What's in it for me?

Far too many people, especially in the US, where I lived for 35 years, operate on a "What's in it for me?" basis, meaning they do things for others only when there is tangible payback. I detest this attitude. I do things for people because I can, and that's all the reward I need. I share my knowledge freely; this community is an example of that.

There's nothing wrong with being selfish, as long as it isn't all the time. Ultimately, we have to please ourselves by doing what we want, when we want, but there will be times when we can't, and we have to accept that.

As artists, we have a need to create. That requires support from those who we are close to, and we need to appreciate that support. Getting that art sold is difficult, very difficult, no matter what some people will tell you. Selling it online is, in many ways, much more difficult because you don't get the interaction you would with another person. Plus, there is the indisputable fact that getting noticed in this age, with thousands of distractions and extremely short attention spans, is almost impossible.

Of course, there are things one can do, and should, but those things all take a great deal of time, and may well provide no reward. I opened my ASF gallery in January, and I will likely close it when it comes up for renewal. For me, there are many easier ways of making money, but I'm very lucky in that respect. Will I be sorry? Yes, and no. I knew going in that it was a gamble, but I wasn't afraid of the risk and could easily afford it.

A girlfriend once asked why I kept so many balls in the air. My reply was that until I knew which ones weren't worth keeping, I'd keep them all, and add more as opportunities arose. I added that I would drop any ball the moment I knew it was going nowhere. We all have a tendency to hold on to things longer than we should, but we must learn to let go. If we don't, our lives will be full of regrets, and, to me, at least, there's nothing worse than that.

#artsales #motivation