before. Plenty, in fact. But there seemed to be a very logical reason why those shows turned out bad. The show was poorly promoted, the fair attendees were not my target demographic,  or I was placed in a really bad spot with no traffic. There seems to be no excuse for this one. It's hard not to take this one personally......I start questioning my skills as an artist and a salesman.  I wonder if it will ever be possible for me to make it as a full time artist. I have my home town art fair in 2 weeks time. This usually is my most profitable show every year. But after 2 really bad shows, I'm even worried about this one. I'm losing my confidence.

There are plenty of people out there who make their living at art fairs. I have some ceramicist friends that have been doing the art fair circuit full time for 20 years. I just don't think I will be one of those people. It is so much work and travel for so little reward! I know I don't have the constitution for that!

I'm at a crossroads. After 2 years, I've spent much more money on fees, travel expenses and supplies than I've made participating in art fairs. My credit card debt is ballooning and it doesn't seem fiscally responsible for me to continue to pursue many more art fairs. Matt and I can't afford for me not to make money!  If I'm going to make it as a full time artist, I need to find other revenue streams....But where? This is my current struggle. I'm feeling pretty lost right now. 

Don't worry, I'm not giving up, but I have to find a better way. Ta-Ta.

A Visitor in the Studio

Well hi there! Happy Saturday to you.

Our house was a little fuller this week, as we had Jack in town for his spring break. 

 I can't ever get him to pose for a picture, so this is the best I got of him all week! 

We spent Wednesday working together in the "capsule" (my tiny studio.)

 Jack worked on a Flash animation.

  I worked on a Dala horse for Matt. 

He's been asking me for a year to make him one. Sorry it took so long Matty! 

We peacefully coexisted in these tight quarters all afternoon. 

Here are the end results. Enjoy! 

We Bought a Fixer - The Move-In!

Hi there. How are you?

You may have noticed that I didn't blog last week.....

We were busy moving! 

   We were lucky to be able to borrow a truck from some friends.

And some more friends (Hugh and Heather) helped us do the physical moving. 

I only snapped this one picture during the actual move, which features the back of Hugh's head. 

Great work Jen!

It only took 2 trips with the big box truck to get most of our things over to the new house.

By the end of the weekend, we were settling into our new digs!

Matt is working on building an entertainment center and some shelves in the back third of our very long room. 

We've already picked out places for two of our big paintings.

The iMac is up in running.

Our bedroom is in good shape. Just needs some art on the walls! 

And of course, there's this awesome kitchen! 

I promise to post pics of this masterpiece next week. 

There's still much work to be done.

Our guest bath has been gutted, and is awaiting renovation.

 

Jack's room needs flooring. 

But....

We're getting there and we love our new house! 

Come visit soon. 

Ta-Ta for now! 

* To see pics from our whole renovation journey, click here.