Why does promoting your art feel so icky?

So I wanted to post a couple of stories on my insta today, just something simple, a quick update on my paintings…. and yet it felt so uncomfortable to do and took me about 12 attempts until I finally felt relatively happy with the videos. But why is this? Why does it feel so awkward, so cringe, to talk about my art? You’d think I’d want to shout out as soon as I have any new art work to talk about, eagerly anticipating the likes and comments! But I don’t, I hate it, I have to force myself to post anything about my work… but why is that?

It got me thinking, is it just me? am I overthinking it? Could it be something I’ve learnt growing up? Or is it a cultural thing?… Well, I don’t think I’ll know for sure but I’d hazard a guess it’s probably a bit of all three.

I think as brits we don’t like it when people brag or boast, we call them big headed or make sarcastic comments like…. oooh it’s alright for some! (in my broadest Yorkshire accent). Especially growing up with a working class background you were always taught to be modest, gloating was not ok. If you had something to gloat about it would probably raise suspicion!… I remember so clearly as a child showing off my new Nike air max trainers to my friend and her first comment was “where’d you nick them from?”… Just to clarify, they were not stolen…. ha ha ha, but this comment always stuck with me. Why do people assume the worst?

So maybe this is linked to it, maybe I feel in some way that promoting my art is boastful, or suspicious, especially if I mention recent sales success or good feedback. It feels like I’m screaming “LOOK AT ME I’M AMAZING!!”… Obviously thats not what I’m saying but why not? Why can’t I say that. Why does it feel so cringe to tell people how proud I am of myself and what I have done?…

I am overthinking it though aren’t I?… because I know that after I’ve stressed and rewritten a post like 10 times, no-one will think twice about it! I’ve tried hard this past year to show my face more on socials… thats a whole new level of anxiety, but I have to keep reminding myself that no-one really cares! And those that do, care for the right reasons, they listen and they read because they are interested in what I’m saying and promoting. I just need to remember that. Hopefully it will get easier over time and in some cases it already has. I’ve no problem videoing myself with zero makeup in my painted overalls. That would have been an absolute no go last year so at least I’m making some progress.

I don’t think the icky feeling will ever go away completely, but I’m hopeful that the niggling thoughts in the back of my head will get smaller every time I post… fingers crossed!

Thanks for reading my rambles.

that’s it for now, stay strange

Cally

x

Artist new year reflections

Happy New Year!… Its been a while since my last blog post.. I’ve been busy with life but thought now is a good time to post by reflecting on the last year.

So let’s go back to the beginning, 2024 was an important year for me. It’s the year I decided to take my art practice seriously, not just a hobby anymore but a business that I could grow and possibly turn into a full time career. Long term of course, I know these things take time. First thing I did was think about exposure… how could I put myself out there? Build a following, get people interested in my work? Exposure became my word for the year, rather than a new years resolution. I actually stuck to it unlike failed resolutions I’ve left behind year after year!

So exposure… what does that mean. For me it meant more time on socials, a great way to market yourself but can be a negative place to be too (I’ll go into that bit more later). So I started regularly posting on Instagram and Facebook, did my first live stories which was terrifying… until you realise no one actually cares about it as much as you do! ha ha ha. Did I get the thousands of followers I expected to get… no… but I grew a little and made some nice connections with fellow artists which is always positive.

Another area I focused on was art events. Now that’s scary! can’t hide behind your phone like on socials. You are there in the flesh all smiles and ready to take whatever criticism comes your way.

I exhibited at 3 different events, all arts and crafts fairs local to me. They were all very different, different sizes, different demographic. The first one was very quiet and felt like a complete waste of time… I almost didn’t bother with the others but I’m glad I did. The second was a small fair but had an alternative vibe. I loved it, met some great people, got a lot of interest and made some sales! The last one was the biggest, a weekend show. It was very busy, made some sales but I’m not sure it was the right demographic. I know my work is a little dark and not for everyone so I expected some criticism, art is very personal after all.

Now, would I do more art fairs in the future? Yes I would, although they were very tiring and take a lot of effort they are the best place to meet people and build those relationships with people who love art. I signed up a lot of people to my newsletter at these events which have since brought me further sales. I will be more particular about which fairs I do in the future though. But lessons learned, you have to start somewhere!

I’ve already got my first art fair place for 2025, it’s in Harrogate in March. Here’s the link if you want to find out more.

Find out more

This is the next step up for me, it’s a much larger event, the most expensive I’ve done so far so I’m hopeful it will do well!… Fingers crossed.

So onto the negatives I mentioned earlier about social media. Although socials are a great space, they are free after all and give us the ability to speak to a wide audience but they have their drawbacks.

