Who do you know?
In any given field it's important to know who the players are. Most of us accept the fact that part of our success will be knowing the right people. They include the movers and shakers, influential people, people who will advocate for us and hopefully also buy our work.
But it's easy to forget who the other "right people to know" are.
I went to an artist reception the other night. I never thought of myself as a connector, but I realized I knew most of the people there. And not just the other artists. I knew the executive directors, the support people, the juror, the patrons, the venue's people, the guests of artists and the media people.
In addition to being heavily connected to "the biz", they also happen to be delightful people I enjoy talking to.
For many artists, these are "the right people" to know. Except, as it turns out, many of them are not people who are particularly excited by the work I do. The organization and the particular venue are never ones where I receive much "official" recognition for the art I make. It probably just doesn't fit in very well.
I usually come home from such events happy from talking to so many talented and enjoyable folks, but also feeling my work just isn't good enough.
Mauli McDonald came to my studio yesterday to select pieces of my work for her brand new gallery in New London, NH called "Art in Nature". You can read about Mauli here: http://www.natureswildart.com/artist.htm
Mauli and I both feel a wee bit like artistic fish out of water here in New England with its emphasis on traditional American handcraft. Our art is wild and mysterious, sometimes fierce, not conducive to framing and containment. We're both still learning how to better target our audience, to focus on making our art even better without unconsciously diluting its power by trying to fit.
Talking with Mauli about what our art means to us is as refreshing as cool rain to a desert. Even a few moments in the presence of this woman restores my spirit, and I am instantly recommitted to my art.
We selected pieces, chatted excitedly about rocks and antlers and bones and shared childhood experiences that had shaped our aesthetics. I took her inside my house to share an assemblage of fossils, pottery shards and bones sent to me by another artist, Molly Gardner, a basketmaker from Nevada. Molly reads my blog and had sent me a box of "desert detritus". I'll be sharing images of this box later this week. In the meantime, you can see examples of Molly's work here: http://www.greatbasinbasketmakers.org/MollyGardner.htm
After Mauli left with an armload of sculpture, wall hangings and jewelry, I realized my head is lighter, my pull to make art is stronger, and my heart is on fire.
And I also realize that MAULI and MOLLY are two of those "right people to know".
We're going to be traveling soon, and have plans to meet friends and family along the way. We're short on time and long on obligations.
But I've made it clear to my family there are two people we HAVE to make time for.
We need to make time for Alisha and Steve, friends who are artists themselves. They are excited by their work, they love my work, and we totally support each other in what we're doing. They are also positive, proactive people deeply committed to figuring all this art stuff out.
It will mean more traveling time in an already tight schedule.
But we need to make that time.
So here's your nugget of gold in today's musings. Include these other "right people to know" in your life--the people who are excited by the art you're making, people who are uplifting and positive, people who share the same hopes and ideals for their work you do.
The right people to know are the people who share (even a tiny part of) your dreams.
