Success: What is it?

Are you a success? Am I? How do we know if we are or not? Should it matter? What does success mean anyway? There is the textbook definition, but then there is what it means to us personally. Our personal success can be loosely defined, a floating feeling or it can be measurable and marked by certain milestones. As we work through our art and grow into our process, our personal ideas of success will hopefully change and grow just as our work evolves over time.

Is success about money, acclaim, a studio downtown, or is it about leaving our mark in the hearts of people who come across our work? Is success quitting the day job and painting full time?

Success for some, could be as simple as believing in themselves enough to not flinch when they tell people they are an artist. Success is so personal and abstract, yet at the same time we may tell ourselves stories about what it should mean, making it rigid and unattainable.

When I was much younger, I thought success was to have a simple life of my own creation, free of complications, while being able to see as much live music as possible and just being happy or just having fun. A very loose definition. Then as an art student, it became about getting good critiques and respect from peers and professors, and an occasional showing of my work with no expectation of sales. After school, success became about getting into juried shows, getting more exhibitions on my resume, and finally taking a risk and deciding to quit my job to focus on my art. The focus still wasn't on selling, but on building my body of work, name recognition, and additional lines on the resume. After a couple of years, naturally the next step was the gallery route, this is where my personal definition of success got fuzzy. Success here becomes more rigidly defined as I entered into business relationships with various galleries, this brought on an all new set of rules, expectations, demands, and of course pressures to sell, to have a viable product. This wasn't necessarily created by the galleries, but by myself within the gallery structure. I experienced a heightened sense of being a professional and being responsible not only for myself, but to the galleries taking a chance on me and my work. 

It has been suggested at times, that I might want to re-evaluate my personal definition of success, so that I can gauge my progress and celebrate my milestones along the way. However, I find myself a bit stumped. I have at times, lost sight of what my original purpose was, or what I truly desired when I first started showing my work. Not uncommon, I fear it happens to us all. 

Is success a certain number of paintings created in a month or a year, or a certain number sold in that same time period? Is it earning a specific yearly dollar amount? Is it painting consistently even if only a few times a week? Is it being picked up by a major NYC gallery, having a solo show and selling out on opening night? Is it being on the cover of an international art magazine? Perhaps it is simply having lots of adoring MySpace fans from all over the world. I don't really know the answer. 

So, I am asking- what is success for you? 

Please share your ideas with me in the comment section.

For more information about me and my work and the galleries that represent me, please visit my website www.meganchapman.com 

For my affordable small works on paper please visit www.artmaven.etsy.com

Pictured above

Hover Like Ghosts

Mixed Media on Canvas

40x30" $1,200

Megan Chapman 2008

Currently on display at the River Market ArtSpace

Little Rock, Arkansas

Stories we tell and the games we play

Oh the games we play, with ourselves, each other and with our art. Some of these games can be beneficial and help us to move forward, while others seem to keep us stuck in place.

How many times have you had a new idea for your art and become excited only to then systematically dismantle it, coming up with a laundry list of reasons why your idea couldn't or shouldn't work? All the sudden, your idea is not worth your time or energy or isn't suited to your audience. All the doubts start coming to the forefront of your mind, and you decide to leave well enough alone. Maybe you want to explore a new medium or style but decide it is too risky. Maybe you were thinking of selling your work online, but you then convince yourself that it isn't the proper venue, or you worry about what the galleries will think. How many stories do you make up in your head that you are starting to believe? How many times do you shoot yourself and your work down so you can safely stay with the pack? We all know the story that misery loves company and that it is lonely at the top, so we decide to stay put.

These are just some questions to be aware of. What is one story you are telling yourself about your work that you could examine or challenge?

There are the games we play, that work. The games that challenge, motivate and cajole you into action. Currently I am playing a 28 day game of "one stroke." I wanted to get back into a consistent routine and schedule after not having one during the summer months. For the next 28 days, I will put down at least one stroke of paint either on a paper or canvas painting. That is all I have to do to be a success. My usual motto is "everyday I paint is a victory." For the next 28 days, all I have to do is put down one stroke to be victorious. I know it doesn't sound like much. What can one stroke of paint do? Only one stroke relieves the time pressure of any marathon painting session, it tells me that no finished work needs to emerge. The process and routine is of equal importance to the finished painting. One stroke seems easily manageable, and after one stroke is down, usually another follows and then time starts to pass and paintings are now being created and I have set myself up for this relaxed victory.

What stories can you confirm or deny so that you can rise above? What games can you play to make yourself victorious?

It's your move...

