One day I had the crazy idea of living off my passions. It felt impossible and terrifying, so I doubled down on the idea and went for it.
3 fears arose:
Imposters syndrome
I’m not good enough. What if they find out I’m not a real artist.?
What if no one actually wants to buy my art?
Burn out
If this becomes my main source of lively hood, what happens when my passion just becomes work. I don’t wanna bleed myself dry. Art has been my way of decompressing and calming the waters of my mind.
I should strive to maintain that safe space somehow.
Quantifying My Worth
How much do I charge? It’s been far more nourishing to give my artwork away; I can’t take them all with me as I travel.
If people see beauty in my art and it resonates with them, then why not gift them that fraction of my soul?
Launching my Etsy
Despite those fears screaming in my mind, I marched forward with this crazy dream. I spent my last month in Mississippi painting,
and painting
and painting…
I shared my progress on social media and received great feedback. I also began noticing my growth in technique.
There was still the daunting task of pricing these pieces of myself. One day I looked to my left and saw my todo list. That’s it!
I rushed to my Etsy page-I’d set one up over 5 years ago- and began pricing and titling my art based off items on my todo list.
Some were as simple as Headphones, Spotify and Health Insurance.
Others were as grand as a “Flight to Atlanta” or “Soul Searching”
Ultimately, I didn’t make any sales on Etsy. It’s Christmas Day and I’m catching a train to Atlanta for the holidays. My friend Melissa is driving me to the train station, so it seems fitting to gift her “Flight to Atlanta”
I took a walk with my mother yesterday. I didn’t want to show up empty handed so I brought her “Soul Searching” as a gift
Current status:
I have temporarily suspended my Etsy shop. I’ll relaunch it when I’m in a less nomadic season. It was healthy exercise; I learned and grew a lot. I’m confident in calling myself an artist and do believe that I can live off my passions in a healthy fashion.
Wanderlust
The only painting I’m taking with me is “Wanderlust.” I’ve committed to painting my soul into it, throughout my travels. Check back for updates.
Musician Goes Monk 