Making Room for What’s Next
I was wrapping up Day 2 of the Cool Art Show feeling a lot of things.
Happy. Tired. Grateful for a really fun two days. A little sad that it was already over.
And, if I’m being completely transparent, a little disappointed that I hadn’t made one big sale.
My new dream come true.
One of the interesting things about building an art business while also working full time is that sometimes I put more pressure on each opportunity than I probably should. I don’t have another art show next weekend. Or even necessarily next month. There are only so many weekends, so many hours, and so much energy to go around. So when I choose to participate in something, I really want it to count.
The Cool Art Show had been wonderful. I met so many people, had great conversations about my work, sold a few pieces, gained some new followers and spent the weekend surrounded by people who love art. But as I started wrapping things up, there was still that little voice saying, I wish I had sold one of the big ones.
And then something completely unexpected happened.
Sometimes the Opportunity Isn’t the Sale
An artist walked up to my booth to say hello. Four years ago, he had been my “neighbor” at this very same show. He wasn’t participating this year—he had simply stopped by to visit some old friends. He is an amazing, full-time professional artist, so we chatted for a few minutes and caught up.
Then he asked me a simple question:
“Where are you showing your work now?”
I laughed.
“Here!”
He asked if I had ever considered getting studio space.
And, well...
Here we are.
A work in progress
A Dream I Had Put in the “Someday” Category
Having a studio outside of my house has always been one of those dreams sitting quietly in the back of my mind. But finding the right space isn’t easy. Artist studios can be difficult to come by, and when you do find one, they can be expensive—or tucked away somewhere that works beautifully as a place to create but doesn’t necessarily give you an opportunity to connect with customers.
This one felt different.
My new little studio is at Art @ 400 in St. Petersburg, surrounded by other working artists.
I can use the space 24/7, which means I now have somewhere to escape when I want to focus on a big painting without the distractions of home. I can show work by appointment. And each month, the gallery opens to the public as part of St. Pete’s Second Saturday ArtWalk. The ArtWalk even offers trolley service to help visitors hop between participating galleries without having to move their cars—and Art @ 400 is one of the stops along the route.
My first Second Saturday in the new studio will be September 12 from 5–9 PM, and I cannot wait to actually open my studio door and welcome people inside.
For someone trying to slowly build an art business around a full-time career, it feels like an incredible next step.
My Little Piece of Paradise
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been painting, cleaning, moving things around, hanging artwork and figuring out how to make a very small space feel like me. It’s still a work in progress. But I already love it.
And maybe the thing I didn’t anticipate quite as much is how much I would enjoy the community.
In the brief amount of time I’ve spent there getting everything ready, the other artists have been incredibly welcoming and friendly. After spending so much of my creative time painting by myself at home, I suddenly get to immerse myself in a community of people who understand this strange, wonderful thing we do.
I get to learn from them. I get to meet new friends. I get to be part of something.
And I’m really excited about that.
Maybe the Big Sale Wasn’t the Point
I keep thinking back to that last afternoon at the Cool Art Show. There I was, quietly wishing I had sold one of my larger paintings. At the time, that felt like the thing that would have made the weekend a success.
Instead, someone I happened to meet four years earlier walked back into my booth and asked me one question. That question may end up being worth far more to my art journey than selling one painting that afternoon. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere.
Maybe not every opportunity pays off in the way we expect it to. Maybe sometimes you show up, put your work on the wall, talk to people, make connections and have absolutely no idea which of those tiny moments will matter later.
Four years later, one of mine came back around. So now I have a studio.
I still can’t quite believe I get to say that.
There is plenty left to do before it feels completely finished, and I’ll share more of the transformation soon.
But for now, I’m going to enjoy this little piece of paradise—and make some room for whatever comes next.
COMING SOON!