Pictured Above:
The Games We Play,
20x16"
Mixed Media on Canvas
Megan Chapman
2008 Copyright
Patron's private collection

PS. There are new affordable paper paintings over at my Esty shop: Art Maven. Enjoy!

"I don't want to set the world on fire"

I was reading my old journals again, looking for inspiration for this blog post. I think the only solution for today is to go back in time.

In a previous post, I mentioned that my art created towards the end of my education was painted inside the pages of discarded books, and how much I enjoyed working in this manner. The works were small and on paper, created during pure inspiration and filled with stories and characters.

Today, I found my comment book from my 1999 B.F.A. terminal exhibition from the University of Oregon. Inside on the painted white pages, I let one sentence from the original text remain,
"I don't want to set the world on fire."

But, this is not true, and you know I already have the matches...

What follows is a spontaneous review of my show I found inside my comment book, written by my old friend Hayyim (Howard) Cohen. We worked together side by side in little cubicles selling the newspaper in a tiny downtown office, and became fast friends. He would share his New York Times Arts section with me during breaks.

Megan by Hayyim Cohen

"Combining subversive parody, red (life), black (nothingness) and white (blinding light), duct tape to shut out the noisy excess, upholstery tacks, and the dead bodies of obsolete technical books, Megan Chapman (see your dictionary- "Chapman" means seller) creates lyrical southern "talkin' blues" between the pages of discards (found objects) she collects from the free bins of the Smith Family bookstore in Eugene Oregon.

Providing at her B.F.A. commencement (the beginning of her life as an artist) a comfortable pink sofa with fresh green throw pillows, a little Gene Autry and "A Sunday Kind of Love" musical background for a gathering of "found" people who "read" her books often with whimsical smiling faces.

Megan nails the defunct corpses of old books (now frames for her poems and designs) on the gallery walls with the tacks she loves, this is interspersed with machine blowups of her photographs, which add a nice contrapuntal theme to the shards of books behind the sofa and on the coffee table. Megan is a southern woman and now she has a B.F.A. to nail to the wall when she goes home (tell your Maw,tell your Paw I'm gonna send you back to Arkansas-population 40,002). It is all here in the art, the depths of introspective experience, from one who knows how it all fits together in the package. It's a "found" life for the pack of us, don't you think? Megan has definitely found something...To do and to make a difference, and she does it all with southern hospitality to boot!"

I am so fortunate to have this nugget, and like the art closed up in those old altered books, I thought this needed to be aired out and shared. My friend, Howard did this on his own accord, and I am grateful for his tangents and details; his writing helps me to remember myself at that time, as well as the show and the atmosphere. His words bring back everything about the experience and are even better than a photograph.

Have you ever considered having someone write a piece about your art? Think about asking a friend or fellow artist to write a statement or a review of your work. Perhaps your friends have already left you helpful comments. Have you thought about asking them if you could edit and use them to promote your art? I bet many of you have these nuggets hiding in letters, emails and blogs, just waiting to brushed off and put out there to a larger audience.

Let's set the world on fire...

Take me here often
mixed media on paper
9x6"
Megan Chapman
Paper paintings only at ArtMaven

Pace is the trick...and she's back!

Hello Dear Readers!

It is September 5th and I am so excited to be here with all of you! I missed you all very much, and thought of you every Friday. However, I did make good use of the 3 weeks we were apart. I hope you did too.

Oh, where to begin...there were books, films, bike rides, photographs, friends, family (a newborn nephew), drinks, of course music, yoga classes, vitamins, ups and downs, new plans, directions and of course new paintings. I wish I could make the sound of a needle dropping on a record, (imagine that sound for me, okay) ? What did she say...New plans, directions, and of course new paintings!?!?

Alright, here we go.. I said I would come back with a BANG, and I don't like to disappoint.

After much careful thought and consideration, research and guidance ( thanks to the amazing Michele Maule). I am excited to announce my own little shop on Etsy.com!!! My shop is called ArtMaven, and I view it as my laboratory, where I can explore new mediums, techniques, and ideas on the smaller scale. My Etsy shop will only offer my small paper paintings/studies. These are not available in galleries.

I decided, I needed a low pressure way to maintain my enjoyment of painting. I have always believed in the power of original art and I want to share my work with as many people as possible, and at many different price ranges. Showing some work on Etsy seems like the perfect solution.

My paper works are painted on sturdy 140lb. gessoed Arches paper and are ready to frame. They come in two sizes, the larger size is 9x12" and sells for $40.00. The smaller size is 6x9" and sells for $25.00. I have also kept shipping reasonably priced as well. I want my friends, from around the block to around the world, to have a piece of my art if they so desire. I also list all the galleries that represent my larger canvas works, so that people can learn more about my larger paintings as well, which are still reasonably priced at $275-$2,200. I think this will be a win-win situation for everyone involved.

