I have been making sculptures for 3 years now and started with absolutely no experience or knowledge whatsoever. It has been quite radical to decide to quit a career in finance, make sculptures and doing low paid work to survive.
Many people give compliments about my decision to follow a dream, but I wonder whether they have thought about the actual consequences that can make lief as an artist hard:
- Art isn't where the money is. Yeah, off course there are people making lots of it, but that is the only side you hear. 90% struggles. Loads quit.
- Art is a luxury product and I decide to make it in a time where luxury products don't sell well.
I think most people see every bid of success I get as a confirmation that they might be able to follow a dream too. So this journey has also become bigger than me, besides the fact I am at a point of no return. I think potential employers wouldn't hire me for a finance job, because it has been a while. This clearly has put pressure on me. My ambition is in what I make and not in the low paid jobs, so if I quit I have to start all over again to get a good career going in a different profession.
This type of pressure can also change your enjoyment of making weird stuff I love to make. Really weird, but I have worked enjoying every bit while having this pressure and not giving in by making art that would appeal to a wider audience•.
But, I am still moving, things are moving and changing. I have managed to grow from 'secondary school' level to decent art and got confirmation it was a good decision not to study art. It has made my work more unique than the average graduate who is moulded according to the conceptual views of the average lecturer.
Further, 2012 has been a year where I enjoyed the many interactions with people about my work. So where 2010 was my start, 2011 was getting my skills on a decent level and getting my first exhibition, 2012 was about developing my art in particular themes and branch out in different types of sculptures.
What will I do in 2013? I might loose my job that actually brings in money. I think art is the only profession where someone has to stop doing it in order to make sure you can keep doing it. I need the money, but I have experienced that working more than 2 weeks full time has a negative impact on my creative process. So I have to find that job that 'works' for me.
On the creative side I need to develop further, in size and clever combinations. I still have so many ideas! I will finish making my biggest sculpture so far and I already have an exhibition for it! The second main goal is to create a commission I have lined up that might get some spin off, but is also risky. Third, I will do more with my street profile and leave more free art in the streets. Part of it is a project that hopefully will be visible in two years... patience!
Lots, lots and lots to do! If only I could do this full time without this financial burden!
•[small comment: it puzzles me. A while ago people on a forum were saying that a lot of artists started making less original or risky art because they got more success. I have a strong feeling I would make more extreme art when I get success. I would love to test how far I can go with this and won't be that pop band that start to play the average love song.]
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