Art as Business: Evaluation III

It’s been one and a half month since I wrote “Evaluation II” and I must admit that I don’t really remember how I had planned to continue ... but it was supposed to be about teaching art …

"To be a teacher is my greatest work of art." Joseph Beuyes

When having motivated students I really enjoy teaching and find it a constant challenge to improve pedagogically. An extra plus with teaching is that you learn more by doing it.

I haven’t really focused on getting more workshops or guest teaching, but I must say that I have improved my incomes this way anyway. Teaching art has become a small income which I can more or less count on. I’m on a regularly basis giving workshops at KKV (artist-run workshops) for fellow artists and I guest teach at Formakademin in Lidköping. The workshops at KKV are arranged through KKV – but in reality administrated and marketed by myself. I have also to sell in the guest teaching every term. But lately I’ve also been asked to do some teaching/pedagogical work: the two creative school projects and the teaching at the course Art for Public Spaces.

A good decision
Half a year ago I took the decision not to take any more teaching jobs with lousy salary; so I stopped teaching classes for amateurs. Not being tied up two days a week made it possible for me to accept other projects that came along (like the mural project with school children) – so the decision paid off. I am an excellent teacher/pedagogue with a lot of experience and I should of course be paid accordingly!

This spring I taught/gave workshops 13 full days + 15 hours divided on 5 weeks. (Then of course there were preparations.) I’m aiming for something similar for autumn, but will try to double my incomes from teaching art in spring 2011. I don’t want to do too much teaching in autumn as I have two separate exhibitions coming up in October and November.

Oh, I wasn't very motivated to write this post (so it didn't become super entertaining), but felt I didn't want to leave things unfinished. The summer nights are bright and I long for a proper vacation... (just two more weeks before it will happen!)

Art as Business: evaluation II

the kitchen window at KKV, artist run collective workshops, where I've done too much voluntary work.

Last week I felt it was time for me to start asking what I had done and what I had achieved when it comes to my Art as Business tasks. I then took a look at Public Art and Galleries, today I continue with Time Management...

Time management: Yes and No

• Cluster. YES. I’ve been a good girl.
• Using my calendar. YES, better than ever. For both deadlines and planning. For every night but Saturday I’ve scheduled tasks to do.
• Liberate more time. NO, I’ve worked more than ever (see above). Today I took a look in the back mirror (that is ical, my calendar on the computer). I could very easily see that the problem has not been that I’ve not been disciplined; I’ve worked hard and I’ve met deadlines without any problems. No – I have absolutely done too many different things.
• Long term planning. NO, more or less nothing.

Conclusion
As I have not managed to liberate more time, I have not been able to do any long term planning or taken any time off (much needed). My problem is not about discipline, it is not about planning – it is about over committing. I don’t seem to be able to evaluate how much time things will take – I just think “I can do that” or “that would be fun”. I am a bit aware of the problem though and actually withdraw from two group exhibitions and an art talk in April. (what was I thinking first saying yes? Besides those things would probably not even have generated money).

Recommendation to self

• Face it - you are not a superhero with control over time(I might have other powers though!)
  
• Fewer art projects
• Limit the voluntary work to 2-3 hours a week (In autumn I wrote 1 hour, but that was totally unrealistic)
• Only commit to voluntary work that could lead somewhere or be acknowledged (I’ve spend years doing things no one seems to have noticed. Someone else will have to take over – I’ve done my part). And these commitments altogether should be realistic for the scheduled 2-3 hours/week.

I'm not feeling well today, so this post will be a bit shorter than I originally planned. I will continue next week with evaluating teaching art and how I am doing when it comes to reaching my main goals (should I change strategies?).

Art as Business: Evaluation I

EVALUATION - part 1

It is so easy to just set deadlines and work to meet them, set deadlines and work to meet them … and forget to evaluate if you really are getting somewhere! I feel it is time for me to ask what I’ve done and what I’ve achieved. (For anyone new to my blog it would help to read my starting point and commission I first - to really understand what I'm evaluating)


Public Commissions - time and effort invested since August 2009

• I spread the word to all my contacts and distributed my folder
• I printed special business cards with a photo of my best mural
• I participated in an exhibition about Public Art (focus on schools)
• I presented my art at 3 lunch meetings focusing on Public Art and made a lot of phone calls
• I took better photos and updated my materials
• I joined VSBK (organisation mediating public commissions), went to a portfolio presentation and afterwards adjusted my materials according to their recommendations

Results

• I painted a minor mural, BUT that contact had already been established in spring
• I made a suggestion (paid) for a tenant owner’s association, BUT didn’t get the commissions
• I was asked to write a suggestion on how to think when making Public Art for a School Project involving 3 schools, BUT didn’t get that job (which would have been huge)
• I was asked to send in more materials for one of VSBK’s meetings with clients, BUT heard no more about it
• I got a project making murals together with schoolchildren (in many ways more of a pedagogical project) thanks to one of the Public Art lunch meetings.
• I got to make murals with schoolchildren under Creative School during two very intense days (this was thanks to a former watercolour student and I don’t know if I really should count it under public commissions)
• I was asked to represent an art organisation at the board of VSBK - and declined

sketch (bear) for a commission that didn't happen

Conclusion
Some things have been about to happen, but they didn’t. But being asked and not getting jobs is better than not being asked at all, right? (Before writing this list I felt like I had had absolutely no results, but that’s not totally true) BUT I would be utterly surprised If I manage to get any incomes from making Public Commissioned Art during 2010 (especially considering how slow these projects work)

Recommendation to self
Follow up! Schedule a concentrated effort again in September. Properly document the ongoing mural project with the schoolchildren (good photos!).

Confession: I feel like just forgetting about the whole thing. I need some confirmation that I should continue with this.


Galleries - time and effort invested since November 2009 (I started concentrating on this later than the commissions. Or rather: I did one thing at a time)

• I have followed up contacts (which I wouldn't have done properly if I hadn't given myself the task for my progress reports)
  
• I have defined where I want to exhibit in Gothenburg and started working on that (a slow process)
• I have defined at what Public Art Galleries (Konsthallar) I want to exhibit in the region
• I have applied to exhibit separately at one of the above
• I have together with a colleague applied to exhibit at two galleries
• I have written a list of where to apply to exhibit - with deadlines
• I have managed to get some concentrated work in the studio

Results

• I have made some new materials that I am pleased with - and taken proper photos of them.
• I have put together what I think will be a really good little separate exhibition opening on the 8th of May. (this will be my 10th separate exhibition)
  

in the studio

Conclusion
It is too early to see much result yet. It will be interesting to see if the people I want to visit my exhibition will do so (for example: I have one promise and a half promise from the two galleries where I want to exhibit) - and if that will lead somewhere. I haven’t visited galleries as much as I should have - and especially not in other cities. This is partly explained by me "loosing" a month of work in the beginning of the year because of being home with sick child.

Recommendation to self
Follow up. Really DO apply to exhibit in those places on my list. Plan autumn with MORE gallery visits, Stockholm trip etc

Next Sunday I’ll evaluate: Time management and Teaching Art (I've been a bit quite about teaching, but it is an important source of income). I will also have a look at it all in relation to my main goals - should I reconsider my strategies?