I really enjoyed painting these smaller works on paper, and I hope you will enjoy taking a look and perhaps buying one for yourself or a friend. If you have any questions about the work you see on Etsy, don't hesitate to ask. I must say, I was very encouraged when I first listed one of my paper paintings on Etsy, and it was purchased by a person in Canada within 3 minutes!

I am so happy to share this new adventure with you...



In other news, I also created six new larger paintings on canvas! I had started working on a few of these right after my recent exhibition, The Evidence of the Disappearance ended. These works took some extra time and care to settle and get sorted out, or perhaps that was just me. I am very pleased with these new paintings. These are not in the galleries yet, but most will be released into the world soon. For my devoted blog readers, a first look.

Pictured above is one of my most favorite paintings ever, and it is already spoken for. This piece will be traveling to a collector in England soon.

The Games We Play, 20x16"
Mixed Media on Canvas

2008 Copyright Megan Chapman

Spaces to Keep

30x24"
Mixed Media on Canvas
2008 Copyright Megan Chapman

Things Stolen and Misplaced

30x30"
Mixed Media on Canvas
2008 Copyright Megan Chapman

Excavate

20x16"
Mixed Media on Canvas
2008 Copyright Megan Chapman

Hover Like Ghosts
40x30"
Mixed Media on Canvas
2008 Copyright Megan Chapman

She Sleeps Underwater
20x16"
Mixed Media on Canvas
2008 Copyright Megan Chapman

So, that is what I have been up to. Thanks again for reading my blog, leaving comments, supporting and encouraging me and my work. It means more than you will ever know. Have a wonderful weekend. See you next Friday!

All We Ever Wanted...

Dear Friends,

I am taking a break from my blog. A blog-cation if you will.

Why, you ask?

Because even though I love it, I am momentarily burnt to a crisp. There, I'll admit it.

Coming up with quality content each week is pretty intense. I also find that I am becoming almost addicted to your love, your attention, your needs, your blog comments, as well as your MySpace and Facebook messages. Thank you for all of this, your support is amazing and cherished.

I have talked about working as an artist as being a solitary profession, and I have talked about my complete joy at finding a sense of community: locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. I love both aspects, but things have gotten a bit out of whack for me.

Finding balance between the alone time in the studio creating and time on the Internet in the world of promotion, networking, and blogging is no easy task.

So with that said, I am letting myself off the hook for the rest of August. I will return Friday September 5th.

And I will return with a BANG- I promise! I hope you all will still be here and that I won't lose any of you, because my readers mean so much to me. So take a holiday, you don't need to read this blog for the next 3 weeks. What will we all accomplish in that time? It is kind of exciting...

Meet me back here on September 5th okay? Have a great 3 weeks and take care of yourselves.

Keep painting and keep fighting!

I love you all. I really do, and somehow I think you know that.
xx- Megan

PS. I miss you already.

Pictured above:

Toward the Inside
Megan Chapman
Mixed Media on Canvas
30x24" $725
www.ddpgallery.com

P.P.S I will be in Little Rock, Arkansas tonight for 2nd Friday Art Walk at the River Market ArtSpace from 5-8pm. If you live in Little Rock, hope to see you there. There are pieces of the Evidence of the Disappearance on display at the gallery as well as my older work.

Just a little something...

What My Mind Needs

Dear Readers,

Today I am going free form. You know I love art, spreading information, and sharing my thoughts from my composition books with you about art and life. But, the weeks are rolling by so fast and I need to catch my breath! So, I feel it is time for another inspiration grab bag. I want to share with you what is moving and influencing me at the moment.
Stay cool...
Yours,
Megan

First I will start off with some films I have seen recently.


Be With Me by Eric Khoo. This film is so lovely in every way. I highly recommend it.



3 Iron by Kim Ki-duk. I just watched this. Things are not always as they seem. Another lovely film.



Days of Wine and Roses. This was originally shown to me by my 11th grade psychology teacher as a grim portrait of alcoholism. This film is perfect in many ways, and Jack Lemmon was truly one of the best. Don't just go by the trailer, if you haven't seen this before it is a classic not to be missed.



I wish I could have found a clip or trailer for this 1962 film David and Lisa directed by Frank Perry. I fell in love with both David and Lisa and the stark setting of their story. This is another must see!



