With Halloween approaching, I can’t help asking . . .
What scares you most about your art career?
What’s scary to do or to say?
What’s so scary that you haven’t done it yet?
What humongous fear have you conquered and how did you do it?
Deep Thought Thursday: Scary
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My biggest fear is having an art show and the work not being ready on time… I’m always fearful about that.
Arrk! Fear?!? Who’s afraid? Nope. Must be someotherguy you’re askin’
Nervous. That’s what it is. Nervous, maybe a little anxious.
That nobody will like what I got. And they won’t buy it. And I’ll end up in a Wackenhut cap, on a dark rainy night, sipping my wine from a pepsi bottle, to fool people.
Not scared. Me?
What I fear is that I may never get to make all the works in my notebooks
Every so often, I’ll go through a dry spell where I haven’t created any new works for awhile. So, instead of creating, I’ll get busy on branding, blogging, marketing and networking.
Eventually, the FEAR kicks in: What if I never create any new works? What if I’ve run out of things to “say” as an artist?
Then something will inspire me and the floodgates of creativity will open. When I’m in the Flow of Creativity, I realize the fear is silly, but that doesn’t stop it from visiting me every now and again.
My biggest fear is rejection from galleries. I spend a
tremendous amount of time working up the courage
to approach them to begin with.
i’d have to say the same as walter…fear that no one will buy my art. i believe that’s why i’ve procrastinated in getting my promotional package together and sending it out to potential galleries. and if no one buys my art then this dream i have been chasing most of my life was for nothing.it would be a hard thing to take.
ps…thanks Alyson..i actually didn’t quite realize this until you brought it up in your post
I’m afraid I’ll think my work is good, but no one else will.
My biggest fear is not improving in my art or becoming “good enough” for more than small commmunity art fairs and things.
My “other” biggest fear, that I conquered was letting other people see my eart–from the beginning, I only showed friends and family and only gave as gifts to the same. But then an artist enouraged me to put my art online, via a blog, and to not second guess myself. If, for some reason, I liked a certain piece at the time, I was to simply put it online and “show the world”. She believed that it would help be build the courage I needed, ina really subtle way, to get out there with my art and to try new things and to grow in skills. She was so right!
biggest fear … being a one trick pony with style and methods.
2nd biggest fear: ZOMBIES………….. ART ZOMBIES……they take the right side of your brain and chew it up. Spooooooky.
Success. I have so nurtured that quirky character thing that comes from struggling that I fear the complacency that comes with success…I fear that when I sell for large amounts of money that I will have to be subservient to the buyers…I fear not being the student who craves learning but the teacher who knows it all, & has already read all the books. I fear the hard work of success enslaving me…Failure is so much more comforting…
The thing that is scary that I haven’t done yet is approaching art galleries in Chicago. I grew up near there and live in Michigan now. I’ve had several gallery owners in Michigan tell me my work would sell in the River North area, but keep delaying putting myself out there. I think I will make a trip to Chicago soon though.
going for it. Deciding not to have a plan B. Having only Plan A and making it work – lashing myself to the post to keep focused and stay put if necessary. Scarey but exhilerating at the same time. Like a roller coaster – wait, I hate roller coasters and never ride them. Like being in a forest at night, with a full moon and lots of stars and absolute quiet. That kind of scarey and exhilerating.
I think there are a lot of fears we humans are prone to; from fear of rejection to fear of loss (of any number of things). When I was a ballerina I feared auditions and what was it I feared about them? Rejection and embarrassing myself. I have found that approaching others for something important to me brings up this type of fear. I also have a strange fear of being or getting lost in the cracks of society and, oh yes, spiders and especially their webs.
As for Rebecca’s ART ZOMBIES, I am prepared for them. I have candy and I’m not afraid to use it!
Oh! the sop scary thing I haven’t done? The Press Release that’s still smoldering in my brain.
The scary thing I’ve overcome? Interacting with people. I was helped in this by two different pieces of advice. First: Walk down the street like you own it, (from Finis Jung with whom I studied dance in NYC for a while) and fake the confidence til you believe it, (from my brother – a very remarkable person in his own right).
This is something I just blogged about! My biggest fear right now is probably teaching. I’m seriously considering doing it, but I hate speaking in front of people and I’m afraid they’ll all hate me! Or maybe just not take me seriously. But I’ve been approached by my Guild and other people have suggested it as well. It’s just so scary!
My biggest fear right now is being on television and the radio. Some publicity has been arranged for me and instead of being excited, I’m scared.
One of my biggest fear is that I won’t be able to sell, like some others here. I did get blown out of the water be a gallery a while ago, but in showing my work to other people and artists they all seem to like it. So that gallery owner can kiss my art.( thought I was going to say something else, didn’t yah!) Well anyway it taught me not to beleive in what some galleries think. So that was one fear down. Now it’s not being able to get enough work done to set up a show. But my fears have not stopped me from still working on my dream. So don’t let it bring your dreams down too!
Linda, back when I was a ballerina I did a gig in a small semi-pro production of “The King and I.” Shortly before opening night the director came into rehearsal and told us that we had to approach reviews carfully, remembering that when they love us, they sure do know what they’re talking about but when they pan well, :what the heck do they know anyway?”
LOL
I like Patricia C. Vener’s comment about learning from a dance instructor.
A big fear for me is approaching friends who I don’t necessarily speak to every week or even every month or longer standing acquaintances and asking for help or introductions. Knowing that some of my friends know people who would be my direct target audience or in another case one of my older standing acquaintances does daily business with the exact clientele that represents my ideal market. I guess the fear is that they will think I`ve only contacted them for this purpose.
Thanks Patricia! That is sooooooo good!!!!!lol
Shayla- The first time I was on TV I almost threw up before the live interview. It just takes time to get comfortable with it. You survive one, then another and then at some point you really welcome such opportunities and have only normal anxiety. Be scared, but know that it is part of your job and you have to do it. If a large firm was paying you big bucks to speak to the media you would not let them down… you will not let you down either.
You can do it Shayla!!!!
My biggest fear is that everyday chores and some parts of everyday life will eat up my time. I also fear I will not be able to create my deepest work. I do the work anyway but dealing with the obstacles is wearing.
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