For my last post of the year I wanted to look back at what seemed to matter most in my work with artists.  

My New Year’s Resolution, as both a friend and coach, was to “talk less, listen longer.” That vow led to another mantra that I like: ask better questions. Here are two of mine: 

1. How do artists reach the top?

The Whitney Biennial happened again this year, celebrating artists wildly diverse in terms of race, gender, and subject matter, but strangely uniform in geography. Over 80% of the artists selected live and work on the coasts, primarily in New York and California. I was tearing my hair over this when I decided to dig deeper. I found that most of these artists actually developed their work and careers through exhibitions in small art centers and museums throughout the country. Artists who reach the top have put in the time and effort to gain visibility by showing their work all over the place. Nobody starts with a solo exhibition at MOMA.

2. What are the myths holding artists back?

The primary debilitating myth is that you can’t combine a successful career with an authentic creative life. I believe the opposite is true, as I see how artists express their values through their work. Some do so through explicit social or political content, but that’s not the only way. Other artists let their art tell us what matters to them: the healing power of light in the landscape, the meaning of sound in the quiet waters of the arctic. Artists reveal the world to us.

So try, in 2025, to create work that reflects what matters most to you. Then share it with others.

The concept of gratitude can be more than a platitude (sorry!) if you turn it into an active thing.  You can create a circle of gratitude that starts small and personal and grows so that it affects the lives of others.
 
Instead of focusing on all that went wrong in 2024, take a moment to acknowledge what you’ve managed to accomplish, and remember the people who helped make it happen. Think about  friends and family, teachers and mentors, other artists who have encouraged you. Then let them know how they helped you, and express your appreciation. Be specific! The circle of gratitude is created when someone else understands that they have had an impact on your life, that they are part of your human connection.  

As you consider what you’re grateful for, give those gifts back to others. For example, If you’re now part of a community of artists, reach out to new people and invite them in. If you have discovered new resources or opportunities, let others  know how you found them and what you’re learning. If you have struggled to stay positive this year, be honest about your doubts and how you manage to keep going. A spirit of generosity is the foundation of the circle of gratitude.     

At this time of year people who want to give back volunteer at soup kitchens and shelters, but sometimes forget to pay attention to those close to home. Tell the people close to your heart what you’re grateful for, and give specific examples. When they share similar thoughts, you deepen the conversation.

Choosing to make art in the face of intractable social and political problems is always an act of courage.  Remember to be grateful for your own creativity. 

Most of us are still trying to understand the recent election, making sense of it however we can. It seems to me that if you cannot absorb the big picture, it is helpful to look at the details. A good friend of mine was gazing at the big screen, and took a snapshot of one race in Virginia, where the winner was a personal favorite. She found a small win in the midst of major loss. 

And that’s the only advice I have right now that might apply to artists struggling to create an authentic life in difficult times. Your own small wins matter, and sometimes they’re all that sustains you. The art you are making, your effort to show and sell it, your network of supporters, all create the fabric of your art practice and career.

Think about your own small wins in the last year. Some of these will have been surprises, seemingly coming out of the blue, but pay attention to how they happened for you. Maybe you tried new things, or let yourself be vulnerable in new ways, or reached out to new sources for help and advice.

Also make note of what hasn’t worked for you. Don’t continue to bang against doors that won’t open. One of my favorite mantras for artists is: do more of what’s working, do less of what’s not working, and try something different to see if you get better results.

Avoid isolation. So many artists are introverts, and withdraw themselves when they are struggling with disappointment. Find your community, spend time with people who share your values, use your art to explore what you are thinking and feeling. 

Then focus on creating small wins. 

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the process of creating momentum in your art career. The idea was to set broad goals that would put you in motion, get you unstuck, and spark your creative juices. 

Once you are in motion, what happens next? Artists think there is a secret, a magic door, and when you find the key you get what you want. On the contrary, what works best is to try different strategies until they begin to reinforce each other, and then the magic happens.

For example, an emerging artist was in conversation with a curator who was considering her work for a client. After exchanging several friendly emails, including images of her work, it all went silent.  Instead of getting discouraged, the artist began to try different communication methods. She texted, left telephone messages, offered a Zoom conversation. Eventually she got a response. 

Another artist was trying to get a job in the art world, with a degree in graphic design but no real work experience. He decided to combine three different approaches. He used his graphic design skills to transform the layout and aesthetic of his resume into an imaginative format. He then sent his “creative resume” to his network: friends, family, neighbors, teachers, other artists, and asked for a 20-minute conversation about his job search. He also created a profile to offer his skills on several freelance sites. These strategies worked together and he found an entry-level job.

The secret is that there is no one magic key. You keep experimenting with different approaches, you get advice from many people, you stay open and positive. Instead of stressing over what’s not working, you continually try something new. You stay in motion long enough for success to find you.

​You know what it feels like when you have momentum. You clean out a closet on a rainy afternoon, and a month later you’ve re-organized your whole living space. 

An art career is no different. You need ways to get started, to keep going, to sustain your energy and enthusiasm over the long term so that your art practice grows in an authentic way.

I believe it works best to create broad goals focused on your own behavior. This may seem counter-intuitive, since most planning gurus recommend having specific, narrow goals (sort of like a to-do list). Here’s the difference: instead of deciding to “visit three local galleries this week” you broaden that goal to “become more visible.”

This broader goal is flexible, opens up possibilities, and engages your creative self. To become more visible, you might decide to volunteer at an art center, or stop by a frame shop to find out if they show the work of local artists, or build your social media presence by posting about your materials and process. All of these actions will naturally lead to other actions that move you forward.

Another example of a broad goal is to “learn something new.” This goal might encourage you to sign up for a workshop, or join a professional society, or reach out to a mentor or coach for advice. Each activity will help you learn something new in a different way, and they all put you in motion.

Broad goals create momentum. They are especially helpful for emerging artists who are overwhelmed by the hundreds of “artist opportunities” out there. You can also use such goals when you are stuck or confused about the path forward, or just ready to build the next steps in your art career. 

​We seem to be in the midst of a cultural moment, when the art and political worlds are bringing us a new perspective, a fresh energy.

In Los Angeles right now two Afro-American artists are receiving major retrospectives: the sculptor Simone Leigh and the painter/installation artist Mickalene Thomas. These exhibitions have been planned for years, so nobody expected Kamala Harris to also be on the stage. 

What connects these three women is not only racial identity, but their refusal to let others define what it means to be black and female. They take control of that narrative, saying “this is who I am and it’s my story to tell.” 

Mickalene Thomas’ exhibition, “All About Love,” is extraordinary on many levels. We see portraits of black women (a rare thing in the Western canon) who are singing, laughing, celebrating, while decorated with rhinestones and glitter. The exhibition is full of domestic scenes, with portraits of friends, family, and the artist herself. There is even a gallery where the visitor can rest in the colorful patchwork chairs of her childhood living room. Thomas is saying: “I may be a famous artist having a retrospective but welcome to my personal space, this is who I am and where I came from.”

Simone Leigh’s monumental sculptures of Afro-American women are more abstract, her range of reference global, yet she also communicates a powerful origin story. Her work addresses centuries of oppression by showing black women as hybrid forms, often a small head connected to a vessel or a jug, reflecting traditional domestic roles and celebrating their strength and endurance in the face of oppression. 

In this context it is no surprise that Kamala Harris greets us with laughter, talking about her family history and values, refusing to let others define her.