Whether you are the type of person who likes to make New Year’s resolutions or not, one can hardly resist thinking about what the upcoming year might bring in the way of personal success. Before I rattle off a "to do" list of goals for artists, I’d like to encourage those who are reading this to concentrate on developing a personal definition of Success.

For the artist who is also a business person, there are numerous ways to realize a good income from creative output. There is no "one plan fits all" because we each have a personal idea of what success means. Some professional artists are happy with a specific monetary number for income, while others want to gain access to a high visibility gallery (you know the ones that advertise in major collectors’ magazines). Then there is recognition via national competitions; at the other end of the spectrum is selling prints to frame shops and painting local scenes for local galleries. The outdoor show circuit can provide ample income and direct communication with collectors. There is no shame in any sales venue for the aspiring artist who’d like to make an income with his or her creative abilities.

However, it is sometimes a valuable exercise to ponder ideas concerning a specific and desirable path to YOUR goals. At the beginning of each year, I re-evaluate my feelings about what success means to me personally. This year (and it changes from year to year for me)... success means becoming an excellent painter of representational art. Incidently, I paint with Richard Schmid and Nancy Guzik. I’ve watched Jeremy Lipking, Casey Baugh and Albert Handell demonstrate... and so my idea of what excellence is – keeps rising to what seems like a nearly impossible level for me to attain. But I have made good money over the past 2 decades selling art that is "pretty good", long before I knew Richard. One does not need to be the best artist in the world to make a living selling their work.

I don’t need to pay the bills with my artwork at this point, but would like to in the future so that my husband may retire a bit earlier. If I were currently in a scary financial situation, I would not have the luxury of spending time further developing my skill set this year. I’d probably be taking on portrait commissions. (And there is nothing wrong with that either). It sure beats working for someone else.

I’m writing this particular blog to encourage you to consider pursuing the goals that will make you happy in the long run. There’s no sense in pursuing goals which do not fit in with your personality or lifestyle. Realistically consider the amount of time you can allocate to reaching your goals as well as your monetary needs.. Although this is not generally a windfall, get rich quick type of business, making a living at it is certainly do-able - especially if your work is desired by folks who buy art. At this very moment, there are artists who are realizing ample income from the outdoor show circuit, selling on Ebay, or selling in the gallery setting.

There are many paths to success; however, one person cannot pursue many of them effectively. So know who you are, what you’re capable of, and what you really want - then write it down and chart your own course to artistic contentment.