Why do artists quit? ...and come on, there are plenty of reasons to quit, let’s face it.
With an increasing rumble of doom and despair amongst artists about how to promote work, get visibility and avoid the threats of our work being digitalised by strangers or cloned (NFTs and Crypto Art), it's not difficult to imagine why some would just decide to check out and be done with this tortuous profession.
While I was at my last exhibition in beach-side-Aldeburgh, a sweet couple came in to see how I was doing on sales. They’d rented the gallery the previous week (both artists) and had sold nothing…. the whole week!!! I listened to their tale and my heart did a belly flop. “You are kidding me”, I wanted to blurt out. Fifty hours manning this converted horse stables and you didn’t even make enough to dine out on a fish and chip feast? (Aldeburgh has the best fish and chips in Suffolk, in my opinion).
I couldn’t lift my sand-bagged emotions off the floor. They left downhearted, but not totally crushed. “We’re thinking about booking again in 2025…. If we can be sure of better sales”.
“You poor darlings”, I wanted to say, “Save your money and take yourselves on a decent holiday, you look like thou need it. This is a shitty business, give yourselves a break” And there we have it… Take A Break.
‘Artist’s quit when they convince themselves that their next effort is already doomed to fail. And artists quit when they lose the destination of their work - the place their work belongs’ *
Quitting happens when vision is lost. Quitting happens once; it means not starting again.
But quitting is not the same as stopping. We stop from time to time, it's essential. Then, when we have re-grouped, we start again.
The challenges ahead for artists are real and growing by the day, but this is the picture of the times we live in, which could tempt us all into despair - the climate chaos, migrants drowning in the English Channel and a serious lack of leadership in our world….
But quitting can’t be an option.
‘Those who challenge their fears, continue. Those who don’t, quit’ *
And each step in the art making process puts that issue to the test. So, let’s keep our visions alive (however loosely stacked together), let’s encourage one another daily, make peace with uncertainty and take as many breaks as we need on the road to our tomorrows.