Such true words you say here..... the creativity has to be alive and flourishing and somehow we have to able to sustain our lives. And how to protect that creative spark is really an art in itself!
I've always had a fire in my belly to be a real master within my medium. My ambition set me apart and I wanted to be one of those artists who could make a few simple lines with so much expertise and grace behind each stroke that it would sing. My ambition has always pushed me hard to become better and to stay optimistic despite the ups and downs financially. And to willingly forfeit financial security to be found in a cubicle for the sake of preserving my creativity. But I do admit that all those years I assumed that it would get easier to make a living, that becoming good at what I do would actually yield more financial rewards even if still a humble livelihood.
Discovering that after 32 years in this medium, making a living isn't any easier has kind of knocked the wind out of my sails. Yes I've had some very good years and some amazing acclaim (acclaim that others lust after) but the world changes have really shifted my market and the fact that we as a society don't hold value for mastery have left me rethinking things. While not all those changes are negative, and I'm certainly not one to advocate for things to stay the same, at this point the paradigm I outline here is just about the only one I can say yes to anymore!
I truly am rethinking things and that's very healthy. We'll see how things shake out over the next year or so, I feel change in the air for me....
You definitely have mastered your craft, your work is incredible. I love your attitude towards deciding what's next.
It's so sad more people don't appreciate the sacrifice and talent of artists and craftspeople. Sooner or later I expect a backlash against mass produced, fast and cheap goods but the economy will need to vastly improve first. I see a great future for tokenized digital art of the sort found on SuperRare. @Opheliafu is doing great work in that realm.
I've been experiencing the same sort of soul-searching for the next few months. I feel like I'm the cusp of a shift, and although writing will be a component of it, it might take a back seat to other things. The vision is coming more into focus every day.
I wish you luck in figuring out the next steps in your journey! The answer will materialize for you at just the right time and it'll exceed your expectations. Have a great weekend!
Thanks for your kind, encouraging words! I agree that tokenized digital art is an exciting new frontier (and @opheliafu is definitely doing great work within this genre!) but I have to say that it has no draw for me. I can appreciate and support that work for others but have no interest in doing it myself. But I do think the tokenized world will also support physical art work so that's good news.
Interesting that you're going through some soul-searching re-thinking of your creative world as well, and very interesting that writing may take a back seat. I've been feeling that my art, my making of things will also be taking a back seat for me. My shift will overlap since I still have many projects I'm pricing out right now and it's likely I'll still be doing that work for the remainder of the year but I can feel that a new path will be opening up and I'll be simultaneously applying myself, engaging, giving in a different way. I 'm not sure about the tangible details yet and right now I'm getting glimpses, feelings, intuitions about what's ahead but can't quite define it. It'll be fun to see how things shake down for each of us!