What's In It For Me?

This morning I had a conversation with my daughter, Katie Kellogg, about art.  This isn't unusual, we often discuss art, making art, the avant garde of the art world, materials, ideas and so many other fascinating (to us) topics.  She mentioned how we often value our work and our worth as artists on whether or not we can sell our work.  As though sales are the measure of success.  Don't get me wrong, sales are a measure, I just think they aren't the only measure, and perhaps not even the best measure. 

The first commission I ever did.  I realized with this piece that working with the price tag in the front of my mind made it a whole lot more difficult to do.

Why paint or create?  When many people's lives are as hectic has mine has become, is the only justification for taking time to create something because it might sell?  If it'll make me some money I can spare the time and energy?  I do this to myself, but I've also found that making something for money adds pressure to the act of creating.  The worry about whether it'll please someone takes a great deal of the enjoyment out of the process, as I wrote about HERE.   

This piece was a blast to make.  I had no firm palette chosen and just had fun with color.  I probably need to do that more often.

There are as many reasons to make things as there are makers, I suspect.  Expression, joy, communication, an overflowing of energy, sorrow, love in all of its many guises, even a compulsion from inside one's spirit that has to be obeyed can all be motives to create.  When one of these are my motive, I work better.  I get more satisfaction and I feel love for what I make more often.  And, when someone is touched by something I've made and offers to buy it, I am as thrilled that they liked something in my work as I am by the thought that they want to buy it.  I guess it's a balancing act.  I'd love to get to the point where I sell enough work to help pay the bills regularly.  I just don't want to make that the main focus of what I'm creating.  Is that even possible?  I hope so. 

Thanks for stopping by- Alice