After more than a decade of working as a professional artist, I’ve learned that opportunities to create will come—but not always in the ways I expect. Over the years, I’ve said yes to many of these new opportunities. An example of this was when I decided to start teaching art at a local nonprofit. Or in the past, I’ve been commissioned to paint murals. I occasionally like to design artsy labels for beer cans or wine bottles. None of these avenues were necessarily part of the original ‘plan’ when I first started painting, but the invitations came, and I stepped into them.
Beer can labels I made for Barking Armadillo in Texas!
As new invitations continue to approach me, a question I’ve been wondering is this: how do you know when an opportunity is truly right for you, versus simply exciting? Because unfortunately, not every exciting opportunity belongs in my long-term practice.
I think the answer to this is that its different for every person, but for me, I’m interested in the following questions to figure out if I should accept an opportunity or not:
- Will this bring me joy?
- And how will I be interacting with people through this work?
I have to ask myself these questions because as time has passed, I’ve had to really narrow down what I’ll say yes to. For instance, I’ve recently been most invested in my fine art. That’s the most visible part of my business right now because it aligns with my long-term goals and supports my health in a sustainable way. I enjoy doing it, I like the long term effects of it on my body, and I enjoy the relationship people have with it.
I care about the interactive portion because relationships matter to me—the relationship I have with the artwork, the relationship a viewer builds with it, and the relationship I form with people along the way. Whether it’s a mural, a paint party, or a gallery exhibition, the interaction is just as important as the medium. All these different opportunities feed different parts of my artistic practice. Though every now and then, I’ll try something I’ve really never done before, just to keep things fresh. But for the most part, I choose to keep things aligned to best meet my physical, mental, and emotional needs.
Another side quest, planters I painted at Rivery Coffee House (also in TX!)
Balancing the worlds between an exciting offer versus the reality you live in can be difficult. On the one hand, accepting different types of opportunities can be beneficial, because it diversifies income. It’s helped me sustain myself and pour back into the community projects I care about. On the other hand, ambition without discernment leads to burnout. Some projects are thrilling but misaligned. Knowing the difference is part of growing into the artist—and the life—I’m building.
Yours truly,
Makara