The last show I was in was at the Gallery Lombardi in Austin, Texas. It was the Erotica 2005 and was held in October of that year, six days after it ended I had my stroke. Funny how your perspectives’s can change overnight, mine certainly did. The show was a real blowout, there’s were people everywhere and several of my friend and my model were in attendance. Amy the body painter was doing a live demonstration of her art and she had quite the crowd. Maybe it had something to do with the nude model she was painting. Anyway it was a very festive night and after my model and I went for a long walk and a good talk. Then I said goodnight and I drove back to my world.
Six days later I was in the fight of my life and all thought of the art world and marketing was superfluous. I had a good ride up until then, I was marketing myself to the local art centers and getting quite well know. I had decided that I was getting too old for event photography and had started to transition into the fine art field. I worked for the Blue Star Contemporary Art as there event guy and documented what they were doing in art and the community. That in turn introduced me to and number of artist and collectors. My plans for the future were coming along nicely and I was carefully following that plan and making adjustment as I went along.
I had two shows that my work was entered in the Art and Eats fund raiser for Blue Star and that piece sold. As well as another fund raiser for a Tourism group that I belong to so my work was beginning to move however slightly. That was my problem in having the stroke, all forward momentum stopped for two years. I also lost my business as well because I disappeared for that amount of time. In business your lucky if people remember your name after two weeks and I was gone a lot longer than that.
So I was facing some major hurtles trying to get my business started again. I was incredibility rusty and out of practice. I had lost not only my sense of timing and pacing, I has also lost my confidence as well. That was why it was so important to have the first session go well and to be low pressure. I was trying to find myself again, to find out if I could do the work I loved and believe me that was pressure enough. But to make a long story short because I wanted it bad enough I found my "groove" again. I have been incredibility lucky in the models and friends who supported me and believed in me. I have been blessed with an indomitable spirt to survive and to get back to the life I lived before . If I can be forgiven for one piece of advise it’s to never give up on yourself, never. It amazing what a wonderful thing we human beings are, truly remarkable.
Six days later I was in the fight of my life and all thought of the art world and marketing was superfluous. I had a good ride up until then, I was marketing myself to the local art centers and getting quite well know. I had decided that I was getting too old for event photography and had started to transition into the fine art field. I worked for the Blue Star Contemporary Art as there event guy and documented what they were doing in art and the community. That in turn introduced me to and number of artist and collectors. My plans for the future were coming along nicely and I was carefully following that plan and making adjustment as I went along.
I had two shows that my work was entered in the Art and Eats fund raiser for Blue Star and that piece sold. As well as another fund raiser for a Tourism group that I belong to so my work was beginning to move however slightly. That was my problem in having the stroke, all forward momentum stopped for two years. I also lost my business as well because I disappeared for that amount of time. In business your lucky if people remember your name after two weeks and I was gone a lot longer than that.
So I was facing some major hurtles trying to get my business started again. I was incredibility rusty and out of practice. I had lost not only my sense of timing and pacing, I has also lost my confidence as well. That was why it was so important to have the first session go well and to be low pressure. I was trying to find myself again, to find out if I could do the work I loved and believe me that was pressure enough. But to make a long story short because I wanted it bad enough I found my "groove" again. I have been incredibility lucky in the models and friends who supported me and believed in me. I have been blessed with an indomitable spirt to survive and to get back to the life I lived before . If I can be forgiven for one piece of advise it’s to never give up on yourself, never. It amazing what a wonderful thing we human beings are, truly remarkable.
2 comments:
Your indomitable spirit isn't a gift - it's earned through constantly fighting for survival against all odds. Your strength of character always shines through, not just in your posts but in your emails too.
Our family motto is "Never give up, never surrender!" (from the movie Galaxy Quest.) You and I are more similar than you know!
I so agree, Michael. Never give up on yourself, and never forget you are the one person you can always depend on. Others come and go over a lifetime, but your self remains till the end. Be good to it.
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