Wow, it’s been a whole year since the last day of my teaching job. Last year in February I gave my notice at the Digital Art School where I worked part time, so that I could paint full time. With the Olympics a year away I didn’t want to be stuck marking projects, I wanted to be in my art studio painting Whistler mountain scenes!
Giving my notice at work was a financial risk for me and it paid off big time, but maybe not in the way you might expect. You see, after a whole year of painting full time with the end goal of the Olympics in mind, I ended up not selling one single painting during the Olympics. This was a huge disappointment to me of course, but when I look back at what I have gained over the last year, I have to say that it was definitely worth it.
Having the time to paint full time gave me the freedom to express myself creatively. My painting time was no longer limited to a few days every couple months. When I paint sporadically it is like starting from scratch each time; the first few paintings never quite turn out. However, when I have the chance to paint continuously for a longer block of time then I am really able to get on a roll. The paintings just start to flow.
It was such a great feeling to go to my studio every day. I feel like my paintings jumped up to a new level of colour and intensity. So even though my year didn’t quite turn out the way I envisioned, the creative rewards were definitely worth the risk.
Do you have any stories of a time when you took a risk and it paid off, financially or otherwise? Share your comments, I’d love to hear from you!
Filed under: Art for your Lifestyle.
very very nice paintings.