(yes, I do write mostly sitting on the bed. Banjo the cat is usually sitting with me. He’s an old fellow now and the bedroom is a safe haven for us both, especially while the kids – 7 and 3 – are off school!)
What have you got planned this year?
This year, at the start of the year (yesterday, as I write this) I sat down and wrote everything that happened last year in a Google doc. It was quite a year, too much for me get my head around at once without writing it all out.
2016 was the year I became a full time artist and teacher, for one.
It was partly choice, and partly because I had to.
As you probably know if you’ve following this blog for any length of time, everything changed for me last year. I became very ill with a rare disease at the beginning of the year, and wasn’t diagnosed for quite a while. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was close to losing everything – my family, friends, everything.
It was a harrowing time, but I’m glad it happened. Because from it came two momentous realisations:
Be grateful: Life is very, very precious
Of course we all believe that, we may even say it often, but it’s not until you’ve come close to losing it that you really understand completely how precious your life – all life – really is.
I love my wife and my kids. I loved them before I was ill. But when I think about the fact that I might not have been here for them, been able to share in their joys and frustrations, their learning and their growth, it gives me pause. I have a different perspective on every moment I get to spend with them now.
Of course my kids drive me up the wall sometimes. Of course I lose it with them sometimes. But I’m so grateful, now, for every moment I have with them.
Every day, I feel a deep gratitude for simply being here, able to experience the small inconsequential moments of each day. Although I’m mostly recovered now, that feeling hasn’t left me and I hope it never will.
Don’t waste time: You don’t know how much of it you have left
When we adopted our two boys, I decided to stay in my full time job, despite hating it. It was secure (at least I thought it was) and I knew that every month there would be enough money to cover the bills, to feed the family, to pay for the kids’ swimming lessons, their music lessons, fun birthday treats for them, new clothes.
That job undoubtedly contributed to my illness. And anyway, what do I want to show my kids? That the best way to live is by taking the easy, less scary, more secure route? Never to dare? Never to reach for a dream?
I want more than that for them. I want more than that for myself. I want more than that for you, too.
Becoming “professional” (in the sense of earning all my living from art) wasn’t entirely a choice. I was made redundant from my (supposedly safe) job just before I became ill. For many months, I simply wasn’t strong enough to go back to a full time job. I’m not sure I am now. I think it’s quite likely that, if I did go back to a full time job like the one I had before, I’d end up back in hospital before too long.
Committing to teaching
So I’ve committed to what I’m doing now, painting and teaching.
I’m not one of those artists that teaches because they have to, to make ends meet, but who would really rather be painting. Teaching is very meaningful for me.
Learning to paint on your own is such a struggle, and I know that there are a lot of people out there struggling with the same things I have. And I know that I can help. And I must say, every time I get an email from someone who tells me that I’ve helped them in some way, helped them to progress towards their dreams, I get emotional in a way that no ordinary job could ever give me. That’s real job satisfaction – knowing that you’ve really helped someone with their struggles.
But things are far from easy. Starting any business is messy. I get a lot wrong. Frankly, we’re barely surviving. Often, I can’t afford to do things for the kids that I used to do without thinking. Our Christmas was a pretty lean one by our usual standards.
You know what? The kids didn’t care at all. They didn’t count their presents, they were just over the moon with the ones they got. When we were making our mince pies together, when we were decorating the tree, when we were spending time together, we were just enjoying each other’s company. Not going overboard on the presents and the Christmas dinner actually seemed to make what we did have more special.
There have been times over the last few months when I couldn’t cover the bills, and had to borrow. For a while, I thought it likely that we’d lose the house. But we haven’t, yet. Another thing I’ve learned is that your worst fears rarely come true.
But they can hold you back. Perhaps if my hand hadn’t been forced by my redundancy and subsequent illness, I might still be in a job I hate, getting ready to go back to work tomorrow, to destroy another little piece of my soul and put off my dream a little longer.
My plans for this year
I started this site in 2007 (ten years ago!) as a simple journal of my attempts to teach myself to paint and draw realistically. I didn’t really expect anyone to read it, I was surprised when they did. I was even more surprised when people started getting in touch with me, telling me that something I’d put up here helped them, or asking me questions.
And I’ve been thinking a lot about that.
I’m on a new journey now. Of course I’m still learning how to draw and paint, that never stops. But I’m also learning now what it takes to make a living as an artist and more specifically, an artist that makes a living online.