Firstly, the pressure. The constant need to post more content becomes too much to bear… I feel like I can’t actually paint or do anything without filming it or taking pictures! Completely ruins the enjoyment for me and puts me off painting. Isn’t that the whole point… for me to paint!

Secondly, it’s terribly addictive, I tell myself I’m just going on to do a quick story or post and next thing I know it’s 3 hours later and I’ve been scrolling mindlessly through reels watching stupid, pointless videos that I don’t even remember! Definitely not good for my mental health… complete waste of time too.

Lastly, instagram I feel has become a very negative space, full of trolls and lies and people using it to get a rise out of you. It’s not the space it used to be. I want to feel that sense of community like the early days of instagram and Facebook. so i’m giving substack a go! I will still use instagram, it is still a useful tool, but I will make a conscious effort to use it much less this year.

So onto 2025…. what learnings will I take into the new year, has this journalling given me some ideas? Actually yeah! well that was a good idea wasn’t it! Might have to do this again…. ha ha

For sure my first learning is with social media and how I use it in the future, to be mindful of the time spent on it and not put so much pressure onto myself to constantly post things. I want to focus my time on more meaningful content, like substack and youtube. maybe focusing my time on a few longer videos a year rather than posting several quick reels a month will feel like a better use of my time. Managing all these different channels is a balancing act and can easily overwhelm you. So I need to be mindful of that. Balance… that’s a good word! Maybe that should be my word of the year for 2025!

I’ll also take my learnings from Art fairs into 2025, to try and remember how useful they are even if they are tiring and mean I have to be nice and smily and speak to people…. (I’ve realised I’m quite the introvert this past year… ha ha), they will be worth it and maybe in time I can build a relationship with a gallery who can do all the talking for me! Maybe that’s a goal for 2026.

Dealing with artist block

Ok… I know it’s been a while since my last blog post, not that it’s any excuse but i had a very busy july and august prepping and then attending art in the pen art fair, so i didn’t have time to post anything. however, i’ve done practically nothing in september and most of october, so what’s the excuse there?…. well i don’t have one other than i just didn’t feel like it… ok!!

everyone goes through times of stress and burnout, it’s important you recognise that and allow yourself the time to do nothing, and thats exactly what i did… nothing and i needed it. i had time to reflect on the busy year i’ve had, enjoy some other things outside of my art and taking a breather.

now thats all done, and i feel rested… why then, do i have this dread when i stare at the blank panels currently taunting me from my studio?… surely i should be excited to get back in there?!…. i can feel the pressure building, and i know if i force it, i’ll make it worse and end up creating utter rubbish, or just avoid it altogether. so what do i do? well i have a few things in my toolkit that work well for this situation. maybe these can help you to:

1. try something new - a good way to get the creative juices flowing is to give something new and exciting a go!.. I’ve never tried jelli plates, that looks fun!

2. get the sketchbook out - moving away from the threat of the panels and the pressure to create a finished piece, i can just play in my sketchbook. there’s no end goal, no deadline, just experimenting and see what happens.

3. short bursts of time - sometimes i find the pressure of needing to be in the studio for hours a bit daunting, so instead i give myself smaller chunks of time to work towards. maybe 10 minutes or 20 minutes and just do as much… or as little… as i can in that time. it takes the pressure off and sometimes i end up having fun and stay longer anyway!

4. talk about it!…. honestly, the simplest thing is always the best. just talk about it, talk about how you’re feeling, talk about your art, your ideas, why you do it and soon you’ll be dying to get back into the studio!!

5. don’t beat yourself up - needing a break from your art is ok, everyone goes through it, every artist on the planet has had a block. sometimes lasting years! i’ve had several…. some longer than others. one of my favourite artists, louise bourgeois said:

   "Art is a means of self-expression, but sometimes you need to step back to find yourself again."

   having a break doesn’t mean you’re no longer an artist, even if that break is for several years. anyone who is passionate about art will always come back to it. as long i remember that, i know i will be back in the studio, brush in hand very soon… either that or the next ridiculous deadline i give myself will soon spur me on! ha!…

   I HOPE YOU FOUND THAT USEFUL AND MOTIVATING, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE, THEN FOLLOW ALONG ON MY SOCIALS (LINKS BELOW) OR YOU CAN SIGN UP TO MY MAILING LIST WHERE I WILL BE SHARING NEWS AND UPDATES ON MY ARTWORK. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

   STAY WEIRD

   CALLY :)

How to find the time to paint!

Welcome back to my blog, as you may have noticed it’s been a while since I’ve posted! It’s been a busy couple of months and life has gotten in the way as it so often does. I get asked sometimes how I manage to keep motivated and find the time to create around a full time job and general life admin.

