Finding Your Niche (Where do I belong?)

I have been working on my art for a long time. I began painting in High School. When I went to college it was with a major in Studio Art. I have taken printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, 2d and 3d Design. I love it all. Then you add all the needlework on top of it. I felt like I was spinning. In Art they taught you that you should do one thing and stick with it which is pretty hard. I have done different careers - cake decorating and floral design - besides my arts and crafts looking for my niche. Sometimes the reason I went the way I did was because of finances.

 In the last 20 years, finding and getting into shows has changed. When I began, you looked in magazines and had to do things through the mail. If it was Art, you needed to submit slides. That meant taking a lot of pictures, having the film developed into slides and praying you have at least on or two usable ones (the cameras were not what they are today). If you had money you could have somebody else take photos of your art. Then you had to submit your entry by the deadline and wait by the mailbox for your acceptance or denial. What hasn't changed is that a lot of shows are "pay to play". I don't know of any other industry that charges the hopeful entrance jury fees. If I were to go for an audition anywhere, I don't think I would be charged. These entries are essentially auditions of your art. For an artist to get into anything you have to apply and most of the time pay. There are sometimes the jury fee and also other fees such as space fee, advertising etc. Some places, like galleries and some shows, they take a 30-40% commission on your work that they sell for you. Some shows take commissions even if you are there selling it yourself!

So when times were tough I relied on the craft show route. I did crafts - crocheting, plastic canvas, quilts, homemade paper and at the end just honey, lotion bars and bee related items. It started out about just costing $20 but has gone up from there. There was no comparison to the Art Show route. I just could not afford to lay out hundreds of dollars for a show that might not happen for six months. I have done this besides the floral design at LeeWards and the Cake Decorating - wedding cakes and DQ looking for my niche. I really enjoyed doing all sorts of creative things but it didn't feel like my niche - somehow that didn't feel like what I should be doing.

So, I now I am painting. And making prints. I think of myself as an eclectic artist - does many different things. I get an idea and think about how it might work best. I am working toward exposure for myself and art in a community that I didn't grow up in and do no know that many people. You are getting to see part of my journey and I will be sharing my experiences with you. We are lucky to have the Internet and the ability to find and contact others. We are able to find the calls for art and network with like-minded people. I hope my experiences help you too.