Podcast: Play in new window
I had the opportunity to sit and talk with Jessica Serran in Prague, Czech Republic about: Nervous breakdowns, Starving artists, Therapy, Marketing, Conscious business, Marketing artwork, Fear of rejection, Coaching, Expectations, The role of an art gallery, Definition of success, Authenticity, Bartering, Self sabotage, Online marketing, Analytics, SEO, Marketing funnel, Crowdfunding, Failure tolerance, Vulnerability, Embarrassment, and the need to ‘Do the last thing you want to do every day, first’.
About
I remember being in art school and thinking to myself, “I must not be an artist. This is way too painful.”
I worried that if anyone knew what was behind my paintings — how I really felt, they’d disown me; the secrets of how dark and confused my inner world was would be revealed.
Worse yet, I feared that if I spoke my own truth, others would be forced to acknowledge theirs.
For years I vacillated between making art and having a fair amount of success, to falling fallow – thinking that I should quit and do something else altogether. Maybe I’d be happier if I wasn’t making art?
Except that I wasn’t.
I was a total cliché of the starving artist but that didn’t stop me.
It’s not that things weren’t happening. They did. I got a Masters degree, exhibited my work, brought in grants and sold paintings. Most people saw me as confident and well adjusted. The problem was the constant tension I felt between knowing that I was here to do big things and the deep dives I took into darkness and confusion. That, and a deep-seated sense that I was just “too much” for people.
I used to lay awake at night wondering if there was a way to make art and make money — a way to have a big impact in the world but to also live well. I wanted the exquisite live-work space that I always envisioned. I wanted organic food and clothes that felt like me. I wanted to be invited to beautiful places to show my work.
The problem was that I didn’t see examples of the kind of artist that I wanted to be.
I was dazzled by the Abstract Expressionists, in love with the world of Social Practice, enamoured by spirituality and personal development, but didn’t see any place where these three converged.
It wasn’t until years later, face down in a foreign country, when my proverbial shit hit the fan that I decided, “Eff it.The only way that I’m going to be this artist is if I insist, RIGHT NOW, that I already am.”
I could no longer play small.
Back in grad school they taught us that before we could take our art into the world and share our gifts, we had to first find our own authentic voice. And that finding our voice required a head-first dive into the alchemical fire. Only then could we bring our art into community and bring healing to others.
They also admitted that they had no idea how our careers would look because they didn’t exist yet and because every single one of us was creating something unprecedented. Something the world had yet to see the likes of.
Now, eighteen years after this whole journey began, I’m living in the land of my ancestors, making my art, exhibiting internationally, traveling, lecturing, and doing the other thing that completely lights me up:
I help Visual Artists who have shit to say, learn to step up, speak their truth and make art that dazzles the world.
Please be sure to visit our Patreon page and help support the podcast by being part of the conversation. The more money raised, the larger the global reach we can offer you:
https://www.patreon.com/thewisefool
For more information about the host, Matthew Dols
http://www.matthewdols.com
Transcript available: https://wisefoolpod.com/transcript-for-episode-019-artist-coach-jessica-serran-becoming-artist-prague-cz/
