One may think it is difficult to be an artist, or difficult to be in an art show. I blame Hollywood for this fear or misconception. In movies, all the art museums are in New York City and all art curators are unapproachable tight-assed snobs who were thick frame glasses and unreasonable varieties of plaid. That is the stereotype but creating art and submitting your work to an art show is more accessible than you’d believe.

See my blog on how to get started as an artist.

I personally found success in being a part of two separate art shows in 2018 from using Call For Entries —http://www.callforentries.com

Two concepts to understand and believe deep in your soul is

First, You CAN do it! You just need to be brave and get a hold of some resources whether it be time, money or supplies.

Second (and this may take some proper reflecting), People + Art Studios need art. Most of the art shows need 20-30 artists to be successful and most art studios only receive 35 - 40 submissions so the competition for smaller and local shows is not that high.

Creating art is hard and has the most satisfying rewards. It is both terrifying and amazing. I like to think of it as an extreme sport like parachuting—-once you jump you are doing it! But the most nerve-racking part is deciding to jump! Once you show people your art they have seen it and judged it! And there you are — soul exposed to the world. So this (like extreme sports) takes a bit of courage. Creating the art at home and keeping it all private is one thing. Taking a risk and sharing is another. I cannot speak for everyone’s comfort because getting over the fear of creating, showing your work to others, and believing in your work is very personal for each artist. It is self-esteem but I would take it a step further and say it is a particular artist self-esteem.

More on the thought that people need art. People do in fact need art. This is a non-negotiable in my mind. People need to be in contact with the realm of the magical and beautiful in order for society to thrive and function. This means creating beautiful art, clothes, furniture, beautiful cars, beautiful homes, landscapes, etc. This concept that people need beautiful things bleeds into consumer culture where the magic and illusion of material effects pricing. Think about how expensive homes, stores, and cafes can be especially if it seems to be plucked straight out of a magazine. There certainly can be overindulgence with the beautiful but I argue that without the finer things in life that we would be at each other’s throats. Society would dissent into violence in like 2 seconds — meaning that beauty supports civility.

So should you create art? Absolutely!!! It an important personal journey but it is also a collective need. As an artist, you are a societal warrior who is sustaining peace! You have to create your art! It is often misunderstood by both artist and viewer that a particular piece of art is not important because of a host of reasons. A person who is a comic book artist may not appeal to a person who buys all their bedroom furniture from Anthropologie. Yet, each has their role in creating a peaceful world. A person who works hard all day and commutes through hellish conditions needs to come home to that beautiful quilt work. A person who suffers from a lack of creativity at work needs to get lost in the narratives of space cowboy (Guardians of the Galaxy).

To bring it back around to Call For Entries—- create from the honest place inside yourself and you would be surprised who might gravitate toward you. Please take a look at the site and realize how many niche art show there are. I have seen a show that focuses specifically on art that will fit into a 10 x 10 frame. One can start an Instagram account and post a small drawing or painting a day but I encourage eventually engaging in a real gallery. It is way easier than you think and it is vital to making the world a better place!