There is often additional information on the recording that is not in this written interview. Inspire yourself and listen while you make art. __________________________________________My primary goal in these interviews is to inspire you with stories of people who make a living making art and who consider it a real job. I usually feature artists. I also write about art professionals who also have valuable viewpoints to share. If you have been following these interviews for a while, you probably know the name Bruce Marion. If you've missed the two interviews I have done with Bruce, you should stop and read them first: Interview #1 and Interview #2. Since Bruce first joined the A.C.T. community a few years ago in Master Your Art Business, I have had the pleasure of watching his career grow. I frequently tell artists to study his career as an example of what is possible if you are wiling to work hard and smart.
Today I am stepping behind the scenes in a new series called " Sweet Equity: The Backstory of Art Couples." All artists put sweat equity into their work. A few, like Bruce are lucky to have sweet equity as well in the form of a life partner who helps make the artist's success happen from behind the scenes. You've probably heard the expression "Behind every great man is a good woman." Today I have the pleasure of revealing Bruce Marions' secret advantage - Lee Wright.
ACT: Tell me about the role you play in Bruce's career.
"I suppose you could divide what I do into three categories: head cheerleader, sounding board, and wrangler... though not necessarily in that order. First and foremost, I'm his number one fan (though his parents, and a few of his avid collectors, might argue with that claim). "We all need support and encouragement now and then, but for an artist, those needs are magnified exponentially. Actually, I think it's relatively easy for people to sympathize with the pressure to be 'creative' day in and day out. Bruce hears comments regularly from people that they 'can't imagine how he continues to come up with new and better work, day after day...' It's ironic, really, because the truth is, he can't imagine how he does it either!  |
©Lee Wright Balancing Act
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"But I think the biggest need for support comes from just being self-employed - making yourself do the work, every day - and not just the work you want to do, but the work you need to do. Going to the studio to paint is often the easiest part. It's processing the photos, updating the inventory, managing the website, staying on top of PR, taking care of shipping and billing, and on and on... things that aren't necessarily creative at all - that's where he needs the most support and encouragement. So, I try to be Bruce's head cheerleader, in the studio, in the office and in his life."
ACT: Do you serve as a sounding board for the art, or for the business?
"For both. From the business end, Bruce and I discuss almost every aspect of an art career - from very specific, detailed topics pertaining specifically to his situation, to the 'bigger picture' concepts and approaches necessary to any artist. We'll strategize media opportunities, promotional angles, or galleries to target, then segue into a discussion of just how far an emerging or mid-career artist's style or subject matter can change before he starts losing his audience...it all fascinates us both, and so is constantly being tossed around between us. "I do also give Bruce a fair amount of feedback and input on his art. Really, I'm the first point-of-contact for every new work. I'd guess I've spent almost as much time studying his paintings as Bruce has, although I look at them quite differently than he does. I understand his aesthetic, and his goals; so I can bring a sympathetic, but separate, view to the work. It takes a huge amount of respect and trust on both sides in order to work (along with a generous dose of tact), but it's really come to work for both of us - almost all the time. Bruce is a very rare individual - he's not threatened by feedback or suggestions. I think he so comfortably and confidently 'owns' his work that he can truly look at input as just making his work that much stronger, as opposed to feeling 'swallowed' or 'lessened' by criticism.
"In the same way, he doesn't feel lessened, or threatened, by someone else's success. We know so many wonderful artists; when we learn one of them has just made a huge sale, or gotten an amazing public commission, I'm always happy for them, but a little jealous, too. I can't help thinking, 'Oh, I wish it had been Bruce.' But he's not like that - he's purely and genuinely ecstatic for other people's success, without an ounce of envy or avarice. He simply doesn't feel the need to compare himself to them, to compare his success to theirs. It's a very rare trait that allows him to be completely generous and true in his happiness for others. I hope it's rubbing off on me."
ACT: Where does the "wrangler" come in?
"This is probably the trickiest area for us, that causes the most conflict or consternation. Essentially, it comes down to this - sometimes the desires and pursuits of the artist are not well aligned with the demands and deadlines of the art business. Whether it means Bruce has become absorbed in creating landscapes, but really needs to focus on figurative work for an upcoming show, or he's just loving working in a horizontal 36" x 60" format, but the galleries are asking for a wide assortment of sizes. 'Wrangling' means I'm going to try to point out something that's being over-looked. Typically, it means asking him to try to incorporate mundane considerations into his creative process, and it goes over just about as well as you'd expect. A dirty job, but somebody's got to do it."
ACT: In terms of day-to-day tasks, what do you handle for the business?
