Guild Shots

If an artist or artisan has any hope of competing in the real world marketplace, self-promotion is essential. For those fortunate enough to have this job farmed out to a gallery, shop, etc, it is a huge time saver. But even in those circumstances, self promotion is critical in absolutely every avenue that viewers will be directed to your work and become potential customers. This entails the artist learning to be business person, photographer, saleperson, social media expert...sigh, the time it takes takes away from the actual creative process, but it just cannot be ignored.

These photographs are of my necklaces, shot for the purpose of being juried in to the PA Guild vendor circuit. Every type of art has its own market. I really don't know of any other field where a person must wear at least three hats continually without the expectations of continual public approval and then necessary sales. You cannot quit. I've done maybe one or two jobs fairly well at times and had a few sales, but have realized in order to have more, I have to be better. It took me probably four hours to get the photographs that I thought might be clear enough and interesting enough to submit to the Guild. I know artists who shoot roll after roll, or now as the case may be, digital image after image, to get exactly what they need, and this is even before the real work begins.

You have to love this profession. It is a must. There has to be directed passion or there will not be recognition, much less any quantifiable success. I know you have to be in it to understand it.
People always tell me how lucky I am to be so creative and talented. I know I am, but the responsibility to the craft is enormous. That is the only way I can explain going to work after work and trying repeatedly for the exposure needed to be seen by the public. And I'm not a public person by any means. My hat is off to the many artists, writers, actors I can call friends who do not give up in a creative endeavor.