Resist the Temptation to Talk About Your Work Instead of Doing It.

I just finished "How to Get Hung: A Practical Guide for Emerging Artists" by Molly Barnes about 2 hours ago. I am inspired to update my resume, bio, create a new artist's statement, and to re-organize and simplify my website. I find it a bit scattered right now and seems confusing of what kind of artwork I do (Artist books? Sound? Teaching art to kids? Comics? Painter?) I'll have to find a better way to present this in a less confusing matter.

The problem: I'm trying to figure out how to cater to the different people who I want to look at my site. If I'm applying for a teaching artist job, I would like to direct those to my educational category. What if I do start that mural business? But what if people are mainly interested in my illustrations like I did for ArtWalkRavenswood? Or what if I am applying for a job that would take interest in my sound and video editing experience. I'm trying to figure out how to show this on my site, without making it look like too much stuff. I need to weed out my more weaker pieces and keep the strongest pieces. I find myself more confident in my painting and illustration skills and am debating to cut out all the sound stuff altogether even though that is what I focused on entirely in art school. I'm trying not to get sentimental of what I cut. Do I really need my sketchbook pieces out there, even though I love how much it shows my etching style, but it also reminds me of my favorite high school art teacher that made me the artist I am today?

Also, I find this excerpt very useful:

"Finally, resist the temptation to talk about your work instead of doing it. It is true that if all you do is chat you avoid creating pieces that deserve to be crushed in the disposal. You avoid these dreadful, gut-sinking, morale-lowering moments that come with unsuccessful experiments. You escape the numbing fear that comes with exposing your soul.

There is no substitute for work. Whether or not you have already found your form, your theme, the most important task you have is to keep at it. Keep experimenting. Keep exploring new territories. Keep defining new boundaries. Each new technique you master, each new material you solve, each problem you resolve extends your ability. The more you are capable of expressing the more you'll find to express."

Now, we shall see what 2009 brings out of me artwise. Excited? I am. I bought a used drafting table from Craigslist for $65. (I'm happy that it was from an alumni of Center for Creative Studies and he was happy to give it to someone who would put it to use.) I spent the majority of New Year's Eve moving around furniture in Space 311 so it would be ready to shine in time for the New Year. Much work will be created on this table.