I throw out 99 percent of the visual art I create. Crazy, I know, but I move too much and make too much to keep it all. Honestly, most of my work is not even created with the intention of being kept or hung on a wall. Most of the paintings that I post on Instagram are thrown out almost as soon as the paint is dry. The work of art that I preserve is the photograph of the painting. The photograph is all I save. I have digital space. But physical space is at a premium. Over the years, I’ve made probably a couple of thousand cathartic little things. If I kept even 10 percent, it would fill my space too much.
As of now, I have 0 interest in making anything to sell. Some sweet friends have encouraged me to sell some of my creations, but to do that would mean running a business. I have never had a head or a heart for business. Business is not for me. I do have a small etsy shop I’ve made a couple of sales in, but I barely post to it.
A small part of me feels sad to throw out my art. I love painting and mixed media. Creating art is something I have passion for. But when you move every 1 to 3 years, hanging onto things becomes a burden. We already need to downsize. Our ever changing home size, location, and layout cannot accommodate too much. But sometimes I wonder how this circumstance affects my art. Would I create differently if I knew I was going to hang my work on my wall or if it was going to hang on someone else’s wall? If I was going to keep my work and look at it forever, how would that change my process?
At the end of the day, I am a poet and only do art for the way it makes me feel. I have no art credentials, didn’t study it in school, and seldom show anyone I know in real life what I make. But art is still key to my well-being and one of my favorite ways to spend time. Would I learn new skills? Be more patient? Be proud of my work, or more critical? What does it mean to make art in isolation, outside the galleries and shows and egos, and the stress of trying to make cash flow?
Life at Home 