Art plan

ART PLAN
So many artists I know live in drift land, so yo speak. No plans,a vague hope that their sales will increase, enjoying their art in the main, running or attending a few classes, putting work into open exhibitions, mixing with fellow artists who also live in drift land. Repeating the same patterns of behaviour but almost expecting different outcomes.

How to shift ?
As an artist do you know what you want ? Where you want to go ? What you want to do ?Ask yourself, what would your ideal day/week/month/year be. There is no career path for an artist, you have to make your own career.

Self awareness.
Check your self awareness - do a swot test on yourself and ask a couple of artist friends if they agree. Sometimes there is a disconnect between what we think we a good/not so good at and what other people think.

SWOT test
What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.write these down and revisit this over a few days. I hadn't done my own for a while and had slightly lost sight of what my strengths are.

Why do you do art ?
We all do art for a set of reasons, some which overlap with artist friends, some that don't.Why do you do art ? what does it do for you ? What do you want from it ? What does it give you.

Questions you might ask yourself
Why do you do art ?
Do you want to make more money from your art ?
Do you want to teach ?
Do you want to run an Art Group ?
Do you want more recognition from your art ?
Do you want to be famous ? ( you don't need to share this, or any of it )
Do you want to exhibit more ?
Do you want to study more?
Do you want to meet up with other arty people ? why ? To make friends/ start an art group/ start a crit group.

List what you don' t want - it will help you be specific about what you do want. From my own experience, I had wanted a gallery and got the opportunity from a relative who offered me a huge space. I loved it at first but it then became a pressure in a few ways, I didn't like going every weekend, I missed out on the family stuff. I felt a constant pressure to produce new work , because it was always on show. I had to go on Bank hols when the customers came.That said, I learned a massive amount and would do it again if I could afford someone to employ.

TEACHING
Adults?children?Community art ?School projects? Residencies ? Any teaching you do, unless it is completely private ( like my groups ) will require PAPERWORK. Do you want that ? Or are you prepared to try it.
Why do you want to teach ?
What do you want to teach ? Drawing ? Painting ? Life Drawing ? plain air painting ?
Where will you teach ? Look at costs of room hire/ materials.
Who will come ?
Is there a market ?
Research your local market. what is on offer, by whom, how much, what day/ time etc. find a niche. . . . What can you , and only you offer, as opposed to the next artist

ART GROUPS
Each group has a different set of reasons for meeting. Some bring in demonstrators, some do art together, some just exhibit together. There is a healthy market in demonstrating in front of an art group. Do the artists in your area want an Art group ? Would they come if you started one ?What would they get out of it ? Tricky. I have enough self awareness to know that I am no good in a group , unless I am in charge of it ! I know that sounds bad but I am only this controlling when it comes to my art. He ho.

To sum up.
If you go through all this, you may be clearer about your direction / goals / specific targets or ambitions. The next step is to draw up your individual plan and DO IT ! - give yourself a list to do and a deadline to do it. Revisit your plan as often as you need to , to make a shift towards where you want to be. I am following my own advise as we speak and doing my plan.

I drew this up because an Artist friend who had just retired from the day job wanted advise about taking her own art to the next level. I have no idea if this will be of any use to anyone reading it but I would like some feedback if anyone can.