Tracking Creative Flow

An Artist Date in Santa Fe

My husband and I visited Santa Fe, New Mexico this past weekend. I love this unique city for its focus on art.

My husband is also a painter, and we set an intention this year to learn how to make a livelihood out of our art. It’s a four hour drive from Crestone, so we took a (long) detour out of Denver last weekend, and used free points to stay in a swanky inn just off Canyon Road, where all the art galleries are.

Artist Date

I love Julia Cameron’s advice about taking artist dates - outings to clear the mind of clutter and get fresh creative inspiration. We had no real agenda while we visited the galleries, other than observing. We noticed what was on display - not only the kind of art, but the presentation, the price points, and the quality of the work.

I learned so much just by noticing how gallery owners approached us, what they said, and didn’t say, and how they talked about the work. We have a standard practice of not mentioning that we are artists, so we can experience how the sales experience lands - and borrow it when talking about our own work with potential clients.

I recommend this research to any artist trying to sell their work! It is highly informative.

Getting out of familiar environment

One thing we did differently this trip, was this: we exposed our cover.

There are several galleries we wanted to reach out to and submit our portfolios. So, in two instances, once we had established a connection with the gallery director, we were transparent about being artists and asked the best way to submit our work for consideration.

Developing Confidence

The results were amazingly positive! It turned out both of these galleries had just let go of some artists and were looking for some new ones to add to their roster.

As artists we often forget that galleries need art! It can feel like such a competitive situation to try to get your work seen, that we forget that without the art, galleries couldn’t exist.

So we are now sending out digital portfolios (if you need a resource for how to create a professional digital portfolio, this is gold.)

What Galleries Are Showing

Visiting galleries can be a double edged sword for an artist. On the one hand, it’s inspiring to see great work, and to see how represented artists present their work. On the other hand, it can be upsetting to see work that feels under-developed, or sloppy. It can be hard to know how one’s own work may or may not fit into a gallery - that’s why it’s important to go in person to see the work in the gallery.

Creative Process Comes First

It’s important not to let the gallery-going experience influence the art. It can feel tempting to try to mimic what’s out there. I caught myself noticing that bright pastel colors are everywhere in Santa Fe galleries, “so hey, I should bring more of those colors into my own work.”

But I think this is putting the cart before the donkey. It’s good to see what’s showing, but it’s also good to make your own work.

This is wisdom not just for artists but for life. Why copy someone else’s work when you have your own unique talents to share?

The best thing about an artist date like this is to experience the art world as a living, thriving microcosm. Artists and creatives work alone for the most part, and we can forget that there is a world out there that appreciates our work. Getting out there invites the dialogue with the larger world—those that do not make the work, but who appreciate it.

It’s always nice to remember that we’re appreciated.