What is the most popular ice cream flavor in America?
It’s vanilla. Plain ol’ vanilla.
There’s nothing wrong with vanilla. In fact, I like vanilla. But by definition, it’s pleases almost everyone and displeases no one.
I received a “fan letter” awhile ago, from someone who didn’t like my work. Who then proceeded to make several suggestions on how I could CHANGE my work so they would like it more. As the old wine joke goes, I was amused by their pretentiousness, and genuinely moved by their desire to "help". But baffled why someone would think I was put on earth to make work to please THEM.
I realize this morning this is where all the helpful suggestions are coming from on how to modify my themes, colors, designs, and inspiration. As I’ve talked and written about the new focus and direction I want to take my art, many people have mistaken this for permission to critique the work.
They are suggesting changes so that my work can be more popular.
Now who said my goal was to be POPULAR??
If you click on the “New Hampshire Chronicle” tab on my home page, you’ll actually hear the interviewer ask me who likes my work. And you’ll hear my answer—that my work was highly personal, with a passionate store and with an unusual aesthetic; that I knew going into this that I’d be lucky if one person in a thousand liked my work, that I never had any intention of being the “WalMart” of jewelry designers. But that I was constantly astounded and delighted by the people who not only like my work, but LOVE it.
That is the place I’m focusing on getting back to. The notion that my work is not vanilla. It's quirky, different, strong, unusual—and not for everyone. One person in a thousand. That was all I aimed for. Out of 200 million people in America alone, that would be...200,000 potential fans of my work. Would I be happy with that? Oh, yes.
A gallery owner once told me that 97% of the work she buys for her store is crap that sells, so she can be free to buy the stuff she absolutely LOVES which doesn’t sell as well—like my work. She said that selling that 3% of truly awesome—but far from plain vanilla—work is what sets her on fire about running her business. She was afraid she’d put her foot in it, but I hugged her. She'd given me permission to be "not vanilla".
So of all the advice I've received over the last few months on the work itself, what's proved the most useful? Oddly, it was my neighbor at the Buyers Market, Kim McClelland of Tree of Life artworks, who gave me the best "aha!" moment. You can see samples of Kim's work here: http://treeoflifeartworks.com/imagination.html
Kim pointed out that ALL my design elements were strong and capable of carrying a piece in their own right. Yes, the horses were powerful. But did my work always have to be about the horses?
I thought about that and realized he was right. I used to do fish hangings and "women's tools" hangings--sewing awls, buttons, etc. I'd gotten away from those in the last couple of years. It wasn't time to "make dogs", it was time to add my other design elements back in my original, rich vocabulary. He wasn't telling me to "water it down", he was telling me to "spice it up!" Thank you, Kim.
There are plenty of people in the world who can make vanilla work, and there are more than enough people who will choose vanilla to buy. But I still choose to be that gallery owner's 3%.
And now would it surprise you to know that I love hot chocolate with a dash of chipotle powder in it?
