Entrepreneurship

I think I have a streak of the entrepreneur in me. I have come up with about 18 different ideas on how to make money, have acted on about 3 of those, but never to the point of actually doing anything.

I just think there needs to be a way to make money doing what I love. As an artist, there seems a very obvious answer. However, it takes a whole lot of guts to create art. I'd almost rather a big money investment than to release my art to the public. And you know how much I hate spending money! So, it seems I have stage fright. I really enjoyed painting for John and Karen, and that's kind of gotten me thinking back to one of my ideas: putting together several paintings for the Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival that's held in downtown Fort Worth every year.

The first year I went to the festival, Jon and I wandered into a tent with beautiful, very realistic, acrylic paintings. There was a man in the tent, and we started a conversation with him. It turns out they were his wife's paintings, but she hated the "selling" part of the deal, and contented in making the paintings, and allowing her husband to do the PR. Jon and I decided that if I were ever to do paintings, we could probably work a deal like that. At the time, though, I wasn't really sure painting was my art form.

In a way, I feel unqualified. I know God has given me artistic talent, but it still has to be honed to be any good. I've only taken one acrylics class, and didn't feel like I understood what I was doing until the very end. It's hard for me to work hard at something that I'm not good at. It's hard for everybody. But, I would be dishonoring God to not perfect a gift He has given me.

So here it is. I'd like to start making paintings for the arts festival. I know, I know...I come up with a lot of hare-brained ideas, and I don't follow through with most of them. And I'll probably get discouraged and want to quit. So that's why I'm letting you know, so you'll encourage me, ask me how it's going, critique paintings I put up here, and above all, come to the festival if I make it in! :)

Here is the info: I have to submit photos of 5 paintings by October 31st. I already have one, and if I come to the end, I could use photos of the paintings I did in college. I would apply as an Emerging Artist, which is for people who don't have experience displaying or selling their work. If I'm selected, I would be provided a booth and electricity free of charge!

I'm letting you know all this so you'll keep me accountable! I already want to give up! How intimidating! But how exciting! Aaahh!!!