Let me tell you, it’s hard. On top of the struggles I had before, and still have, of just trying to learn and grow and paint well, I now have the struggle of making a living independently.
So I think that it might be useful if I shared this new stage of the journey, just as I have before. When I was learning the basics of drawing and painting, I shared everything, my successes and failures, when I made progress and when I didn’t, and I shared in detail everything that I was doing to try to build my skills.
This year, I’m planning to return to that. Only this time, I’ll be sharing what I’m learning about making a living as an artist online.
I’m not in any high profile galleries. I’m not taking anything like a traditional route. I don’t think you have to, these days. One thing I have learned is that, if you start by helping people and share what you know, and if you do that for enough people, without thought for reward or compensation, it’s perfectly possible that you can get to a point where you don’t need to go the traditional route. Yes, I’m surprised, too.
We live in a very different world now. I have friends I’ve never met, artists from all over the world that I regularly converse with. People I feel close to, even though I only know them through email and/or facebook. These relationships are very meaningful for me. It’s easy to dismiss social media as a sad proxy for real life relationships, but there’s another side; it can be much more than that.
That’s another thing I learned when I was ill. The support I was so lucky to have been given, completely unselfishly, by all those people that I’ve never met helped in no small way to sustain me through some very difficult moments. Of course depending on social media likes for your self esteem and sense of self is dubious at best. I’m not talking about that. Real connections can be made, meaningful ones. It depends on how you use it.
So how am I doing it?
As you probably know, I’ve started auctioning small paintings now. I also have an online course on colour, a drawing membership programme and I make tutorial videos that I sell on a “pay what you want” basis on Gumroad.
With all of these things together, we just about get through each month. I spend a fair bit of time in a semi-panic over whether I’ll be able to cover the bills. But I’m not planning to go back to one of those soul-destroying office jobs I had before.
So I’ll let you know how I set all those things up, how they contribute to my living, and how they feel to do. It won’t all be pretty! But it will be honest.
Don’t worry, I’ll still be doing all the usual stuff I do, sharing what I can about learning to draw and paint, that won’t change. But I think that sharing this part of the journey will be useful to anyone else out there who would like to junk their horrible job and become a full time artist.
Hopefully I’ll be able to show you (assuming I can sustain it, of course) that it’s possible to look beyond the galleries and survive independently. And hopefully I’ll be able to show you how.
So what have you got planned for 2017?
Maybe you’re at the beginning of developing your skills, and have a lot of practising to do before you’re at the stage where you can consider going full time.
Maybe you’re ready to make the leap now, you just don’t know it yet.
Or maybe you do.
Please email me and let me know what your plans are for this year. You can reach me at Paul – at – learning-to-see.co.uk. Or, if you like, leave a comment here. It’s up to you. But I’d like to encourage you to have a little think before going back to the usual groove.
Perhaps try to remember how much you have to be grateful for. And think for a moment about how precious your life and your time really are.
Don’t waste it. The struggle is worth it.
Thanks for reading and best wishes,
Paul
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Hi Paul,
I look forward to seeing your posts as I too have decided that this is the year I try to make a living from my art. I’ve been finding that every path toward other employment has some kind of roadblock.
I decided to take that as a hint.
I wish you all the best for the coming year and beyond. Your artwork is beautiful and deserves to be shared with everyone! 🙂
Heather
Oh that’s brilliant Heather, let’s compare notes as we go!
I wish you the very best too, and will happily do what I can to help you along.
Thanks for all your work Paul and for sharing your story. I have followed your inspiring posts about your painting journey for years and now look forward to reading about what I am sure will be an equally inspiring account of how you develop the business and teaching side of your work. I think you’ve done very well so far, especially given your recent setbacks, that I am glad now seem to be behind you, and I’m sure that you will be successful with your endeavours. Ever Onwards!
Thank you Adrian. Ever onwards, indeed!
Hi Paul! Happy New Year to you and your family! Thank you for all you do for your online students. You are a wonderful teacher and I don’t know how I found you but I am so glad I did!
My plan for this year is to continue painting and learning and implementing Munsell into my work. If I can do what I plan I will be happy but I am not going to be so critical that it stifles me! We shall see what happens!
Thank you Bernie, and you’re very welcome!