A friend sent this video to me, featuring the dance scene from Jean-Luc Godard's film Bande a part ( band of outsiders) set to the music ( not original to the film) of Nouvelle Vague. After I saw it, I had to buy the song, and I am currently watching Bande a part. The film makes me long for a rainy fall and winter, sweaters and pea coats. A lovely black and white world.

Books:


















In the last two or three weeks I have read After the Quake, After Dark, and Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami.

I was recommended his work by a fellow painter, and when I visited the author's website I knew right away I would be a fan. His books are amazing worlds filled with magic, wise words and dreams. These books and characters will stay with me for a long time, and I plan to seek out all of Murakami's other books as well. I highly recommend them. I just finished reading/listening to Kafka on the Shore, in a new format called a "playaway." A preloaded Mp3 player that I checked out from my local library, it was amazing in itself. Just supply your own headphones and a AAA battery and you are good to go. Light weight and easy. The reading of this book was superb, the characters really came to life.



Another friend of mine sent this clip out as a myspace bulletin the other night and I was really taken with it. The guy in the clip is Tim "Speed" Levitch, a tour guide for Manhattan's Gray Line double-decker buses (thanks Sarah and imdb for the additional information). Tim is a real character and perhaps some sort of genius.

Just to infuse a little "I don't take myself that seriously" pop goodness into the mix, I will leave you with MIA's song Paper Planes.. Very catchy.. of course I love it because of the riff from The Clash's song Straight to Hell.



These artists, these film makers, musicians and writers, they make me sing and soar outside of myself and I am grateful and inspired.

Thanks for the vacation. I hope you enjoyed it too.
Next week back to the serious world of ART!

Do you still want this job?

We have a winner: Deborah Eileen Burrow will receive last week's paper painting!! Congratulations! Thanks again for every one's thoughtful and heartfelt comments.

I paint when I need to fill orders, for commissions, for exhibitions. I paint when I am involved in critique situations. As you know, sometimes, I paint when I hear the call at 3am. I paint when I have seen a wonderful film, read a good book, or received some new music. I paint because it is my passion, my purpose and because it is my job. My career. What does a career as an artist look like?

Here is a sampling of the tasks involved, because inquiring minds want to know.

1. Paint (or your art form here)

2. Name the paintings

3. Document the paintings with photography

4. Sign, date, add hanging wires, make paintings presentable and ready for a gallery or home

5. Pack and ship the paintings, or travel with them to reach their destinations

6. Promote art via:

email

postcards (must also design)

create a catalog or gallery book of available works

maintain a mailing list

keep up with my space/face book bulletins and comments

blog weekly

create word of mouth, attend other openings and shows and be "seen"

press releases- writing and submitting and keeping your press contacts up to date

going to gallery walk at the galleries that represent my work in the region

maintain an up to date website, pod casts, utilize new technology to stay connected

7. Research other galleries for possible representation or exhibition opportunities

8. Stay alert for random opportunities and be ready to act if one presents itself

9. Follow up sales with personal thank you cards to clients

10. Buy other artist's work and support the artists in the various communities I belong to, be a helpful resource.

11. Purchase and keep art supplies and office materials in stock

12. Keep all my business receipts for tax time. Report my income and do my taxes.

13. Handle all standard office duties related to my job as an artist

14. Keep up with the technology and websites that will be helpful to my career.

15. Maintain relationships with the galleries that represent my work, and keep them interested in me

16. Maintain relationships with clients who have purchased my work, and keep them interested in me

17. Keep up with the outside art world and trends.

18. Manage all this without a boss or co-workers, without a steady pay check, and without health insurance or benefits.

So, there you have it, I am sure I have left off of few of the tasks involved. No doubt in my mind that this is a valid job, that I mostly manage on my own. There are many different skills involved, and many different hats to wear. Skills such as strong communication, writing, networking, business, computing, performing, not to mention the painting!

Many of these things don't always feel like work, so I downplay them, but this job takes a huge amount of work and massive commitment. Dedication and drive must be involved to work in this field. No wonder I sometimes hit a wall and burn out for awhile.

I can't make this stuff up, this is what is involved in being an artist.

Do you still want this job?

I do!

This post is dedicated to all the artists, writers, musicians, and creative self employed workers out there and to the people who stick by them through thick and thin. This is also dedicated to all the traditionally employed workers out there who then come home to start their second job as an artist.

Pick up a copy of my book: Evidence of the Disappearance from blurb.com
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/275573
use coupon code istockphoto2008 for $7.00 off shipping charges through July 31st. The book is $24.95 before shipping, and I will receive $5.00 from each sale.
photo credit: Steven Heaton