Artist's End Goal

The Legend Of Hare Terra - Title Page by Amy E. Fraser

     In my last post "Reintroducing: The Exalted Beauty Medallions!" I mentioned that for a time I dropped off the face of the earth and entered my own private little world. It was something I had been building up to. I was experiencing post exhibition burn out and was becoming weary of becoming kitty cornered into the Jewelry sphere. Initially I started the Exalted Beauty Medallions on a whim. Someday I may go into the curse of this personal phenomenon further. In short, I frequently start new things that other people become super excited about and then attempt to dictate what direction my career/life needs to go. It's the blight of being so multi-talented LOL. However, we'll save that backwards self congratulatory comment for another discussion.

     This post is focused on the Artist's End Goal. Whenever I start one of my big crazy projects my husband asks what is your End Goal? "Because I feel like it" is probably not the best answer when asking your family to make a long term sacrifice for your personal passion project. One must think long and hard before making a life decision of any magnitude. I think most artists don’t know the answer to the End Goal question. Many jokingly state the End Goal is to be rich and famous. But is that really it? For me the idea of The Legend of Hare Terra was a compulsion fueled by inspiration, an unexplained drive to create something Epic! Something big that pushed me to my limits and showcased my strong points and diverse interests. But let's face it, that desire doesn’t exactly come with a business plan. Certainly not for me. I follow the inspiration, jump in and figure it out after. This usually works for me. For some reason my husband agreed to this and I went for it.

     When I embarked on The Legend of Hare Terra I had a vague notion of creating a fairytale series. Before I started, I did do some research and planning. Some conclusions I came to:

     Galleries are looking for series.

     Collectors frequently buy similar paintings.

     Successful artists have a style and a niche.

     Few painters have created a series over 30 pieces on one subject.

Other questions I asked myself:

     What will set my art apart from the rest of the artists focused on a similar subject?

     What personal qualities can I include into the work to make it fully my own?

     How will the work be relatable specifically to me?

     What is the message?

     Who is the audience?

     What do I hope to accomplish with it?

     How will I market it?

     What do I want to receive for my efforts?

     Am I prepared to make a long term commitment to this one project?

     Can I see it through to the end?

     All of these are important questions that every artist should be asking themselves. Did I personally answer them all? Did I ever develop a legitimate business plan? Um no. However, I have thought long and hard about this over the ten years since I began The Legend of Hare Terra and I still do NOT have definitive answers for these questions. This project is a beast that has consumed me at times, it has filled me with joy as often as it has depressed and discouraged me. And most importantly to note, it is definitely not finished. I should mention here that I actually abandoned Hare Terra on December 3, 2016. This was due to a freak accident involving a feral animal bite, the temporary loss of the use of my right hand, and a serious illness due to a very bad reaction to antibiotics and Rabies shots. But that’s a whole other blog post. One that involves the origin story of my trip into Sourdough Breadlandia... Let's just say, I’m basically fine now.

     During the (now maybe regrettable) Fresh Start of January 2019 I thought I’d just plop the Legend of Hare Terra images on the AEFraser website willy nilly, no explanation, call it done. However, in August I realized that I was not giving the work the presentation it deserved. Quite frankly I was not giving myself the respect I deserved. This is what happened in August: The Legend of Hare Terra While The Legend of Hare Terra website idea isn’t at all what I originally imagined, it too is a fresh start. I am inspired once again. I’m putting it out there, no rush, no goal, just the experience. I am allowing myself to learn and make mistakes. I think after everything that has happened, it will be enough for me. Do I hope people buy the prints? Absolutely. Maybe for now that will have to suffice for an Artist's End Goal. I wish I had brilliant advice to offer other artists or a happily ever after to warm your hearts. But it’s not over yet! In some ways I am just getting started. You’ll have to wait and see. I haven’t given up the dream, I've just readjusted. I still think it's going to be Epic! Thanks for listening. Stay tuned!