What a month it has been. I have had some highs, some lows, really lows, and an incredible high! Where do I begin. As some of you may know I am partially disabled, and my income is quite limited. Even so I found a way through hardcore budgeting to make sure each of my kids were covered with at least 2 gifts each. Nothing huge, but I know it's going to be a great Christmas morning. I really thought I was going to be able to do much more this month as my exposure was through the roof, and the word is finally getting out with all the hard work I have done this entire year. I was really wondering if it was all worth it at all, or if I was just fooling myself. Honestly I am still a bit iffy about having a full time career in the art industry.
A while back I wrote a blog titled Never Give Up, and it was viewed here and there, but no more than any of my other blog posts.Colored Pencil Magazine read it and asked me if they could do a feature about my blog post, and of course I said yes. I really love this Magazine, they have supported me more that any company by posting my comments, art lessons, even my work on their Facebook Page. I was thinking this was going to be a spot light feature including my name and a picture of my work, but to my surprise they decided to give me a two page large print feature. I am still floored, and don't know how to thank them. They made sure they printed my website in the magazine, and featured me again on their Facebook page. The featured image was my large 22 x 28 inch Bird in Bloom Piece, and I couldn't be more proud of this piece, and now it was in an international printed magazine. Things were really looking up big time.
Or maybe I just got my hopes up a bit too much. As far as exposure and reaching out to many great artists who enjoyed my article that was a true success. I am very honored to have a lot off the big guns coming to me for advise and help. I cannot wait until I can contribute more. For now I am looking forward to making a sale. But as of right now I am really hurt, by not only the community of artists and collectors, but close family and friends that have made me really question the value of my work.I have put a whole lot of work into creating these large works of art, months for some. I have four children and a two bedroom apartment so to find time to draw alone is a challenge. But I do it. Not only do I do these works for my portfolio I also find the time to draw and write free art lessons and make sure they are available on multiple social media platforms mainly because I know how rough times are and I know many people of all ages can use them. For that I will continue making more. How much more work am I going to put out to realize that no one wants to buy.
Last month for Cyber Monday I had taken off 50% off every original signed piece of artwork I had. Not only that I did the same for prints, commissions, graphic design and well all of it. Here I am with over 7,000 visitors to my blog, several hundred per social media outlet, and I nothing. No sells, no orders, not even a request. I extended it for an entire week. And nothing. I am in a national magazine with thousands of readers. Nope nada. I think the nail in the coffin was a comment made to me last week by a close family friend was that i was asking WAY too much for my artwork. The piece was was talking about was my Bird in Bloom piece. Keep in mind Bird in Bloom won Best in Show in a live judged gallery competition, and is currently being featured in a national magazine. The piece is large for a colored pencil piece and took me several months to create with a wrist that was still healing from a torn tendon. At the time he was interested the piece was half off for the Cyber Monday deals at $350.00... Basically to me he might as well have said it was worthless. Did he really think a drawing of that size was worth a hundred bucks or something? Was it only worth a hundred? Being that I haven't sold anything it kind of made me wonder deep down if I my artwork was worth selling to the point of making a living.
Right now the way I see it is people like that are going to come and go. Sure he hit me hard with that one comment but I know he was wrong. Am I upset.. Sure if your reading my rant here you know I am pretty upset. Something I am going to take from all this is I am not going to let it stop me from enjoying what I do. I am not a rich man now. I have much more hard work to do. I am not getting paid for the work, but you know what I get something else from everything I do. I get the experience. I get to meet people around the world. I get to help young artists find art lessons that they can use to learn how to draw with. FOR FREE! No sign ups, no membership, no fees. If you want to donate feel free, but don't feel pressured. I get to make people laugh again for free. My online comic strip Twisted Fate is also available on my site. And you know what there will be a day, probably sometime next year, where I'll be so busy I am going to wish for the days when I didn't have a job booked. And so will you.
So what is art worth? Honestly I still do not have that answer yet. I have read formulas, went into forums, and asked many many artists, and they all say what's it worth to you? If you have a piece that you won't part with for less that $600.00 then don't. Do not let someone talk you down because they don't understand the time, pain, love, and everything you put into that piece. They don't see the part of your soul that aches just thinking about selling it. A lot of times they are just trying to get you to question your worth so they can save a buck. I am worth more and so are you. Stay busy, stay positive, and step back and price your work to what you want to because in the end you are and artist, which means you are your own boss.
Thank you for listening/reading,
Derrick Rathgeber
http://DerricktheArtist.com
DerricktheArtist@Live.com
Purchase your own printed or digital copy of the December Issue of Colored Pencil Magazine featuring my article Never Give Up by clicking the link below. Thank you for your Support.
