2021 in Review

Happy Holidays to all of you! Wishing you all the best during this holiday season. Here is to a happy and healthy 2022! Here is a look at 2021 in review for me and my art business. Here are the goals I made for 2021- you can read about how I maintain my goals here!

2021 in Review - my goals

Post consistently to social media (5x a week to instagram, 1-2x to facebook, every day to Pinterest, twice a month to my email list, blog post 3-4x a month, YouTube 2x a month)

I did well with these goals and was able to really grow my following. I was more intentional this year with planning what I wanted to post and doing it ahead of time and not last minute. I took the summer off from posting on YouTube to allow me to focus on other projects and relax after a stressful year of teaching during the pandemic. 

Apply to art calls twice a month - I want to have more exhibitions this year!

With Covid there are still less available exhibitions but I did participate in a few exhibitions including Landscape Transformed in Orillia, a paid opportunity with Create Waterloo to do my Patched installation in Regency Park during the month of July. I had a grant project from the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund for a series of acrylic painting tutorials - link to playlist and link to blog. I also participated in the Mask Required exhibition at Gallery Stratford. I have a current exhibition for SHOW. 21 which is a juried group exhibition of emerging artists -with 10 other artworks present. My work Precariously Perched is on display until February! My solo Patched exhibition at the Kitchener Public Library has been tentatively rescheduled for next year. 

Spend time in nature for inspiration- I find this really helps with my art practice.

Once a month Gordie and I made it a habit of hiking, campinging or walking outside. I’ve taken lots of photos that I have shared on Instagram

Make consistent art sales- I would love my art to be my main source of income.

I have started to make more consistent sales with my art and in April I started a Teachers Pay Teachers Store

Keep my website updated monthly- I like reviewing my website at the end of each month to make sure everything is current.

In August, I created my www.jackiepartridgeart.com website where it focuses more on acrylic painting, YouTube channel, my TPT store, art teaching articles and tips. My www.jackiepartridge.com website now focuses on my contemporary art, my paper art in my shop and blog posts related to my art news and contemporary art practice/what I am working on in the studio. I have liked keeping these areas separate but I have definitely doubled my workload! 

Set boundaries for teaching for more work life balance- no work on Friday nights and Saturdays, no emails past 7pm, no marking on the weekend.

This past summer I worked the month of July at a day camp at my school. I was very intentional not to start working on school stuff until the end of August so that I could have a break from school. I did well not responding to emails after 7pm and will continue to do that this year as it gives me more time to relax. 

Make art during school breaks- Teaching full time has made me really miss having time to make my art.

During school breaks I started working on cyanotypes and creating print designs - you can see them here! I also worked on my painting tutorials from a grant from the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund- you can watch them- here.  I also installed Remnants outside and photographed it this year. I finished my Patched installation video. 

2021 in Review - 

Overall, 2021 was a great year for me. It was my first year teaching full time in the classroom. I had a lovely small class of 12 grade 4 students. We had a fun time going to the park, learning together and seeing them grow. This year with Covid was challenging! We were online twice. We wore masks and it was hard to not see each other smile. 

I made it a habit of going outside more. It was hard to see people less and not being able to hug people especially when I’m not really a hugger. 

I worked on starting to new streams in my art to continue to grow my business. I read a lot of books this year including: Everything is Figureoutable, You are a Badass at Making Money, 

My friends are having babies. My sister-in-law got married.

2022 Goals 

1. Exercise 2x a week

2. Purchase a Home 

3. Have 5 exhibitions or publications 

4. Grow my mailing list by 200 people 

5. Grow my YouTube to 500 subscribers 

6. Have 200 products in my TPT store

Thank you so much for following on this journey. I appreciate you being here and supporting me along the way.

Here are some FREE Ways to Support me (if you aren’t doing them already)

1. Join my mailing list -Learn about new art

2. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

3. Follow me on Pinterest 

4. Like my Facebook Page

5. Follow me on my instagram

6. Follow my TPT store if you are a teacher

Lastly, I would appreciate it if you like something I post to like, comment or share to help me to reach more people! 

What is Support in Art?

What is support in art? And how can you find a good support system? Why do you need a support system as an artist? I will let you know in this blog - don’t you worry! Learn from artist Jackie Partridge what is support in art is.

A strong support system can be one person or more than one. They are someone you trust and they radiate positivity. You can trust this person with your dreams and know that they will be supportive, a good listener, offer great advice, be encouraging and believe in you (often more than you believe in yourself).

As an artist it’s important to have support because making art can be draining. At times, you will feel like your art is not good enough, like everything has been done before and that you won’t make money off your art. 

Your support system can help you to stay focused on your goals and reassure you that your on the right path and that you shouldn’t give up! 

What is Support in Art and Why Does it Matter?

• Having someone who always believes in you can help you to feel confident and successful

• Having a support person can be someone you trust and can talk to on a tough day

• That support person can push you to be your best and reassure you when you doubt yourself

• A great support system encourages you and pushes you to keep going even when you feel like giving up

My Support in Art

“Make more art!” isn’t as simple as it sounds. Making art can be challenging to find the time to do it. For a couple of years since graduating my MFA, I struggled with finding time to make more art and often put off making art all together. I was “too busy” paying off my student loans, working multiple jobs and really didn’t have the time. I started feeling unhappy and my husband really noticed.

He encouraged me to start my YouTube channel. Which scared me. I was worried if people would comment nasty things. That no one would watch the videos, that no one would subscribe and that I would embarrass myself. I was worried what people would think and that they would make fun of me.

Most of all I worried that it would be a complete waste of time.

But he encouraged me to do it.

He often believes in me more than I believe in myself.

And then when I wanted to start my Teachers Pay Teachers store I was scared too. I was worried I wouldn’t make any sales and that I would spend all this time doing it and it would be a waste. He believed in me and encouraged me to keep going.

Not only does he encourage me to do things and to get my art seen but he helps me. He attends exhibition openings, helps me install and de-install my art, takes photos of my art, edits my photos, edits my videos, edits my writing… the list goes on and on.

He is 100% on board with any new and random idea I have. He is there encouraging me, giving me praise and assisting me in my goals.

He will help out around the house or make dinner to give me extra time to work on my art.  He knows that it’s important and that I will appreciate it.

It really helps having a support system like that in your life. 

So, How Can You Support an Artist?

• like, comment, save and share their work on social media

• follow them on social media - invite your friends and family to do the same

• join their mailing list/read their emails

• refer to your artist friends when someone is looking for art

• shop local and from small businesses like artists whenever possible

• ask an artist to do a commission

• purchase artwork from your favourite artist

• compliment an artist - let them know you love their work! Bonus points if you tell them why (this can help them develop new work)

• Send them inspiration, art exhibition calls or other art opportunities

• Listen without judgment
  
  

  Even doing a FREE action like commenting on their post can help an artist - because it allows the artist to reach more people!

If you would like to support me as an artist - you can click here to check out my shop or support me by clicking the social media links below!

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Send me a DM to let me know who your support system is.