Money? Validation? Inner-peace?
Why do I create? What is it all for?
So, I just put the finishing touches on my store. I uploaded a bunch of high-quality pics of my paintings, all cropped and square, set up everything to sell prints and made the originals available for purchase as well. I spent a couple days getting everything right with fun stories about each image and tested each page to make sure I liked how my paintings were presented.
Once I was done I leaned back in my chair and folded my hands behind my head and waited for a sense of accomplishment to wash over me… but nothing happened. Maybe I just needed to scroll through the page again… then I would feel it! Nope… scrolled top to bottom and nothing happened… Maybe I need to wait until someone SEES what I did, then I will feel like it was worth the time and feel like I really made something of value… a few days later and a few hundred views and still nothing. Was something wrong with me? Why did I not feel pride in putting my work out there?
After a long think, I realized that before I could be gratified in putting my store up, I had to come to terms with the reason I put it up. Just making the store was not really difficult and did not warrant a feeling of accomplishment… seeing the store do what it was intended and succeed at it’s mission… now THAT would be something with feeling excited about!
So, now the real question; Why did I create a store with my paintings in it? Really, there are three reasons someone would do this and, surprise, they are all in the title!
Reason 1 - Money, money, money…
Yeah. It would make a lot of sense to open an online store to sell things and make money… OK, really that would be the MAIN reason to open a store and sell things. I have struggled with this one quite a bit, actually. I would love to make money selling the art that I make, but not to the point where I NEED to do so. It would be amazing if I could sell enough prints and paintings to cover my expenses making prints and paintings. If I made enough to cover the cost of my studio and art supplies, I would consider this effort a huge success!
So, yes (with a lower case “y”), I would like to make money off this store… but I don’t think that income alone will help me feel as though I have succeeded.
Reason 2 - LOOK AT WHAT I DID!
Another possible reason to put something out into the world is so that you have people looking at what you put out into the world. Having recognition is a valid reason to create and share what you have created, but I really don’t think I am doing this just so people will see what I did. Of course, in this age of social media and networking, getting your work in front of as many eyes as possible means a better chance of selling something! Looking at it from that point of view, I would like to have more people see what I did. I don’t really need people to show up and faun over what I have done, but there is a better chance that people will tell others about my work… which will get more people following my work, and they will tell others… etc.
So, another lower-case “yes”, people seeing and acknowledging what I am doing is a reason to get my art out in the world.
Reason 3 - I can’t not
The other reason that I might share what I have done is because I have to. Not like, I have to sell paintings because I have to make room, or I have to sell prints because I need to offset hosting fees or something. I have to because I think that art and creativity are something that should not sit alone within the creator. I believe that as I create art, it NEEDS to be shared with the rest of the world. I see creating an online gallery as a way to share what I have made with the rest of the world. I believe that selling prints through an online store is a way that I can make the world a better place by getting my creation out into the homes of others and, hopefully, brighten their life!
This one is a “Yes”! See that big “Y”? That means it’s got more weight than the previous two reasons!
Getting my work out into the world is something that I feel I HAVE to do and there is a better chance that I can do that if more people experience my work and help me continue to create with financial support. Probably not a surprise that the answer to the initial question is D - All of the Above, but for me, it was a good insight to have. Knowing WHY I am doing something will let me know when I have succeeded?
Anyone else run into this issue? Do you ever do something and not really know why you start something? Have you ever had to dive into the why of something before you knew if you could feel good about what you had done?
Also, please do check out my store, share with someone that you think could beneft from art and creativity and, if you are so inclined, buy a print or maybe even an original painting! It would mean the world to me!