I AM SOOO PISSED OFF!
I was recommended to talk to a female entrepreneur who represented artists and presented them to galleries. I was excited, I was hoping I had found a woman who would believe in me and lift me up. It has been a beautiful few years where I am finally finding women in a male dominated industry Hizza! Was I ever effing wrong? I met with this industry professional, who didn’t take the time to get to know anything about my art practice prior to our meeting, which should have been a red flag right there.
What I took away from our conversation:
-From what I can see your stuff is cute (pardon fucking me?)
-So you are starting the conversation saying you are a mother? (yes, because I am, is there something wrong with that?)
-It's not like you are going to show in the MoMa or anything. Any gallery is going to look at you and all you're doing with your brand and say no. (oh so I can just be a painter, that’s it? WTF News for you, I already have gallery representation, they love me, I love them. Go fuck yourself.)”
-Your work can’t be purchased by serious collectors.
-Your collectors will be other stay at home moms
-Maybe you can sell diapers from your instagram
-I think you should take the word artist off your website
-Maybe you could get a wine sponsor (oh okay so I can promote day drinking, cool, I am 10 years sober, ya lets get some moms drunk at home with their babies, seems acceptable, like they aren’t going through enough already.)
-If you are going to pursue an art career it will be an uphill battle (fucking bring it on) I’ve done harder shit than this!)
-You need to decide what you want to be a brand or an artist (thanks for the advice I can be both, that is allowed)
-I mean you live in the prairies (and? I live in the most supportive amazing community with others who believe in me and support my journey. I just witnessed my small city raise 500,000 dollars in 12 hours. We are special and proud of where we live.)
At this point most of you know I am a mother and an artist and so many other things. I know it is unclear to some, but this is what I am, and I am not afraid to follow my course. Not many may have done this, and not many will do this in the same way. But I can tell you clearly that I am an artist. I do know that there are giant groups of mother’s paving their way through the art world. I've met them, they are stunning and empower one another, it is a beautiful thing.
The art world is severely female represented on all fronts (on top of the fact that only 16% of business owners in Canada are female, this isn’t happening just in the art world). Showing myself creating with my kids in my studio is a great statement. No we are not crafting, well sometimes we do, but to be honest I am complete garbage at crafts, this morning our gingerbread house was an epic failure. But it was fun, that is a part of my life and it’s okay that I share that side of myself.
I already know what the show is called “Motherhood through the ages” AND YOU KNOW WHAT MAYBE IT WILL SHOW AT THE MoMA. Maybe it won't but that doesn’t make it worthy or not.
I am stronger because of them. Want to know why, because motherhood has been the greatest challenge of all. I can push 3 mini fucking watermelons out of my vagina I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to. Art world, I am here and I am never leaving. I will find my people who believe in me, they will support me, and I them and if there isn’t room for us now we will make it.
So nice to meeting you lady, I hope I never speak with you again, thanks for lighting a grand fucking bonfire under my ass! Oh, and go fuck yourself.
I know I am not the only one who has gone through something like this, I want to hear your story, I want to talk about your story. Please reach out, let's get the conversation going, let's make change together.