Alicia Hauff Studio

Mixed Media Fine Artist in Fargo, ND

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Creative Profession

Honing a Creative Practice

Freedom in Focus

Like any other full-time profession, artists are called to regularly review, refine, and revise. We put our hearts and souls into our work on and off the canvas. Often we love and want to practice multiple art forms and mediums. I celebrate this! But when it comes to running a business and having a family [insert XYZ commitments], it can be easy to overcommit and spread ourselves too thin.

This issue has been hounding me for a few months; I finally sat with it long enough to listen. [Hello, Christmas break.]

If you're an emerging artist, you understand the approach of TRYING ALL THE THINGS for a while to see what sticks. My mantra in 2022 was, "I'm still figuring out what I like and don't like to do." You develop your skills, take classes, and show up to the work. But too many tangents can scatter your energy and ideas.

Where energy goes is where growth and magic happen.

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The Common Thread

Growing an art business requires many 'hats,' as I have previously mentioned. Combining all of the business tasks with an array of art practice areas can be too much. I was advised a little while ago that it's better to master, and hence become known for, one thing. Then it's reasonable to put forth a new thing or two.

If you're in my shoes, you're asking: what's behind door number 2?! I can't give up XYZ practices!

When you're creating multiple things, what do they have in common? Look for the common thread, the through-line. It may be an aesthetic, a color palette, a subject matter, a design element, or a particular style. Another option is to experiment with something new for a while before sharing it with the world.

Let's break this down.

Here is a brief inventory of creations this past year:

  • Acrylic painting with mixed media
  • Acrylic collage with handmade papers
  • Watercolor mixed media
  • Eco printing, including framed pieces
  • One realistic painting of a cockatoo (sure was cute!)
  • Foraging and creating wild ink
  • Holiday offerings with mini paintings, ornaments, art stationery, and art calendars
  • Commissioned paintings

If all of that weren't scattering my energy and resources, I wouldn't be writing this blog, would I?

Truthfully, I know I can't commit to doing just one thing. But I've never been that type of person--maybe that will change someday. Time and experience will offer more clarity.

One great question helped clarify my focus areas: What brings me the most joy and purpose, and how do I maximize that?

I found my common thread: connection to the earth and celebration of her in all her forms. My deepest joys are found outdoors. Every walk, run, hike, breath of fresh air, plant, and animal lifts my spirit. I follow her seasons as a prescription for life.

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The New Year Ahead

As my practice continues to evolve with me, I committed to focusing my energy in these three areas this year, in order of priority:

  • Acrylic painting (the only medium for commissions this year)
  • Foraging, creating and painting with wild inks
  • Eco printing

Each area has plenty of room for further mastery, each a deep well of experiential learning (no boredom here!). In fact, it dawned on me that I would love to paint outdoors and paint some of what I see (Plein air painting). All of that said, l am well aware it will mean I need to say "no" to other things that don't align with this vision for the year. Will it be hard? Yes, for me, it is. Is it worth the investment in an authentic art business? Indeed. Making room for more of what brings us joy and contentment is worth the thought for anyone.

Now it's your turn: in this new year, what are you saying no to in order to make room for your yes? Kindly share in the comments. I would love to hear from you.

Thanks for being here!

Creative Identity and Ritual: Lessons from Inktober

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"I believe that true identity is found in creative activity springing from within. It is found when one loses oneself."

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Every artist asks the questions: who am I? Where do I and my art fit in? What art do I even make or want to be known for? These and many other questions have been swirling. I asked my mother recently, "is there a memory you have of the moment you thought, 'That girl is an artist'? "

Her response was comforting and not surprising. "It's more like a collage of memories of you totally locked in when you were creating. The whole world slipped away. You were all in. That photo of you looking at me with your earphones on at our kitchen table is what I feel when I think of your life of art. 100% in the process."

All in.

She was referring to a state of "flow," characterized by a balance between challenge and skill with an intrinsic reward. (If you've seen the film Soul, you know.) You can read more about this psychology here (it's very interesting). How anyone gets into a flow state is based on the individual. I do know, however, that that activity is based on following your spark--what lights you up. What keeps drawing you back and in. What keeps you awake at night or restlessly daydreaming during the day. What makes you giddy.

Creative Identity

Whether it's a blank canvas, screen, or room, every creative person faces the same decision: start making something, or quit. Make something that has never existed before, or abandon ship. It's a wild thought.

I'm reading "The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life" by Twyla Tharp. Chapter 2 discusses rituals of preparation--the things we do to set ourselves up for creative action and flow. Habits are strong patterns of behavior that can be honed for creative success. How and when do you begin your day? Where do you create? What do you surround yourself with, and what tools do you use? Do you listen to music, or is that too distracting? What music?

One week I was struggling with a painting. It wasn't telling me what it needed, and I couldn't see how to finish it. My kids all had tennis practice that evening, so I went into the studio for 90 minutes. I turned on some rock music (AD/DC, Foo Fighters, and the like) and basked in being completely alone in the whole building. I painted with ease and finished it the next day. Sometimes it pays to switch it up, even though I am talking about creating habits.

I always write at night. It's the only time everything is finally quiet, and I can hear my thoughts again. I wrote my whole dissertation at night for FNP school; I felt chained to that desk, but I got it done. I'm still learning about how I create and what the common thread is. I can tell you a primary factor is being utterly left alone, without distraction. Only then can I sink into that flow state.

