Alaskan Artist - Elise Tomlinson
Home Artist Blog About Me Life in Alaska Purchase Site Index Speak
Home » Archives » November 2004 » T Minus 14

[Previous entry: "Wal Mart Sucks"] [Next entry: "The Boiler Room Closet"]

11/18/2004: "T Minus 14"


OK, it is exactly 2 weeks until my opening. TWO *WEEKS*! Well, I don't know what the hell I'm going to do. I've decided to only print out a small number of invitations and invite everyone I know via email. Also, I need to get a press release into the paper, like, today, in fact, it may already be too late. The truth is, I'm kindof dragging my heals because I'm not sure how much advertising for this show I really want.

Last time they used a huge image of mine for the front of the Arts and Entertainment section and I think it drew a larger than normal crowd for me. I'm not sure I want a large crowd if it is only going to be to witness my failure (though I doubt they'd feature me twice anyway). Still, I don't want to not get any kind of crowd at all and feel stupid all night. Well, I'm running out of time to make this decision, I guess not deciding is its own kind of decision. I have to ask if anyone else has ever been in this predicament and if so, what did you decide? Or, what would you decide if you were in my situation? Please, I'm getting desperate over here!


Replies: 2 Comments

on Sunday, November 21st, jaana@appliedartsstudio.com">Jaana said

Don't sabotage yourself with the classic artist insecurities! Whether this is the best show you've ever put together, or a glimpse into the "process" of how an artist's work evolves, you must take the opportunity to promote yourself and invite the public in to expose your work. A decision like this demands that you disassociate from the emotion that creates your work, and the humility and insecurity that haunts all of us putting our guts on the wall for public display. You never know what will come of it, but if you don't put 100% into the front end, you may miss out on some valuable contacts or dialogue. Or not, but you'll never know if you don't put everything you can pull together into promotion. You've got the opportunity right in front of you so get on it and hype the show!

on Sunday, November 21st, Elise said

Thank Janna,
Maybe you're right. I just feel like if I invite a bunch of people and they think I'm a pretty good artist and then they come and see this show and it's terrible, then it might do more harm than good.

Still, I have been working on a press release and invitations. The press release sounds awful but I should get the invitations out in time.

Thanks for your support!