Good Vibes and Progress

So obviously I have neglected my duties of updating my website and whoever may be reading these blogs/posts/rants/whatever you may want to call them all. All I can say is….boo to me!! Let’s all move past this and continue with today’s thoughts of art and art worldliness.

I have been thinking about what does it take for people who are having a difficult time, including myself, to have art remain in their lives when the economy is not so pleasant and art jobs are few and in-between, competitive, and (for lack of other wording to come to my mind) “Masters” education required? Or, also in my case, you do not feel like working three jobs to pay for a sky high rent aka shelter, food, bills, and other life necessities? Don’t get me wrong, there are many art jobs out there but most of these careers are in big cities like Toronto and Vancouver, two of Canada’s expensive places to live.

To me, an artist who has worked two jobs as well as a gallery job just to make ends meet in two different provinces, I do not know if I am up to working two or possibly more jobs now to make ends meet and keep working in an art field. I have worked in various serving positions, bartending, and even as a volunteer firefighter…always wanted to be on a fire team and now that I have, I felt that dream complete for the time being.

Sad to say, I have moved back to my prairie, mother land, and province of Manitoba to start fresh. I was tired of constantly feeling as if my dreams were never going to happen because I had limited time to work on my creations and inspirations. Honestly, the move has really cleared up some of these questions and desires which have been burning into my brain for some time. Will art ever be a part of my life? Absolutely!

In fact it still is, probably more so in these last few months since moving back to Manitoba, than it has in the past four years of living in Alberta and Saskatchewan to tell you the truth. So how did this happen to a small town, prairie bumpkin inspired, metal machinery enthusiast, and ever imaginative artist? Well here it is, after coming back to my old roots so did my old intentions of the art world. Not to mention the family, friends, fellow university classmates from 4 years back, and art galleries which inspired me, and I them, to be who we are today.

It doesn’t stop there though. I also became linked back to my old interests, which were always there but hidden under stress and anxiety of working so many other jobs, horrible “divide and conquer” employers, individuals who thought of themselves as “professionals” but held you away at an arms distance, and various other burdens. I really did not feel connected to the places I found myself in, let alone the people. There were only a select few, a handful, who I felt connected to and could relate on a personal level with. In fact, I still manage to chat with them here and there as well. I thank them for their encouragement and determinations to influence me, let me know their thoughts and opinions on subjects, and were all around the best people I could ask to have in my life while I was away from home.

Since moving home, and finally being connected to my old roots, I wanted more than creating my own art projects. I still wanted to be a part of the art world but on a bigger scale. The reason behind this determination is, I did not see an art career in a gallery setting in my near future, which brings us back to the second paragraph of working to many jobs in order to work in an expensive city in a dire economy. The question is how could I do this?

I had just moved back to Manitoba. I needed to find a job to still pay for bills. I needed a place to live. I needed to resettle! I needed to center myself into the whole emotional deal of what had transpire in the past 4 years of being away. Most of all, I needed to reconnect with my artistic side more so than ever. So how did I do this, even while this was all occurring.

I started to volunteer again at a local art gallery. They were having a fundraiser and what better way to reconnect with old classmates and artists than volunteering at a fundraiser?! I was able to talk with artists, ask questions, catch up on what the local art scene was now, how it had changed, who was on art boards, what job opportunities there were (which were few and in between, unless I wanted to move....yet again and did not know if I was prepared to do), and classes as well.

From here I also reconnected with clients I had completed commissions for. By meeting with them, I was able to get some information on small but amazing opportunities to show some small works I had completed in work places and businesses. They also gave me some names of future clients who would be interested in getting commissions done as well.

I also was able to communicate with some art boards, which I am ever grateful for as well. In fact, a highlight to my moving back here, I was able to become a member of one such board! Being a part of a board put me into the public eye when it comes to various events, exhibition openings, children's programming, and fundraisers for the establishment. Being in the public eye allowed people to become aware of my interest and intent to be in the art world, and in the public regarding my interest in art itself. Being a board member has increased my desire to be an artist and also forever a part of the art world. This may not necessarily mean I will be working in a gallery setting in the future but allows art to be forever in my life.

Communicating with other artists also encouraged me to reconnect with my artistic side. Communicating with them, debating with them, talking about art, materials, vents, exhibitions, etc. got my creative intentions going again. Seeing how these individuals have progressed and seeing new ones come to light has always been an inspirational factor. I also found myself being drawn to artist talks, workshops, and events with others whom I could relate to and talk about how we must find inspiration and determination to fin our artistic and creative sides again after a dormant period of time.

I cannot forgot my family, friends, and partner as well. They said words of encouragement, inspiration, and dedication to stick by my side while I find my creative niche in life again....even if it meant leaving a family gathering, skipping a night off to attend a reception opening, driving a few hours to see events and volunteer when I should have been doing homework for two online courses I am taking. Through thick and thin, they have understood what this means to me.

Art has been my backbone. It has centered me, stressed me out at times, driven me to become a better person, a way to express myself when words are at a loss, made me exhausted as I get absorbed in seeing the finished project complete, anxious to be surrounded and questioned by a crowd, only to be filled with adrenaline because of it. Art is my inspiration! Even though, like I mentioned above, I may not work in an art gallery in the future, I realized after moving and going through the process of getting my "art" back in myself, I do not necessarily need a career in an art field because I am an artist. There are other ways to keep it in my life, to express it, and be a part of it. Yes, I will always want to work in gallery, maybe someday I will open one in the future (another dream of mine) but as of right now, I am content with where and what I have come to realize in these sort few months since moving back to the prairies. I am forever grateful because of it too.

I encourage those of you have or are going through what I have to find your creative niche again. Whether it be through volunteering, getting out every day to paint, draw, sketch, play music, dance, whatever your creative love is to become inspired again. You will always find an open door, don't stop looking for it because of walls building up but push them down for others to follow you.

With that being said, I hope your summer is as sunny and bright as your dreams!

Cheers!