I Did It!

In spite of domestic projects and an installation artist who needed way more time than I expected to set up his show (about 30 hours over three days/evenings), and the precision grid hanging for another artist that I did myself, and of course the loss of a setup day because of Thanksgiving, the show was set up with time to spare and we actually enjoyed ourselves at the reception.

I had 16,000 words to go with four days left in the NaNoWriMo event, but I knew that with a clear schedule, I could easily average 4,000 words per day. But a little something happened during the set up for the show which had a tremendous impact on not only the gallery, but the writing, our relationship, and just about everything you can think of--

There is nothing like confronting your own physical limitations to force realistic parameters in your life and work. During the hanging of the show, I was in a great mood, had a reasonable amount of energy and focus, but my knees, feet, and hands and neck were hurting worse and worse. This was to be expected after something like the giant hedge project, but handling several flights of stairs and carrying boxes and artwork of varying weight and awkwardness was doing the same thing, and had done so for the last several shows. I was ready to throw in the towel on the gallery altogether. We do not make much money on it unless we sell our own art, and the expenses of a show are considerable, not to mention the time factor and the physical work. My husband's office is in the upper level of the gallery, and the disruptions every month were becoming more and more frustrating.

I proposed that instead of doing six, or even four shows next year, we only do two. That we needn't give up the gallery, everyone knows we are here and knows to make an appointment or at least call first. We have a good relationship with the local press and an extensive emailing list. Steve could take over the entire upper level for his office, and we would do the two shows together, so that he had more control over when and how his space would be disrupted. I would be relieved of at least half the physical work, and also not be disrupted so often in my own art work (during the setup for shows, everything gets thrown into my office and studio and storage room, and it takes me days to sort it out afterwards). He was very enthusiastic. We were both so enthusiastic about this meeting of minds that it was like a big cloud over our heads finally passed by.

After the reception I felt completely liberated, so much so that I wrote 7,000 words on Sunday, and over 9,000 words on Monday, and enjoyed every minute of it. I "won" the Novel Writing contest and am now in possession of the first draft of a short novel about a middle-aged woman's experiences in becoming a professional artist. It is part "literary" novel and part science fiction/fantasy. I'm going to let it sit for a few days before reading it from beginning to end and deciding if there is anything in it worth salvaging and rewriting.

The experience was totally worth it, as I gained a lot of confidence and a lot of insight and in some ways reconnected, in a more mature fashion, with the creative energy I had in college. I've even figured out why I have to be an artist, no small feat.