I have several years of experience with a bunch of art shows and want to share what has worked for me and what has not. If you are reading this and you are not an exhibitor, keep reading! I urge you to read to the end to gain an appreciation of how vital you are to the community and what goes into planning these events. Also, maybe you will realize this is something totally do-able you can also try to turn your hobby into a side hustle or full-time gig!

Your fellowship is quite literally the fuel that keeps us creating and bringing more joy into the world.

I have learned a lot attending art shows and preparing for them as an exhibitor. I am sure I still have a lot to learn too, so send me a message if you have any pro tips for me! Here are my top ten tips:

Storytime! This story has a twist...
Rejections are inevitable. Not letting it affect your productivity or confidence is difficult. The only way to regain confidence is to keep creating and putting ourselves into vulnerable positions that may or may not include rejection.

I wish I could remember where I heard or read the insight: “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” I decided this should be my mantra, especially during the holiday season. The words both encourage us to create tremendous goals for ourselves, but also acknowledge we are humans with limitations. I think the quote is asking us to be kind to ourselves instead of self-flagellating when we fail at doing the impossible.

Earlier this spring I stepped out of my comfort zone and submitted a mural design to the town of Asbury Park, New Jersey. Spoiler alert…my design was not selected. Read to the end to see how the universe or some higher power (or simulation?!) had my back. In this blog post, I share my very normal human experience of rejection, my thoughts throughout the whole process and the roller coaster of emotions I encountered. I think every reader will be able to relate.

Art and being creative is our birthright. One of the reasons I can’t wait to read Your Brain on Art: How The Arts Transform Us is because the authors claim “science can now validate what we have intuitively known to be true about art.” We are born to create, and each of us has artistic traits. CREATING IS IMPERATIVE FOR OUR HEALTH.

Why is creativity simultaneously celebrated and dismissed?

There are so many mixed messages surrounding creativity. The starving artist myth has been perpetuated for generations. Creativity is not synonymous with being artistic. It is essential to survive. Here is why…

This week I created an American flag illustration “Patched Flag” using a grid structure I use often in my paintings. I wanted it to look like an embroidered patch you might sew onto a hat or denim jacket. Our country has endured so much division. As I reflect on the state of affairs this Independence Day, I am praying for the United States. We need great leaders to both conserve what was founded in 1776 and progress forward as our wants and needs have also changed since the Constitution was written.