Promoting art vs being an Introvert or HSP

Sylvia, you do make me giggle, I've now got visions of me selling my art at a boot sale with a bottle of gin in hand shouting, Dearies, over here, buy one, get one free, oh the thought. It would free up some space in my house though, for sure.

Richard, I've only just encountered this thread.  I don't really suffer from social anxiety - but I have a mental health condition which isn't immediately obvious because I've had it for most of my life if not all of it, and have become adept at disguising it, if rather less adept at overcoming it: my problem is a tendency to quite bad depressions, which can strike at any time and can go just as quickly: except, they don't always go for a week or two.  This makes me a bit sensitive to rebuff - a dealer once told me my work was a bit 'chocolate box', and although I knew she was talking through her winter drawers, it was enough to put me right off for quite a while.   Different from your problem, it nonetheless presents some of the same challenges.  Frustratingly, I'm much better at promoting other people than I am at promoting myself - a now quite well-known artist, whom I won't name (it wouldn't be fair), hadn't the confidence and perhaps the ability to write his first article for one of the magazines: so I basically did it for him, or helped him substantially with it; another artist, who has since come on in bounds, asked for help with their drawing - which I offered, and from which I think they benefited; yet another was a prolific watercolourist, with decades of painting experience, but not much confidence in or ability to express themselves through the written word.  So again, up I pop, and basically wrote the piece.   I know the editor of Leisure Painter and that of the Artist have also helped people with talent and ability shape their thoughts into article-form (precious few editors will take that sort of trouble).   But I've never had an article published in the magazines!  Or not a proper one, just a snippet in a past LP and the occasional online piece.  Again - it just took one refusal .... and I watched my confidence take wing and escape through the window.....   I've had several exhibitions - and did very well - but friends organized them: I wouldn't!  I've participated in other exhibitions with fellow-artists - they did the publicity and the booking of the halls or galleries: I was perfectly happy to invigilate, as it were, because that didn't really involve any self-promotion.   I've even quailed about joining ArtFinder - though past experience with online sales sites wasn't encouraging; and I need a lot of encouragement. So, we have different problems but are both handicapped by the problems we have got in similar ways.  I do have a Facebook page - Robert Jones - Isle of Wight Landscapes; a blog on blogger, named Robert's Reflections; I show here now and then; and I have a website-in-progress.  Very slow progress, at that, because the web-builder and I are both busy in other directions: I must imagine I'm someone else, and give him a stir.  Maybe that's it: pretend it's not our work, but that of our good friend X, and see if that helps us to promote it. By all means get in touch if you feel it might be useful; my email address is:  [email protected]  which reminds me, I also joined the National Association of Painters in Acrylic, thanks to them for having me.  My self-promoting efforts are otherwise on the chilly side of tepid - I would love to be able to change, to develop massive self-confidence, to push myself aggressively, but a) I probably can't, and b) if I could - I'd spend so much more time in marketing than in painting, and that would defeat the object of the latter exercise entirely.  It may sound wonderful to be a professional painter, but the risk is always that you'll start painting for income - i.e. the need to earn will come before the desire to create.  This is one reason why so many painters teach - you make money from your students, you learn from them just as they learn from you, and you're free to paint whatever you really want to paint without having to rely solely on income from sales. Your social anxiety would be a problem with teaching - whereas I could probably do it, if I were within distance of any likely students.   So - if you can, I strongly suggest you join a local art group: moral support can be invaluable; of course, you've got to get to know the other members, but then all of life is a series of personal negotiations in one way or other, and it could be the best thing you ever did.  I'm not a member of any local groups currently, because the physical effort of keeping up with things got a bit much thanks to age and a physical issue or two: but you look like a much younger man than I am, and if you're up for the effort - I would jump in and make contacts. 

An interesting and perceptive reply Robert. 

Just to clarify that it wasn’t myself that has ever asked or received any help in writing my articles for The Artist. Actually, I’m at a loss, intrigued even, as to whom you refer to Robert, nobody comes to mind - but as it may have some left people guessing, I thought I’d make my position clear! I know who you are referring to regarding the watercolour artist. I consider myself very fortunate to have been asked by Sally, the editor of TA to write a series of features for the magazine - around seven so far and another five or six scheduled for later this year and into 2022. Neither the editor, deputy editor or sub-editors help or have helped me write any of these articles in any way, shape or form, they just don’t do that! That same principle applies to any of the writers.

And you will never know from me!   It hadn't actually struck me - I can be a little dim like that - that anyone would have supposed you (Alan) needed help to write your articles; not that there's anything shaming in it - some people are able to think in pictorial terms, some in words, some fortunate souls in both.  All the artist I helped out needed was the confidence to get their words down on paper: once shown how, off they soared.  As to the editors - actually, I don't know what, if anything, the editor of The Artist might do to help writers - the editor of LP was however very helpful to our watercolourist, whose identity you have guessed, in getting that article published.  More helpful than other editors might have been, similarly placed. With all you've had published though, I'd be demanding fair dibs if I'd had any part at all in helping you with it - and of course, I hadn't.  Your success is all your own!  And while we're at it - you should write a book: it'd be a lot more informative than some I've read over many years.

A little saying from a pop group from my home town, you get by with a little help from your friends. If you can help someone to develop and expand, it's a good trait to have. 

A bit too late in the day for a book Robert! But I have been known to change my mind… The reason I needed to clarify things is obvious of course, and I don’t even think that I’m a ‘well known artist’ apart from on this website - but I do know that my name immediately came into the picture by a long-standing member after reading your reply! I have to work hard on these features, I suppose everyone does, and they take up an enormous amount of time, well for me anyway. It was only by participating in Dawn’s e-newsletters on a regular basis that the opportunity arose for me to write my first feature for The Artist. I’m grateful to both Dawn and Sally for having confidence in both my writing abilities and my painting.

I wrote my e-book - still available, and what a bargain!  Queue up now! - when I was over 65, I think.  Was hard work, but I'd do another one, I think - time is the big problem; you've got to enjoy writing, to write a book, or the effort hardly repays the outcome.  If you DO write one - make sure it fits into a format that a publisher is going to like; I didn't - I just wrote what I wanted to say, and I don't know of any firm into whose lists it would comfortably fit.  And I'm too lazy to find one! Keen agent required, apply within.   Anyway - assuming you're under 70 still, why not have a go.  And even if you're not - quite a good number of people have written books into their seventies, eighties, and nineties.  Never give up!

Looking at Richard’s photo I would guess that Richard is in his 30’s….there you go, Richard, an insult or a compliment! I, on the other-hand, am into my 70’s ( how is it possible?) but it’s better than the alternative😆.And talking about publishing later in life…”Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” by Peter Torday ( brilliant) came out when he was about 59, a massive hit and his first published book. I’m thinking also about a woman artist ( unfortunately can’t remember her name) who gained fame and accolades in her late 80’s. All down to self belief.

Children !.