Try, Try, Try Again
Failure isn’t a word that I’m not familiar with. In fact, you could say that we have quite the long history together. As an artist, it’s something that seems to be apart of the daily norm.
When people hear the word “artist,” they might envision a person like Bob Ross, Monet, or Van Gogh. A person working diligently in their studio on some master piece they randomly produced from their brilliant minds. Everyday, creating new artworks worth millions of dollars with little to no effort. Well, let me tell you. These guys had failures too. In fact, some of them didn’t even become famous until after they died.
I remind myself of this fact when I’m elbow deep in paint and extremely frustrated with how my current painting is looking. Just when I’m about ready to set the whole canvas on fire, I step back and realize I need a breather for a moment. There are times I cannot even force myself to walk in the studio due to the overwhelming amount of gallery pieces and commissions that still need to be finished. Paintings that have been sitting there for months, even years, untouched, half way painted, homeless and unsold. There’s nothing more disappointing than seeing all of your failures sitting there, staring you back in the face.
There’s a quote: “The greatest artist was once a beginner” that I think of when I’m in times like these. I’ve been working on becoming a professional artist since 2015. I went to school at Texas State University and switched my major from Art Education to Painting. Finally I graduated in 2019, but I felt unsettled in my degree. Although I had completed my BFA, my thesis was unclear and I never really knew what I wanted to accomplish as an artist. I worked a few artists jobs coming out of school, including the infamous Jerry’s ArtArama of Austin, and as a gallery curator for a nonprofit called ArtUS Co. Both were incredible experiences, and during those times, I was working on branding and starting up my art career. I was blessed to get my own professional studio with the curator job, but I never actually painted there. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I painted much at all when I worked there.
JI Art Creations and Texas Art by Jacquelyne were just a couple of my failed startups. Every name I picked to brand my business just didn’t feel right. The creations I was making were mediocre in an ever competitive art market. On top of working full time jobs, painting seem to fall lower and lower on my list of things to do. I submitted some old works to art galleries occasionally, but rejection letter after rejection letter made me regret even going to school to be an artist. I should’ve majored in business, but looking at my business endeavors, I probably would’ve failed at that too.
Like I said, failure and I have a long history. It’s now 2022 and things have started to change. Life has settled down for me, I married the love of my life in 2020 and now I’m expecting my first son in April of this year. The pieces have finally started to fall together and the vision for my art career has finally started to make headway. The opportunities are now falling into my lap and the paintings are flowing effortlessly. All the old half painted canvases that have been sitting in my closet for years are being brought back to life and the passion I once felt for art is finally returning.
As I work towards my goals and also accept this new role as a mom, I encourage each and every one of you to continue to try even if you fail and fall flat on your face. Of course, nothing is perfect and I still have a lot to learn, but what I have learned is that with every failure comes growth. That is why it’s important to keep trying. Keep trying to accomplish your goals, dreams, and slowly but surely, it will happen. Keep on painting my friends!