Twyla writes, "...a little self-knowledge goes a long way. If you understand the strands of your creative DNA, you begin to see how they mutate into common threads in your work. You begin to see the "story" that you're trying to tell; why you do the things you do (both positive and self-destructive); where you are strong and where you are weak (which prevents a lot of false starts), and how you see the world and function in it."

Creative identity is more than artistic style and voice. It's how you creatively process and function. I just met an artist who stares at the corner of a room until she gets a breakthrough--cutting out stimuli to allow her creative flow of ideas. White noise, no noise; once you figure out how you creatively tick, creativity flows.

When you have a "Eureka!" moment, take note of the factors that may have helped you get to that moment. Or what helps you mentally switch gears, to reset. And, of course, what factors you can control.

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Inktober & Creative Ritual

If you're not familiar with Inktober (I only learned about it last year), it's a month-long challenge to improve creative skills and habits. Artists create sketches according to the word prompts and share them online. I was asked in September to participate in a local business's Inktober gallery with other area artists. I saw it as a chance to start testing the wild inks I'd been making and see what comes of it.

Here are a few key takeaways from that month:

  • This was indeed a challenge. I didn't feel like doing it some of the days, or the word prompt wasn't really inspiring. But I showed up and did them anyway (I played catchup and did three on Mondays!).
  • It brought me back to painting some realism, which was both frustrating and rewarding. Switching gears made me appreciate my abstract lean even more.
  • I learned how the wild inks blend and sit with each other on paper. The results were absolutely delightful.
  • Creative exercises with set limitations (in this case, the prompt) get you to focus and move past your inner critic.
  • I started my days in the studio with my ink sketches and shared them on Instagram. It became my little morning studio ritual and warm-up.
  • It was all more time-consuming than I anticipated, but I created things I would never choose to create otherwise. (Except booger. Nope. I refused.)

Now that Inktober has been over, I am taking what I learned last month and starting most of my studio days with a larger wild ink sketch (series is on the way). Same ritual, different subject matter. It might be time to start making my tea again in the studio...

Tell me in the comments: what are your creative rituals?

What makes you tick?

Thanks for reading.

Three Tips for Commissioning Artwork

Commissioning an artist to create a custom work can feel daunting. Having completed several commissions as a professional artist, I gathered some insight (when am I not?!)  to share about this process. Many articles on the web discuss this, and I encourage you to do your research. I do not cover how to find an artist for commission, but I am aware of organizations and sites being able to assist with that.

Below are three takeaways from my experience thus far!

1. Know what you want.

Expect the artist to ask a lot of questions about the commission. To deliver the best experience and product, clear communication is vital. There are essential items such as size, a budget range for the work, what type of work (abstract, realistic), and color palette. Be ready to provide photos of the space where the work will reside, swatches of paint or textile color if possible, and any other helpful style details.

One other helpful hint is to let the artist know if you prefer progress photos. I recently asked a client for feedback based on some progress photos before proceeding with her commissioned work. She kindly mentioned that it was stressful to provide input as she did not want to “put the painting out of balance.” She loved the right half, felt the left half needed some lightening of a dark blue color, and asked if I would “tie it all together somehow.” I told her it was all great feedback and that it was my job to ensure the work was balanced and completed to her satisfaction. She ended up coming to see it in person and loved it.

2. Get to know the artist’s style and price point.

I am speaking as a mixed media artist with different styles here. I typically ask if an interested client has a favorite painting of mine and what the client loves about it. It can be the design, the colors, the textures, the subject, or a mix of all these things. Every artist has a primary style or two and dabbles in others. However, style can also include color palettes (bright versus muted/earthy), certain mark-making, specific media/materials, and composition.

Price points can feel awkward to discuss, but it is helpful. It is influenced by demand, competition, and perceived value. It costs a lot to create artwork. Consider the labor, including the initial research/mental labor of designing a composition and sketches. The physical labor includes creating the work–prepping the canvas, painting, and the finish work. Materials must be bought and accounted for, including brushes, canvas/paper, paint, matboard, tools, and other media. The last two items are more nebulous but need to be accounted for in an art business: overhead (rent, child care, utilities, marketing, etc.) and profit percentage. Why profit and not just labor? Growth of the company! I believe in transparency and am happy to discuss these details with my own business.

For further reading on this as an artist, I recommend visiting www.springboardforthearts.org. I am not affiliated nor receive any compensation for this mention.

3. Strive for clear communication and roles.

As stated previously, clear communication is vital, as are the roles of the artist versus the client. The artist gathers the essential data and begins the conversation to clarify the client’s desires. The artist negotiates a price and plan that reflects the value of the work and adheres to the budget. Most artists then create a contract outlining a timeline, rights, what is being made, a termination fee, and the final price, including shipping and sales tax. I researched a lot of contract templates before finding one that was as brief and clear as possible. One client did not even want to read the contract; she said she “trusted me.” I advised her that the contract is like an anchor of accountability and legal protection for the artist.

There must also be a balance between the artist’s “creative license” and the client’s wants for the artwork. This language can be outlined in the contract and verbally (I allow up to 5 minor changes to a work before further fees). It is primarily the artist’s job to delineate this along the way. I appreciated the client who did not want to take away from my style and skill, but I also wanted her to love her final painting. It is a dance!

 

What do you think? I would love to hear about your experience as an artist or client. Please share with me below!

If you found this helpful, let me know as well!

Thanks for being here.Â