I like your approach. I think you’ll do great 🙂
Hi Paul,
Wow what a story! And your honesty presses me to own up to this:
I have repeatedly been asked if I’d teach…and I have so much resistance!! I tell myself “how can I teach when I really don’t know what I’m doing?” I’ve really only been painting a short while and it’s all been such a surprise and gift to do and sell my paintings. I will and am saying “yes” to teaching, but still there is fear.
Of course there is fear, but you must do it anyway! Think of the wonderful effect you’ll be having on the people that learn with you, the horizons you can open for them. I often feel that way too. You should see me just before I do a webinar, I’m a wreck. The only antidote I know is to just do it 🙂
Wow very moving and inspiring.
I wish the best for you and your family for 2017.
I think belief is a very powerful thing whether negative or positive. Beliefs can become a self fullfilling prophecy.
Here is to a fantastic abundantly rich in many different ways 2017
Best Wishes,
Lucy
Ps. I have become a full time artist partly out of necessity. Its at times scary with lots of ups and downs but also very fulfilling.
Hi Paul, you wonderful person!!!!! What you do is just Brilliant ( I love that word). I was self-employed for many years and what got me through every week (wondering if I will make enough money to pay my bills) was simply “Faith.”
I still have to sign up for your color course ( I have the Student book already)and I love all what you share with us (soon to be Master artists).
Failures are just one step further to succeeding in what you like to accomplish. Therefore, I will keep practicing and do more practice. The more I learn the more I need to learn. In 2017 I aspire to do what I have been doing writing my story.
Hugs to you and your family 🙂
Helga
By the way I have a nice who is 8 and a nephew who is 4 and my brother is nearly 70.
AM GLAD YOU ARE DOING BETTER (YES?)-THAT YOU ARE STILL AMONG US, PAINTING AND SHARING. MAKES ME RIDICULOUSLY HAPPY TO PAINT-EVEN IF IT IS A WIPE OUT IN THE END-DURING THE PAINTING I AM 100 % FOCUSED. I PLAN TO PAINT 108 PAINTINGS IN 108 DAYS.
DAY 3-SO FAR SO GOOD. MAY YOUR DAYS BE HEAPED WITH ENOUGH WEALTH TO KEEP THE FIRES BURNING AND ENOUGH HEALTH TO STACK THE WOOD.
Hello Paul
Thanks for sharing your journey with us all, it is a great encouragement.
I found myself this morning pondering – again- if I should just give up on the art route and go back to Uni to train for a normal job. Thankfully before opening up the University web site I checked my emails and found your email asking what our plans are for 2017.
So now after reading your article I’m able to tell you that my plans for 2017 (ignoring the silly doubts that make me want to get a “normal” job) –
I’m going to make my own attempts to actually make money from my art this year. I ended up last year by selling a painting and winning a commendation for a drawing, at my local art society exhibition, so that was a great encouragement. I’m also taking on some academic study for my own interest, I’m very academic and after two decades of mostly full-time mothering I’m free to continue with my art learning and to indulge my mind- hence the recurring idea of going to uni. I plan to enter more art competitions (these are a huge feature of art world life in Australia for some reason), and I hope to approach the local commercial galleries for representation definitely by the end of the year, hopefully by mid-year. I still have things to learn about painting and my work but I’m happy that I’m capable enough to keep going with attempts to produce meaningful and beautiful work. BTW I’ve really appreciated your thoughts and knowledge in the various pages, and posts I’ve read.
Can I ask why do you not want to go with galleries? I know it’s not the only route, but I’m curious as to your reasons.
I would go to colleague to learn art and I want to be a part-time teacher to student with kids.
Hi Paul
Thanks for your (as always) inspiring blog. I have always found it encouraging. My New Year’s resolution this year is “Balance” – i.e. not always putting off doing art because their are chores to be done, and just enjoy trying to draw. I tend to feel I shouldn’t be doing it because I’m not super talented. Instead I will just try harder.
Best wishes with your new endeavour.
Paul, it’s great To interact with you because I’ve learnt a lot from your story. I also decided to do serious painting in 2016. I’ve been trying pastels for about 10yrs now and a bit of watercolor on the side, tried acrylic for abstract also but took a great leap into my first oil portrait. Which was quite large 52″ * 36″. It was quite challenging but it gave me courage to venture more in oil painting.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for continuing to share your vision. Wonderful stuff
I was very moved by your post, especially your honesty and integrity (“To thine own self be true”, I think is the phrase I’m after).
As a relatively new artist I’m focused on continuing to draw – accuracy and tone are my two challenges at present. I’ll continue through the Bargue book. I’m not going near colour for a while yet.