Well the honest answer is, it’s not easy, and some months are better than others, but here’s 5 tips that help me make time to paint and create content for my art business. Maybe they could help you too.

1. Make your space accessible

My top tip to make time is to have a dedicated space at home that’s just for painting. For me it’s the box room, not a huge space but just enough for all my paints and art materials, a wall to hang my panels and enough room to move around flinging paint and getting generally messy! I don’t have to worry about it being tidy or organised, so if I make a mess it’s fine, it’s my space so I can leave it as it is if I only have a short time to get creative. Being at home also means I can quickly pop in my studio during my lunch break or after work without having to waste time travelling anywhere…. Works well if you are able to work from home which luckily I can most of the time.

Where I previously lived, my art space was a corner in the kitchen. I found having a tray with all my materials on was useful so I could quickly move it out of the way if we needed to use the dining table. A table easel was great as it was small enough to fold away and tuck behind the table.

Although a huge space would be amazing, it’s not essential and you can always find space to work, you just have to be creative… in both senses of the word!

2. Use a stay wet palette

Now if you’re an acrylic painter and you don’t yet use a stay wet palette, seriously… get one! It has been a game changer for me. Acrylic paint dries so fast that I have wasted so much paint over the years. Having a stay wet palette means, well,… it means it stays wet! But also if you get one with a lid the paint can last for a few days meaning less waste and a super quick way to pick up where you left off. No more time wasted creating your palette and mixing colours, it’s all already there for you. So when I have 10,15 minutes spare I can easily open the palette, paint a few layers, close it back up and I’m done!

Be warned, some of these palettes are pricy!… especially if you need a big one. So what I do is use 2 serving trays, lay a couple layers of damp kitchen roll across one of them, with baking paper over the top then lightly spray it with water. You can mix your paints on top of this and they will keep wet for ages. I then use the 2nd serving tray as a lid, flip it upside down, pop it on the top and then use bull dog clips to hold it in place. Works great for me and the paint stays wet for days. Don’t leave it too long though, it can go mouldy and the smell is pretty bad! ha ha ha… I’ve learnt that the hard way.

3. Keep a studio tracker

So far this year I have kept a note of how many hours I’ve spent in the studio. I note it down in my diary after each session, then at the end of each month I tally up how much I’ve done and how many paintings I’ve created. It’s been useful to see how much or how little I am doing, and helps keep me accountable. It’s also useful to understand how long it takes to create a painting so you can plan ahead if you know you want to create a certain amount of pieces. Keeping a consistent studio practice has been one of my main goals this year and for the most part I have kept to it. It has meant compromising on other things but it will be worth it in the end and I’m enjoying the process.

4. Use a social post planner

I have recently started using the Meta business suite, it has a post planner which you can use to schedule posts for the future. It’s really useful if you know you have a busy week ahead and won’t have time to post, you can create them on the app and schedule them in for whenever you like. It’s also free which is a bonus. My quietest times are Sunday afternoons, so I make sure to dedicate 30 minutes to an hour to put together a few posts for the week. Only challenge is coming up with the idea and the content… but that’s a blog for another time…

If you have got time through the week, you can still use a planner, but instead of creating the posts beforehand you can just plan what you are going to post on those days. This is really useful when you have events coming up that need promoting.

5. keep disciplined

Now this is the hardest tip, but probably the most important. You’ve got to be disciplined with your time and what you choose to do with it.

If you’re not committed to this then there’s no point. I’ve learnt that unless I give my time to this “art thing” consistently then it’s not going to develop into the serious art business I want it to be and will forever be a hobby.

Consistency is key, so whatever spare time I have, needs to be used productively and creatively. Obviously it goes without saying I need to look after myself and take care not to burn out. But I can’t keep using that same excuse when I want to have another sofa and Netflix day!…. Ok I’m only human and sometimes I fall off the wagon, like I have done in recent months. But as long as I accept it and get back on, then I’m heading in the right direction!

Although I haven’t done as much as I planned to do in the last 2 months, I’ve still done a few things and that’s still progress… Just got to keep positive, keep going and I will one day be able to quit the full time job… or at least reduce my hours… ha ha…

I hope you found that useful and motivating, if you would like to learn more, then follow along on my socials (links below) or you can sign up to my mailing list where I will be sharing news and updates on my artwork. click here to sign up.

Stay Weird

Cally :)

Are art fairs worth it?

