I recently saw this quote by David Lynch and it resonated with me…so simple but so true.
I’m helping a fellow artist rethink her creative practice, being a sounding board for ideas and directions. It made me think about my beginnings, when I decided to seriously consider making art a primary focus of my life. It was 24 years ago this month that I started…
This is the first notecard I created…it hangs on my bulletin board to remind me of where I started and how far I’ve come. I was living in London and spending a good deal of time roaming about the neighborhoods of Central London, gathering ideas for what this new artist-focused life would look like. At an artisan fair, I saw that someone had sewn pockets onto the front of linen pillows and filled them with lavender…could I somehow incorporate this into a greeting card? I already had been playing with the idea of sewing simple graphic images onto the front of folded notecards, using materials that were cut out from junk mail or advertising flyers. I think I used the window of a see-through envelope for the pocket on this card…insert a stamped heart I made from an eraser and a bit of glitter…sewed it closed…I think I was onto something…
My artist friend is thinking about a new direction in her work…she’s not quite sure where to begin. I remember that I had no idea where to start with designing and ultimately selling greeting cards…I just jumped in and figured it out on the fly…I was learning LOTS of new things! I came across a book that really helped me at the time and I shared it with my friend…”Wishcraft” by Barbara Sher
It doesn’t do much good to have a big lofty goal (like I want to have a greeting card company) if you don’t know how to get there. Being a planner myself, it made sense to not only have a goal but to identify steps along the way, a process to gauge progress and a system to evaluate success. “Wishcraft” helped me to understand what the steps might be…and this was important…small enough that each activity was doable without being overwhelming. I think a lot of people give up on a project because they take on too much at the beginning or can’t identify what small thing they can do each day that will bring them closer to their goal. It also helps to have a trusted advisor or a cheerleader…someone who can help steer you out of potholes or at least pull you up when you stumble. I met the Southern Man right when I moved back to the states and was taking those baby steps to launch my own card company…since he was an administrative judge at the time, he knew nothing about any sort of artistic venture but he never said a word that deterred me from my vision and willingly offered moral support.
Now with the pandemic, I’m also questioning what direction I should take…much has changed, not only in the art/retail world but also here at home…where do I want to be spending my time…and doing what…
I guess its time to grab that book off the shelf and think about something new.
