Art is more than just pretty pictures. The best art explores ideas, and ideas need time to develop and to grow. In fact, they demand it. Respect the process and give yourself permission to take time for your work. Schedule it—or, better yet, make it a part of your daily routine. Each day I take an hour or so to…
It happened again. An artist wrote to me about a project she was offered, excited by the opportunity. She wasn’t going to be paid, mind you, but it would be “good exposure.” Ah good exposure! The two words that should make every artist cringe. I get it. Trust me, I still do things for good exposure. And I find it…
–By Peri Schwartz Back in 1999, when I was 25 years into my career, a good friend came to visit me at my studio. I complained bitterly to her about my lack of success in the art world. I’d experienced some success with commercial galleries, but I wasn’t getting the level of recognition I wanted, and I was disappointed and…
An artist recently spoke with me about her work. She tearfully admitted that she’d been too busy to create new work of any substance. She was afraid. Afraid she won’t be able to connect with the muse again. Afraid she’d made a choice to have a family, a proper job, and now that part of herself; that wonderful, wild artist…
As she wiped away the tears, the artist told me her story. She’d applied for a project that was a perfect match for her work. She had all the right qualifications. She was certain that she’d get it. She even started to make plans for moving forward. But then she wasn’t chosen! It left her stunned, questioning herself and her talent. It…
Has anyone ever told you that your creative work sucks? If not, just wait. It’ll happen. And when it does, avoid the urge to hide in a hole. Instead, consider it a rite of passage. I’ve been told several times over my career that I’m not a good writer. And my photographs have been dismissed as well. Like most artists,…
In business school, they talk about The 6 Stages of Entrepreneurship. But in art school, they don’t even use the word entrepreneur. They should. Artists are entrepreneurs. That’s the truth. And it’s the difference between the old economy and the new. But artists have always been entrepreneurs; they’ve had to be. Though instead of The 6 Stages of Entrepreneurship, I…
I was taking a week-long Deep Writing workshop with the extraordinary creativity coach Dr. Eric Maisel. I’ve been writing for a long time now, so this wasn’t a how-to class, it was more about connecting with my work on a deeper level. What I learned about myself is that I was ready to fully embrace the writer’s life. What does…