So I had my first art fair of the year this weekend and although it was just as I expected it to be I can’t help but feel deflated. I’ve put a lot of time and effort in to the build up to this event; creating the paintings, getting prints and cards ordered as well as stationary and signage, making sure I had the right lighting and stands to display, lots of promoting on socials and my website. All that effort and for what… £35 in print sales!… I knew it wasn’t going to be a massive success, and I kept telling myself the event was for exposure, to get myself out there, get some experience and learn from it but even still it’s a hard pill to swallow after such a big build up.

So it makes me wonder, is it really worth it?

Firstly is the cost, in total I’ve spent around £400 for this event. The majority of this cost is items I will re-use at other events but it is a big investment though when you first get started. Thinking big picture, if I’m going to do more events this year then the initial costs should be paid back in the long term. Something I need to keep an eye on, I’ll be tracking my costs and sales throughout the year to ensure I’m not losing too much money… If I break even I’ll be happy!

Secondly, is the time and effort, the events themselves are long days. As well as the travelling and setting up, you need to be engaging with people. Making conversations and connections…. This is something I definitely struggle with and find the most tiring. Again, thinking long term here, any connections made at an event could turn into a future collector, so it’s an important part of the process which I need to be mindful of.

Lastly, it’s the time away from painting. Whilst I still have a full time job, weekends are the only time I get to paint and do what I love. Is this time spent at these fairs worth this sacrifice? Could I be better off spending this time creating? Would it be more beneficial working with a gallery instead? Granted I will lose money on commission but I will save a lot of time and effort not having to attend fairs…. the hard part is finding good galleries to work with! Definitely something to think about for the future.

Lots to reflect on after this weekend. I guess this is all part of the journey, learning what works best for you as an artist. It’s still early days though, i’ve a couple more events this year still to attend, fingers crossed they are more successful! But I think the important thing here is to remember what I’m trying to do, my word of the year was exposure and these events are definitely exposing me! Not just to others but exposing me as an artist to myself… helping me understand what’s important and what I really enjoy doing.

So going forward, I will try to keep an open mind, remember the long term benefits of these events. In the end they will be worth it. If not financially they will have taught me a lot and hopefully help me to build some long lasting connections.

If you found this interesting and would like to learn more, then follow along on my socials (links below) or you can sign up to my mailing list where I will be sharing news and updates on my artwork. click here to sign up.

Stay Strange

Cally :)

When is a painting finished?

How do you know when a painting is finished?

Well isn’t that the big question? As an artist, knowing when to stop is the hardest part of the process. Technically, you could continue a painting forever. Adding layer upon layer and never come to an end. I have ruined so many paintings because I couldn’t stop, taking it that little bit too far then have to spend more time trying to rescue it! It’s a vicious cycle and one that can very quickly become tiresome if you’re not careful. So how do you avoid this? Well here’s five tips that i’ve developed over the years that always help me:

Take a break!…..

It may seem counter productive taking time away from painting but trust me. Take as long as you can away from the paintings and you will come back with fresh eyes and a brand new perspective on what you’ve created.

Put the painting in a frame…..

Never underestimate the power of a frame. I use floater frames, so it’s easy to pop the panel in the frame temporarily and see the piece with a clean border. If you don’t have any frames available you can use an in situ app to digitally add a frame to your painting. It gives the same result, helping you to see if the painting is finished or not.

Put the painting on a clean wall….

If like me your studio walls are covered in drips and splatters in all colours then it might be hard to see the wood for the trees! So if you have a clean wall you can pop a few nails in, it’s the perfect spot to hang your painting temporarily. A neutral background will help the painting stand out and bring to light what’s missing.

Work in a series….

My current series is the first time I’ve worked on several paintings together and trust me it’s a game changer!… when you get stuck with one painting or you’re not sure if it’s done, you can quickly move onto another and come back to it later. It also helps to have a few paintings to compare against. You can compare compositions and tonal values across the series and see what’s working.

Use an art journal….

throughout my process I regularly journal; taking pictures of my work, sticking them down and writing about them. What’s working? what’s not? what have I enjoyed? This method helps me decide if a painting is finished or not as it forces you to pause and think. Self critique is a valuable tool as an artist.

I’ve used all five methods on my latest series “Macabre Messengers”. Click below to see the paintings.

I hope you found this useful, these tricks are great to have in your toolkit and should help you to improve as an artist as they have for me.

If you found this interesting and would like to learn more, then follow along on my socials (links below) or you can sign up to my mailing list where I will be sharing news and updates on my artwork. click here to sign up.

Stay Strange

Cally :)

happy new year!!

Happy New Year!

