Things I Should Know...

But obviously don't!

I should know by now…

Each time we go on holiday, I pack a bag of art materials, with the intention to go out sketching….

More often than not, the materials sit in the rucksack, unused.

This time, as usual, there was precious little art happening, but there was plenty of:

Phone use was restricted to taking photos and videos, (plus responding to one email which was I thought was permissible as it was regarding a sale.)

No social media i.e. no IG or FB, no creating content, no hamster wheel of posting.

Did the world stop turning? No. Was there a huge drop off of numbers/subscribers? No.

Did it feel as if a weight had been lifted? Yes. Did I feel as if I had time to absorb the space and scenery around me? Yes.

I had been feeling ‘it ‘ for a while; this constant pressure to create for IG. This belief that if I didn’t post at least once a day, my carefully cultivated online presence would disappear, poof, gone!

But posting daily on IG had become a chore. I was so focused on the next post, and the next one etc, that I was in danger of forgetting to actually ‘live life’, if that’s not being overly dramatic… It was draining, taking away energy that I would much rather pour into my painting, or my walking, or my reading.

Admittedly the realisation that my world wouldn’t come crashing down if I took a step back wasn’t so much a:

…more, a gentle awakening:

But an awakening nevertheless. At my age you assume I would know such things, but as per my earlier statement, that’s obviously not the case. ‘Every day is a school day,’ as my OH often quotes at me!

Whilst acknowledging that IG in particular, has garnered me almost 16k followers and a myriad of sales, the increasingly ‘random’ algorithm has left me frustrated. It’s about weighing up the time and effort required against the knowledge that only a small percentage of my followers see my posts…

Time away allowed me to take a step back; to look at the bigger picture, rather than focussing on one tiny part.

Whilst not having everything worked out, I’m much clearer on how I want my life to look and feel - a great question to ask yourself when you are planning or setting goals.

Top of the list is having the freedom to travel more, to experience new places, meet new people; all whilst earning an income from my art, in whatever guise that takes. Not much to ask is it, LOL!

There, I’ve put it out there. Now I just have to figure out how to achieve it! Any ideas?

Some people advocate having multiple income streams, others advise finding your niche… Faced with so many options, it’s all a little overwhelming!

I love painting and being able to share it with people - but I lack the confidence to ‘teach’, which is what so many artists do as another source of income. I love writing too; is there a way to take that further? A few ideas are springing to mind, but it’s all still a jumble…

I think I might have to go for a walk to clear my head!

If you’ve managed to solve this conundrum, do let me know!!

I know this is probably me making excuses but, away from the usual routines, it always seems easier to focus on areas you would like to improve; more reading, more walking, maintaining relationships, drinking more water, developing a healthier diet…

I recently purchased this book and am enjoying working my way through the recipes; I love the fact that there’s not a lot of ‘faffing’ around i.e. multiple, multiple steps and that most of the ingredients are available, even in the backwaters of Lincolnshire. So far, we’re fans of the ‘Gently Spiced Pearl Barley with Tomatoes, Leeks, Dill & Pine Nuts’, as well as the ‘Squash & Spinach Curry.’

I know, I know, not art-related, but I do love a good recommendation!

As well as attempting to be more organised with menu planning/food shopping, I’ve been trying to be organised with my art stores/paintings etc. This begins with checking the inventory; it’s amazing what you find!! I completed this concertina sketchbook a while back, with the intention of adding it to my website shop. Had I done so - had I heck!! I had got into the mindset of ‘other work isn’t selling, so why bother?’

However, I’ve been working on re-framing negative thoughts, so took direct action!. Coastal Tales Two was uploaded to my shop. A couple of posts to social media - and wham, it sold! Just shows, things don’t have to be complicated!!

And it’s definitely given me the impetus to crack on with taking photos etc of the other work, ready to upload!

I’m busy putting together a short video of our Scotland trip, figuring out how to cut/insert/use some drone footage… Hopefully it will be ready for next week’s post!! Wish me luck!

Until next time, happy painting!