I let the crisp sea breeze waft through my locks, and stare wistfully out my expansive windows, as my paintings magically paint themselves, my personal assistant tracks my art pieces and takes care of the accounting, and an enchanted fairy fills out submissions forms to shows.
Kidding aside, in the atelier, the glamorous myths give way to the very real demands of building and sustaining an artistic practice. Beyond the hours spent painting, sculpting, or designing, there’s the constant juggling of roles: administrator, marketer, strategist, bookkeeper, logistics specialist, archivist, and janitor. A full-time artist must source materials, research themes, apply for exhibitions, nurture relationships with galleries and collectors, and write. I have written more as an artist than ever before. Each project requires careful budgeting and scheduling, and the quest to stay relevant in a competitive field demands ongoing self-promotion through social media, press, and networking events. Add to this the emotional labor of creation itself—the process of revising and often doubting one’s vision—and it’s clear that the studio is as much a site of hustle as it is of inspiration.