I got the courage to inform a sibling of my desire to go to art school this year. This was met with bemused scepticism. But at last, at 48 years old, I’m taking the plunge. So 2017 is another step towards taking personal responsibility i.e. taking the actions, not just thinking about them.
I’ll keep peddling
Thanks Paul and all the best for 2017
Cheers
Jim
A very moving piece Paul. I can only hope that your developing professional career takes off. Your talent, generosity and openness are a real inspiration.
I’ve struggled with my own art work, thrashing about in search of people who can give me sufficient insight to progress. Fortunately I have discovered a handful of artist/ teachers with enough talent and teaching ability to develop my confidence. Among these I count Charles Reid, Martin Kinnear and Julian Merrow Smith. I can now add you to that list and your webinars, in particular, gave me a real boost at a time when I was low in inspiration. Thank you for what I have gained from your kindness.
For next year I intend making more paintings and incorporating some of the lessons that I have picked up along the way. As a retired person I have no necessity to make a commercial success of what I do, therefore any sales I make are something of a bonus. I want to get to December and be able to say that there are discernible improvements in the quality of my work.
Hi Paul,
Thank you for writing this post, it was sincere and heartfelt. I’m glad to hear that your health is better. Best of luck with your 2017 plans! You’re a very good teacher and I have learned a lot from your videos. Looking forward to reading about how you’re making a living as an artist online. Thank you for all that you share!
Best,
Julie
Hi Paul,
Thank you so much for sharing your inspirational story and for the reminder of the common struggles that we as artist go through, I often forget! I sometimes feel I don’t know what I’m doing, I do want to somehow make a living being an independent artist as well but I’m really discouraged thinking of the little time I have to devote to just learning and developing my skills. My question is always how do I manage being a mother of two, work a full time job, and find the time and energy to develop as an artist?
I will take your advice first to be grateful for all that I have and appreciate the time that I have. Thank you for that reminder as well it’s easy to forget.
Hi Paul, Many thanks for another year’s inspiration and encouragement. Since you ask the plan this year is to try and penetrate the surface of things a bit and paint subjects from myth and poetry and religion and speak soul to soul as it were, of things that “no-one can define or remember but only desire”
Hi Paul
Just wanted to wish you every success in 2017 and major kudos for sticking with it and not taking the option of trying to get a “normal” job even with health issues.
I’ve seen two colleagues in my industry which have had to leave their jobs due to stress, only to then go searching for very similar or even identical roles. One of which took on an even more stressful role and had a breakdown. It’s an easy trap to fall into the rat-race and most of the rats in it don’t even know they’re in it. I am in it but fully aware that I am 🙂
Plans for 2017? My plan is to not make yearly plans. 3 months maximum I reckon, as you know life changes in a flash relative to 12 months. Keep the vague long-term goals to steer the ship but not actually planning specific actions and goals further away than 3 months.
Thanks for the continued inspiration and guidance, one of these days I’ll pick up a brush and some colour and your tips will be the first place I’ll be looking.
Steve
Hi Poul!
Harpy new year all Well to you.
Long story short.
I havn’t Being drowing or painting for 30 years, I have been busy you know.
Now I have Got more time and World like to get started to Being kreativ again. I have searched the web to be inspired and I like your approach and I Think that your afvices point out some key barriers to get started in a well grounded Way.
I World like to follow your advices in the future.
Status is, I am a bit rusty in drawing and painting and need some exercises to get
Enough for now and sorry about my poor english.
Hilsen Johnny
Hi Paul,
I have been following your posts for a while now. I am a struggling beginner artist ( I don’t think I can call my self an ‘artist’ .. at least, not yet), but yes, your posts have really helped me a lot. From starting the daily routine of drawing or painting to progressing it in all forms. Colour , effective practice , etc. I can’t even count the things you’ve helped me with.
You are quite an inspiration for me, as i did pretty much the same thing. I left a bank job after eight and a half years to work on my craft. I used to hate it. But, finally one day sitting numb in front of the PC ( which was usually the opposite of me) I very easily got up and went up to my boss with a resignation letter. It was the best decision i made.
I mostly like to do landscapes and beautiful historic buildings along with nature. So without a teacher and guide here in Dubai, its a challenge. I thank you for you guidance and your warmth to care for people like us. Its clearly seen in your posts/article.
Wish you the best of health and luck from me. 🙂