I'm having one of those years where all I can focus on is the next thing on the schedule.
I was barely back from a long weekend in Cumberland, MD teaching workshops with the traveling biz school, the Arts Business Institute, when I had to jump into a mammoth house- and studio-cleaning for an interview with Hilary Nangle, a writer from Maine. She was doing an article on me for American Style magazine. The focus is me making art, and living with the art I collect from, and trade with, other artists.
Of course, when Hilary showed up and finally revealed she is NOT the photographer, my family (who had been whipped into cleaning overdrive for 12 hours) threatened to kill me.
Hillary had barely left when it was time to attend the opening reception for an exhibit at our local Thorne-Sagendorph Gallery at Keene State University. It was the first time my work had been selected for an exhibit there.
On Saturday, a new store owner (and friend and fellow artist) showed up to hand select artwork and jewelry for her new venue.
On Sunday I made a long overdue delivery of high-end, one-of-a-kind jewelry to one of my best venues, the Cambridge Artists Co-op in Cambridge, MA. (I slipped a little family time in here by taking my daughter and one of her friends.)
On Tuesday, I gave my first mini-keynote speech on the professional and spiritual side of self-promotion for VSA arts of New Hampshire for a forum targeting artists with disabilities, in Concord NH.
Tomorrow I teach a full day of workshops on self-promotion for artists and selling to stores and galleries in Amherst MA.
Next week is the one week a month I have double board meetings on two different days in two different cities in two different states. Attending these traditionally takes half a day out of my studio. Did I mention how much I hate driving?
Which gets me to the weekend, which is the League of NH Craftsmen's very first Open Studio Tour--three days of opening my studio to the public.
I'm thinking of applying for the category "Most Scary Studio", by the way....you'd think it would still be clean from Hilary's visit, but no. I just steered her away from the worst bits.
The week after that, I'm being interviewed by a journalism class at KSC at the Thorne.
I might feel home-free after that--I might--except that the first round of results for high-end retail shows I applied to this fall have come in, and I will be doing the ACC-Baltimore show in February for the very first time. I've never shipped my entire booth before, nor have I ever had to ship my entire retail body of work. This will be new logistics, new venue, new audience, new, new, new.
Now, you know what my little wee hour voices think of that. They are having a field day.
In between, I'm trying to exercise regularly, eat better, have some kind of family life and social life, floss more, and read a book now and then. Oh, yeah, and actually MAKING the artwork that drives this all. And Monique will be calling any day now, gently reminding me that my column for the magazine is due. And ohmigod, we forgot Doug's birthday!!! (We realize we will pay for that oversight for the next three years in psychotherapy bills alone.) Thanksgiving?? We said we'd go to Philadelphia for Thanksgiving??? Who made THAT decision?? Oh...I did.
On top of that, I have to deal with my nature. Someone commented that I was busy and energetic. Oh, no. No. I am by nature extremely lazy. My idea of a perfect day is a good book, a comfy sofa with a blanket and lots of pillows, and a small box of cookies. Okay, I'll be honest--a LARGE box of cookies. Chocolate coookies.
Where do I carve more time out of my day? What should I give up?
As I look over my schedule, I can't see a single thing I could easily choose to leave out. ABI was fun and uplifting. Hilary was funny and smart; talking with her was insightful and uplifting. Being accepted to a Thorne-Sagendorph show was a personal little milestone for me--they never know what to make of my work, but it's a beautiful little gallery with great exhibits. I met Bobbie Herron during the VSA gig, and I know our paths were meant to cross. How could I say no to a gallery-owner offering to come TO MY STUDIO to get the work, especially when that owner is Mauli, a fabulous artist in her own right? How could I say no to a great store that's doing great with my best jewelry work? (And miss a grand outing with my darling daughter?) As much work as the Open Studio Tour demands, and as much as the new retail shows overwhelm, I also know they are huge Next Steps I have to make.
I love making my artwork. I love making jewelry. I love writing. I love talking to groups. I also love my family, my friends, my pets and my privacy. I love shopping for trade beads on the internet.
And sometimes I love doing nothing. I remember that little homily, "Somtimes I sits and thinks. And sometimes I just sits."
What is my next step?
Breathe.
