What does art success mean? Fame? Fortune? Or does it go deeper than that? It depends on who you are and what you want as an artist, but I think true art success is more than finances and face-time – and I learned that from a three year-old.

[private free|gold|free special]

I have often been asked what my definition of art success is and whether or not I consider myself successful. The parameters by which I define success are very wide. I don’t feel that it’s confined to financial success or necessary aligned with fame. It may be the case that someone is financially rewarded for what they do. Greater success comes from acting from an honest place, in which case you may be blessed with a lot of beauty in life and lifestyle as a reward.
In some ways, I feel sure that I’ve had a great deal of success in my life, and I do gauge that as both an interior quality and an exterior experience, because I can also see that I’m living in a beautiful place here in Australia. It’s a beautiful, abundant lifestyle, and I feel momentum from constant improvement on many levels. The fine-tuning of my inner self is reflected in my outer life, making success an infinite journey.
The idea of being a successful artist is a very relative notion, the whole idea of being a successful artist. In terms of my hometown of Byron Bay, yes, I guess I have a certain amount of success here. People in this region are aware of me as an artist who has achieved aplomb in my career. On a state-wide level, yes, people are aware of my work. In Australia at large, I am aware that I am known, as I have won some rather important prizes and have exhibited nationally. I have received quite a bit of recognition for the work that I’ve done.
I have also received some international recognition. I usually go to New York City every year to have an exhibition or to be involved in a lecture. New York is very exciting, and on any given Thursday evening there are 50 or more exhibition openings!
In my studio, the fact that I can create whatever I want feels like a successful accomplishment. I’ve been painting for the last couple of years, and now I’m involved in a series of sculptures and wall works using driftwood again.
I have granted myself permission to use a variety of techniques, as I want. Success is sometimes feeling that one isn’t categorized or confined.
I was recently reading about artist Damien Hirst. He’s just become ranked as having the fourth highest gross earnings as an artist in all of history, and he’s three. He has amassed nearly $1 billion. One might ask him if he is successful in his own life, with his family and relationships. I don’t know. In that way, it’s all relative.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This