Everyone appeared enjoyed my display of sixteen prints, with the best compliment being someone hoping that one day people would react to their wood working the same way with comments of "How did she do that????"
This morning my boyfriend made a comment that I thought captured things rather succinctly. He said that the reason I'm so successful in taking photographs is that for me the point is the flower, not the camera. Too many people mistakenly think that a passion for art begins with the device or tool with which you are creating that art rather than for the subject.
The other battle I've had this week dealt with ego and being placed on the waiting list for yet another art show. Its like finishing fourth in a race where the first three get to move on to the next event. Not losing but not winning. And irritating as all hell when everyone around you is feeding the ego beast and raving about your work. Lets just say I took it personally for a couple of days before coming to the realization that the judges' possible lack of appreciation for my work wasn't necessarily a failing on my end.
As my friend, and enabling florist, Arthur recently told an interviewer from the Denver Post, people tend to have a rather polarized reaction to nontraditional pieces. He was referring to his using living models as props for his floral pieces, but I believe the same principle might apply to my pieces as well. They love it or they hate it. And compromising to middle ground isn't one of my strong suits.
Other people's approval isn't the point, and sometimes I need a reminder. All I do it put it out there. People get it or they don't, and neither reaction is mine to own. So while other artists might be euphoric about the gallery reception last night and making grand plans I find myself still mellow and balanced and reading a book by the fire instead of obsessively checking my online gallery stats on this snowy afternoon.
