So previously I expressed some of my thoughts having to do with feeling creatively overloaded. There is another whole topic of being overwhelmed, and it is the business side of being an artist. As an artist we have to be a graphic designer, a web designer, a marketing genius, a social media guru, photographer, writer, editor, critic, secretary, framer and the list goes on. I’m often struggling with promoting my work and myself. I actually feel like my work is quite decent and not many artists can say that out loud! For me a lot of my downfall is my lack of networking and marketing. I am also extremely not social and do not enjoy chitchat and trekking to the city to talk to strangers. Don’t get me wrong I am professional, friendly, knowledgeable in the contemporary art realm and can carry a conversation and job quite well, but this burden artists have to be a social and networking butterfly is one I just do not like to engage in.
I have made a lot of recent progress starting with a new logo design, business card, website redesign (still in progress), separate artist Instagram account and Facebook page. Yet every day I find myself adding more and more to a “To do” list already a mile long. Keeping up with social media as a way of promotion is rough. The constant need to engage and interact with comments and posts with my current audience, as well as create content for new fans can be a full time job in itself. I am not the type of artist that does these paintings a day or drawing a day gigs that I see some have created for themselves. Why? Well honestly making work does not come that easy to me. Every doodle and mark I make is excruciatingly painful. I often have ideas but still don’t find enough motivation to run into the studio and do them. And too often I start work and do not finish it. This is another post in itself.
So there is this constant need to involve my audience which although currently feels rather small or like I am talking to myself, doesn’t really matter because I have to work hard be it 10 fans or 10,000.
My website still needs a lot of work, sections updated and features added. I honestly wish I could just use all my energy to make work, yet I cant help feeling like if no one cares about the work I already made then well why make more? And the answer which keeps me going and creating is, I know I can still top myself and until I do my best I will not give up! And I am pretty damn proud of my current work and have seen vast improvement. I also think it is unique, distinctive and has a beautiful feminine quality which makes me feel peace, and well feminine.
Check out the About section of my site to read my Artist Statement. (ha! Another thing that needs updating!) https://mariaalekseevart.com/about