Friday, October 14, 2011

The Art of Job Hunting

Where do I begin? I've been out of work since February, desperately seeking another money-making position that will bring a regular paycheck to the household. It's been a long road. Interviews, near interviews, full-time, contract, part-time, independent work, starting my own business, etc., etc., etc. (Of course you need to say it like Yul Brenner in 'The King and I' - etcetera etcetera etcetera.) I feel like I'm in SIAM - there are jobs, but no one seems to speak the same language - maybe I'm just uninteresting after working all these years. Boo hoo for me;-) Well, I have to find humor somewhere...
Anyway, it's Friday, I'm alive, my cold is almost gone, and I sent out 10 resumes this morning. Plus, the Occupy Boston and Occupy Wall Street Protesters are marching on! Yahoo!! So proud of them. I'd like to see a change for the better - this land is becoming one of too many poor and the balance is no longer there.
So, this blog site is transitioning (again) to reflect my verbal snapshots of life.

Rock on!

Andrea

The Beginning - a Kick in the Pants!

Originally written in '09...
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I had been talking to friends and family for a long time about my desire to establish an Art Gallery. One day in late Fall "08, I was talking to one of my friends and the subject came up (again). She looked at me and said - "So, when do you start?". It took me by surprise, but the question invigorated me! It also scared the *%&$** out of me! How could I think of such a thing? The economy is horrible? A new venture at this time is a HUGE risk! I don't know anything about starting a small business in a corner store or on-line! Every unstabling emotion slipped into my nervous system within 30 seconds. So, I raced back to my desk and jumped on Google looking for 'Art Gallery Consultant' (at least that's what I think I typed in). And I waited. Tons of links came through for Art Gallery, Art Representative, Art School, etc... and I paged through posting after posting, scanned the contents, linked to references.... And then, I found a site that was just what I was looking for...an Art business consultant/teacher that could help guide me along the way. The real deal! This would turn into a positive turn of events over the course of the next several months. Stay tuned...I'll continue with the story next time...

Andrea's Art Tip for today: Check out your local newspapers for Gallery showings -- at Middle/High schools in the area, Art and Craft Shows, Commercial Art Galleries and Museums. There's a surprise around every corner!

Your Insecurity is Showing

Found this which I had saved as a draft and never posted back when I began this blog journey in 2009. So, I'm adding it now. Seems that life always presents moments when I question my path, and my insecurity shows through. But, the joy is being able to march through it and discover again:-)
Happier days are always around the bend.
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So, I took the first step, now what? I was meeting with my mentor once every two weeks, had discussions with potential artists that were unsure about being represented by anyone, was reading all the material I could find about starting a gallery, establishing an online presence, developing business relationships. Met with the Small Business Association at City Hall, was provided references to a number of artists and galleries. At the same time, I was working full-time and dealing with life's events. The list of 'part time' evening activities grew longer and longer. It became overwhelming to me! My insecurity started slipping into my lap, and seeped into my skin. AAARRRGHH! Could I really do this??
So, I stopped. Awful response, but that's the way it was. I made efforts to reconnect with my plan, but nothing happened...
And then these strange coincidences began...found an old high school friend on facebook who happens to be an artist, received mail from art galleries that I frequently visited inviting me to gallery showings, received email from my mentor who asked how I was doing, got a phone call from my domain company asking if I needed any assistance enhancing my domain...
After each event, my confidence started building again - my dream was tapping me on the shoulder and reminding that it was not going to let go until I started again. So, I did. With a few alterations:
I decided to establish my community presence through a blog hosted by my website, and started to focus on my story (which you've been reading) to let people know who I am, why I'm here, and that a journey can present obstacles that force you to stop sometimes. I also realized that I have to physically BE in my community volunteering, interviewing gallery owners and artists, looking at other artist blogs to see "how the other half lives" and find ideas and marketing techniques that will help me transition into a quality Art Rep when the time comes. I also have to be an ardent blogger myself: reading other blogs, and writing my own.
For now, this is what I am doing: learning how to establish my name, website and credibility in the Art world. The Representative can wait until I've built a firm foundation.
Stay tuned for my next Post...I'll be looking at new artists and artistic happenings...
Till then, Stay Happy!

Andrea

Andrea's Art Tip: One of the undiscovered avenues I found while searching for information was City Hall. Check out your city or town to find options for marketing, selling, establishing contacts. In my case, I found that all of these are free! You just need to go online, call or stop in to find what's available. Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Pompeii in Boston

So long since I've posted, but had to add my thoughts on this profound presentation at the Boston Museum of Science.

A poem I wrote about the exhibit the next day...

The Watchdog from Pompeii

I saw your body caste today.
The image of your twisted body,
Your agony
Festered in my soul.
You must have struggled to escape from the heavy chain that bound you there.
You must have crawled over the hills of acid dust growing around you -
dust that scorched your brown eyes;
filled your lungs with poisonous gases;
dust that finally buried you forever.
No escape. Simple Agony. Hell.
But, you came to life for me today.
This white caste. Your final moments of pain.
Did you have a small boy that loved you?
Did your Master feed you treats on warm summer days?
Did someone brush your fur through the seasons?
Your paws are so large.
Your twisted image remains frozen in my mind.
I want to stroke the fur no longer seen.
I want to whisper in your ear, and tell you to hold on.
The Elysian Fields will be cool against your paws.

ame 10/6/11