Yet another set of glue cards to swap with my local group. I now have three sets of three that are unswapped. I’m thinking the glue card swap experience is a bust. Perhaps I’ll put together an organized swap somewhere online.
I had a weird experience this week. I listed some things on Etsy. I had a few too many samples laying around—and also, a handful of assemblage pieces I made for this month’s issue of The Monthly Muse.
It’s been a while since I’ve made any really serious personal pieces. I’ve never really considered myself the kind of artist who makes amazing works that people will value enough to buy. My strength as an artist has always been my ability to look at something, and know exactly how to make it. I write amazing, clear, easy to follow instructions. I don’t make art that should hang in a gallery (although I’ve had the occasional piece in galleries) or a museum (although I do have two pieces that I know of in relatively obscure museums).
But these pieces I did for this month’s issue are different. I pushed my own envelope. I made myself do things I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I created two pieces, in particular, that are some of my best work ever.
And so, I stepped out of my usual “I’m getting rid of a bunch of samples” mentality, and listed those pieces as artwork with gallery pricing. Low gallery pricing, because it’s Etsy. But more than I would usually feel comfortable asking for anything I made.
And my artist friend who inquired about one of the pieces before I listed it didn’t faint at the price I was asking. I trust her, since she really is one of those gallery kind of artists. She would tell me if I was out of my mind on pricing.
It isn’t often that I feel anxious about my work. I do have the occasional oh-god-what-if-they-hate-this feeling when I try something new, but it goes away quickly. I’m pretty confident about what I do and the way I do it. But this was something outside my comfort zone.
And apparently, that’s a good thing.