I hope like me you managed to get a nice break over the holiday period… I managed to get a very rare 2 weeks off from my day job which meant I could spend lots of time painting and planning for the year ahead. It felt great to focus on my artwork for several days and really enjoy the process. Is this what it’s like being a full time artist I wonder?… Maybe one day I can step away from the day to day corporate grind… but for now I need to squeeze the art in as and where I can!

I’m not one for making new years resolutions, like most people I don’t keep them! But what I’ve done this year is put together some goals. I’ve also given myself a word for the year, EXPOSURE…. Sounds a bit scary I know and that’s the point! Exposure is something I’ve always been scared of whether that’s on social media, attending events or right here on this blog! But I need to accept that to be taken serious as an artist I’ve got to put myself out there and that requires some exposure, not too much though… 😉

I’ve applied to a few local art fairs throughout the year, fingers crossed I get accepted… Although the thought of being at a fair terrifies me, I know it will be a good experience and I’ll learn a lot the more I do, hopefully get a few sales too!

Another one of my goals this year is to build a consistent studio practice, sounds easy but with a full time job, running a house and life getting in the way it can be difficult to squeeze the time in… Maybe I need to be more selfish this year? Maybe the cleaning can be left a bit longer, or the social invitations can be kindly declined… It’s difficult but I have to put the time in to make this work and sometimes that does mean thinking about me.

Now I best get painting! I won’t do very well at an art fair with no art to sell!….Lots to do and there’s never enough time!

If you’d like to learn more about me then follow along on my socials (links below) or you can sign up to my mailing list where I will be sharing news and updates on my artwork. click here to sign up.

Stay Weird

Cally :)

My first art fair!…

So I had my first fair, (technically my second but that was years ago so doesn’t count!)

It was a small local Christmas gift fair. A good stepping stone to get me prepared for the bigger ones I want to apply to. I managed to get a few paintings done, plus had some prints and cards already from previous work I never sold a few years ago. I also designed a Christmas card especially for the fair which went down well!

The day was great, there was busy times and quiet times but generally a good day and a great experience. This is what went well:

• Xmas cards sold well, I’m glad I got them printed.

• Stolas the crow was a great talking point! He definitely caught the attention of a few people.

• Met some lovely people!

I also learnt a lot which is why I wanted to do the fair, so I could build my knowledge and skills ready for a year of art fairs in 2024! Here’s what I learnt:

• Don’t be afraid to ask for emails! Mailing Lists are vital for an artist, so getting as many email addresses as possible will help me in the future.

• Sturdier browsing - My card stand made the table wobble when people used it and the box holding my prints fell down a couple of times. Need to invest in better equipment!

• Clear signage - Although I had pricing labels, I think they could have been clearer, also a sign with a little bit about me would be useful for people to read.

Although it was only a small local fair, it’s given me the confidence I need to do more and now I know a little bit of what to expect. I’m looking forward to see what 2024 brings!

Hopefully you’ve found this interesting, if you’d like to learn more about me then follow along on my socials (links below) or you can sign up to my new mailing list where I will be sharing news and updates on my artwork. click here to sign up.

Stay Weird

Cally :)

welcome to my blog

Hey there I’m Cally, welcome to my blog, as this is the 1st one, here’s a little intro about my art career.

I've loved painting and drawing my whole life. After a BTec in art and design at Leeds Art college, it was the textile specialism which took my interest, leading me onto a degree in textile art and craft at Huddersfield Uni. There I learnt many areas of textiles but always with a heavy discipline of painting and drawing for research and development. Graduating in 2010 just 2 years after the global market crash meant there wasn’t a lot of opportunity around for budding creatives… all grants and bursaries were scrapped and with cuts to all public spending, jobs were minimal … So I took the easy route, office temping but always with the plan to pursue my art career….Unfortunately, the corporate rat race was too hard to avoid, quickly falling into the day to day grind that is working life my painting career drifted further and further away. Painting then became my hobby, a place of calm and enjoyment away from the stress of day to day life.

After almost a 2 year break from painting, I signed up for “Find your Joy” a 12 week training course ran by Louise Fletcher. It gave me the structure and motivation I needed to get back into a consistent studio practice and helped me find my style.

This course gave me the confidence to explore my first series of paintings. The theme is exploring the crow and raven as a symbol in classic horror novels and gothic subculture. Using book pages from the all time greats ("Dracula", "Frankenstein" and of course "The Raven") as collage, experimenting with paint, ink and paper, and sanding back to see what happens.

I’m having so much fun exploring this theme and loving what i’ve created so far. I’m looking forward to see what happens next! 

Hopefully you’ve found this interesting, if you’d like to learn more about me then follow along on my socials (links below) or you can sign up to my new mailing list where I will be sharing news and updates on my artwork. click here to sign up.

Stay Weird

Cally :)