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Art Comfort Zone

"Breakthrough" 20x20x1.5 Acrylic
"Breakthrough" 20x20x1.5 Acrylic

I heard an interesting comment from one of our customers a couple of months ago that I would like to share with you. I had just invited her to an upcoming artist reception and she replied that she was concerned that she would feel uncomfortable, because she didn’t think that she knew enough about art to attend an artist reception.

This got me to wondering how many others pass through our gallery feeling the same way? Or worse, how many don’t come in at all because they fear that they will feel out of place? Her remark reminded me of the individual that puts off joining the local health club until after they get in better shape. I asked her if she had seen the movie What about Bob. When she said she had, I reminded her about Bill Murray’s character and the need to just take baby steps at first.

To enjoy art, is it really that necessary to have taken art history courses, to have visited some of the great European museums or to be or have been involved in creating something yourself? While these experiences may give you a head start, they certainly are not required to enjoy what someone else has created, today.

And don’t stress over not knowing how it was created. Do you know how your house was built, how your car was assembled or how your clothes were made? And you certainly don’t want to know what’s in that double dip Gelato now do you? All that really matters is that you were drawn to it, you liked it and it made you feel good.

So, that’s all I’m saying: take a few art baby steps, ask a few questions and when it makes you feel good, take some home. Art has no cholesterol and is 100% fat and calorie free, so you can put off joining that health club a little longer and feel good about buying some art, for yourself, today! (Oh and by the way, the customer that I mentioned earlier, she decided that she would like to attend the artist reception after all.)

Thanks for stopping by and have a creative day……..Jim


Comments

3 Responses to Art Comfort Zone

Jim,
Thank you for this valuable and insightful message.
I would like to share it with the readers of my "Self-Empowerment" newsletter if you will give me your permission to reprint it. If yes, send me whatever credit line or contact information you would like included.
Regardless of your answer, I thank you for bringing to light this universal ego insecurity and the loving supportive answer that is needed.
Jill

This is a great topic! I'm in the process of opening a fine art gallery and it's what I hear from a lot of people. They never step foot into a gallery because they are intimidated. I love your analogy to food, calories, cholesterol... Do you mind if I use that?

I'd love to educate people so they could just relax and enjoy art for what they can grasp out of it. Like a good wine, as we develop our palettes, we begin to understand the nuances that make it delicious, but that doesn't mean we didn't like the taste before we understood all that! Art is the same. It can be enjoyed at any level of knowledge.

Jim, thanks for writing this wonderful little post!

Susan

I enjoy your reasoning and loved both the post about what a tiny percent of the budget buying a good piece of fine art work really is and your recent piece about possible customers feeling intimidated about going to a gallery because they feel like they may say the wrong thing or be out of place. If they only knew how grateful we were that they came in the first place. Wish you could see the new show I hung yesterday at The Artist League of the Sandhills near Pinehurst. It was the motivator that helped me finish several pieces of work that had been incubating for some time. Kathy


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