HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?
HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS? [T-H-I-N-K]
Success means different things to different artists — and the definition evolves over time.
When I first began I was simply happy to have someone consider buying my art and sign my mailing list. Inside I thought: I have my first fan! It was a thrill.
A few years later my goal shifted: I wanted to sell “a big one”. At the time, that meant a 48"x48" painting. I poured my heart into it and put it out into the world. Then I waited.
And waited.
I told myself: this painting belongs to someone and I just need to meet them. Six months passed and I was at the last show of the year. It was crowded but my work wasn’t being adored like the other artists. Until one couple walked in and fell in love: not only with “the big one”, but with a few others. It felt like I won the art lottery.
I stayed in touch with them for years through my newsletter and saw them at shows in their town. Then, one day, they disappeared. It turns out, they divorced.
Fast forward a decade: the husband walks into my booth at a show, this time with a new blonde on his arm. It was awkward at first (his first wife had been lovely), but we were both happy to reconnect. He didn’t buy anything but congratulated me on how far I’d come and complimented my new artwork. He explained that he got the art in the divorce and still proudly displayed “the big one”.
My heart was full and I knew I was experiencing success at that moment.
MAKE YOUR OWN DEFINITION [k-n-o-w]
Success in art doesn’t come with a universal definition—and it shouldn’t.
You can’t look to other artists to decide what success should look like. You have to define it for yourself.
Success may mean joining a local arts organization.
Success may mean selling prints.
Success may mean being active on social media.
Success may mean teaching workshops.
Success may mean selling paintings.
Success may mean exhibiting at galleries or other venues.
Success may mean traveling around the country to exhibit at art festivals and fairs.
Success may mean work/life balance.
Success may mean pursuing and accepting work that aligns with your values.
Success may mean painting for yourself.
Success may mean taking steps to learn and grow in your painting practice.
There’s no one path. No single goalpost. Just your journey, your pace, your definition.
You do you.
[g-r-o-w]