Dirty Little Secret

 I've got a little secret...

After clearing the cobwebs from my eyes this morning, I started thinking about what I might write this week 

I thought of a secret I've had tucked away. 

This vexing secret has had safe harbor in my mind for years.  It's keenly tucked away in the nether-reaches of my gray matter. 

When it does come up in a conversation, I toss it off as if it were a joke or some pesky piece of fluff that's easily brushed off my collar. 

But...

It's always been a dream of mine.

I can't really deny it.

It's embarrassing. 

It's a bit humbling. 

I'm really self conscious about it. 

Okay - it's not such a big a secret - I think I'll tell anyone who will listen.  I getting older now so I've probably told the same people more than once.  

This is my  secret:

I want to use art work to put food on my table. 

Somehow, I let that little artist dream live in my head for years without escaping. I'm a very good jailor or maybe it's those pit bulls the live in my brain.  Nevertheless, I'd draw here and paint there but wouldn't step out of my comfort zone. 

I wouldn't show my work.  Because, well, I was scared.  I didn't want people to tell me I was horrible.  What if it didn't work.

Though I do spend a lot of time drawing and painting, I can say, with fairly good authority,  if I tried to survive solely on the sales of my artwork today, I might have some problems maintaining a viable heartbeat.  My brain would have to develop send excuses to my stomach explaining the lack of sustenance. Given my art sales record, it would be really hard to put food on the table at this point.  

A guy called Bill Earle once said, 

      "If your outgo exceeds your income, then your upkeep will be you downfall." 

Of course, Charles Dickens nailed it too when he said:

      "Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen [pounds]
        nineteen [shillings] and six [pence], result happiness. Annual income
        twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six,
        result misery."  - Wilkins Micawber - David Copperfield

I do sell the occasional painting or drawing and I am really grateful for that. You know who you are... ;-) 

I just want to get that darn dream out of my head and give it  a solid place in the physical world. 

So, I'll be studying up and working on learning the business of art. It's not enough to just be good at making pretty things. You have to know who your customers are, make sales and market your stuff. I'm going to work on those. 

If you have any suggestions let me know.

I'll let you know what I learn too. Cause - I know you're interested. ;-)

Is there a a secret you want to sneak out past behind those bull dogs in your mind? 

Do you want o write a book, create a business, run a marathon or paint a masterpiece?

I'd love to know what your dream is.

In the mean time I'll continue to create new stuff (cause that's what I do) - this one started in my sketch book.  Then I translated it to a digital drawing and colored it in. 

Here's the process: 

---

Wish me luck!

You can climb on board the express by subscribing to weekly updates on my website.  www.scottattenborough.com.  Come follow my progress.  

and ...

If you like the stuff I do you can recommend it to others. 

If you like what I make let me know.