The specifics of planning has never been a strong suit of mine. I like to have a big idea, throw out a bunch of smaller ideas, and then have somebody else make the details come together to make my ideas happen. Buuuuuut when you’re building a career as an artist, it doesn’t really work that way. I’ve got to have the ideas AND the plan AND the follow-through.
Then I heard about chatGPT and I was like hmmm what in my life can I outsource to AI? Ah. The planning. So I asked it to make me a timeline to help organize all the tasks I’ll be needing to complete, and all that’s left now is for me to follow it for the next 11 weeks. So let’s get to it.
Week 1: “Review and finalize the artworks you plan to exhibit. Decide on the pieces you will showcase, making sure that they fit well with the theme of the show. Also, identify any new pieces that you would like to create specifically for the exhibition.“
I made a trip to my storage unit to look over my current inventory and decide which old paintings I could sacrifice in the name of progress. I want to be able to create new work for this upcoming show, but at the same time, I really don’t want to continue to accumulate canvases. Could I hang onto my earlier works, in the hopes that they’ll eventually find buyers? Sure. But I’m not made of money, and new canvases aren’t free.
Which leaves me with painting over old work. I sort of like the idea, conceptually, as well. Something about my career progression as an artist being measured in ways other than commercial success; just because a painting doesn’t sell doesn’t mean it is (or I am) a failure. Creating and displaying each of those paintings has helped shape me into the artist I am today, and there is value in that, whether a piece ends up on a wall, or back on an easel for another coat of paint.
I also visited the library where the show will be held, to help me determine how much work I’d be needing to properly fill the space. It looks like I should plan for somewhere in the neighborhood of 20-25 pieces. I’ve got ten pieces that are either completed or almost completed, which leaves me with another 10-15 to create before June. Seems doable.
Check back next week to follow along on my journey!