"I do almost all of the writing, whether it's updating his artist statement, describing a new painting series for a brochure, drafting a news story for distribution, editing and contributing commentary for his book, or describing the proposal for a public art call. I also handle communications with his collectors and mailing list, both email (newsletters through Constant Contact) and direct mail (design/printing/addressing of brochures, invitations, etc). "I also title most of the paintings, giving Bruce a couple of possibilities from which he'll select the final name. It's a funny process, because our sensibilities about titles are completely different (typically, Bruce thinks my titles are too esoteric or literary; I find his to be too literal, trite or simpering), but somehow we find a middle ground. "Typically, I'm the one scouting for public commission opportunities (usually through CAFÉ), and tracking application deadlines. I'll often do a lot of the advance work on proposals - creating mock-ups in Photoshop, etc. I did all the Photoshop work on the Sam Houston submissions, and built the scaled white models when it became clear we couldn't possibly communicate the concept any other way. Occasionally, I'll do similar work for Bruce on private commissions, if he's pressed for time or just wants my input on how to approach a space. Normally, though, he handles that directly with the client. "When things are very busy, right before a show like the Celebration of Fine Art, or just before the Collectors' Party we host in our home every year, I'll do framing, paint edges, process images... really, anything that needs to be done.  |
©2011 Bruce Marion Studios The 2011 Celebration booth, taken at dusk the night before opening. The booth is built in four days, during which time it's transformed from bare cement floors and barn-board-siding back walls to this carpeted, dry-walled space with archways, built-in storage, carved lighting beams, and even a partial "ceiling" made from shade screening. Other artists at the show refer to our booth as the "mother ship."
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And for the Celebration show, of course, I'm responsible for the design and construction of the booth every year: flooring, carpentry, drywall installation, painting, lighting beams and fixtures, wiring, and of course hanging the art (the best part). My goal is to make the 40-foot booth space, sitting in the middle of a huge white tent, feel as much like the interior of someone's home as possible, because it makes their buying decision easier. I also do all the hanging/lighting for our Collectors' Party - this year's event had 82 pieces on display."
ACT: Tell me more about this "Collectors' Party" you mentioned.
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©2011 Bruce Marion
Studios Some of the first
guests arriving to the
2010 Collector's Party. Gives
a little sense of the lighting,
and some of the fabulous
wall space.
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"Well, it's just that, really - it's an event we created to thank our collectors for their support and patronage. We hold it in mid-October, which has typically been a somewhat quieter time of year for us. Of course, that's also typically when the temperature finally drops below the 100+ highs of summer. That's important - not only is it much more comfortable, so local clients are more willing to come out, but it's also when many of our collectors who summer elsewhere return to their Scottsdale residences, so they're able to attend, too. But it isn't just the locals that attend - every year we have people who fly in, from Georgia, from Ohio, from Chicago. "But, you know, one of the reasons we decided to hold the event, and particularly to hold it in our home, is because it's become so clear to us through the years that our collectors really delight in the relationship they have with Bruce. They love that they know the artist whose work hangs on their wall. There's a sort-of 'celebrity status' for them about Bruce, so the more we are able to open that window, and to develop that relationship, the more satisfaction they get from the art they own. Plus, everyone is eager to see the art hanging in our home, as if that's ultimately the way Bruce would envision it being displayed. And we do display it well. "Hanging the house is a labor of love for me, and I've been known to re-paint rooms and re-upholster furniture in order to showcase the art to the fullest. Our home is a two-story, with about 3,000 sq. feet, so it's good-sized, though not where you'd typically plan to hold a party for 70-80 people. But, it's got such a great floor plan, that it works. Believe it or not, that's actually why we bought the house - we knew we wanted to create this fantastic event for our collectors, and the house had the 'flow', and the wall space, to support it. We display anywhere from 80-90 paintings each year, and they're not stacked on top of each other 'gallery style'... they're really beautifully showcased. And the same care goes into lighting them. We have a lot of art spots installed throughout our home, but I also supplement with temporary lighting - and absolutely everything is on a dimmer. So, being invited into our home is tantalizing - the party simply wouldn't work if it was anywhere else. "One of the other great lures to the event is that the artwork featured on the walls is almost entirely new - with the exception of a couple of 'family' pieces and a carry-over or two, none of it has been displayed before. Our collectors are the first to get to see the work, and that's exciting. In fact, it's become commonplace for the local gallery owners to attend not only to mingle and make connections, but to make 'wish lists' of new work they'd like, before they're offered out to the entire gallery base. Our local galleries also occasionally extend invitations to their clientele who are not yet collectors of Bruce's, but have shown interest in his work. It's a testament to the level of trust Bruce has garnered with his galleries, that they're willing to 'share' their clients' names and addresses with him. "While we do keep to a reasonable budget for the event, we make sure it feels 'first class' all the way. For example, while we could probably get away with an emailed invitation, or something we print ourselves, instead we have a full, four-color invite professionally printed, with gorgeous colored, metallic envelopes that are hand-addressed. Of course, there's more than mere image invested in the invite, because it always features a new (and available) work of art on the cover, so even the people who can't make the party still have a beautiful new work of art staring at them from their refrigerators for a few months. It keeps us in their minds. Similarly, we always have live music, and 'passed' hors d'oeuvres, rather than just 'stationary' food on tables - it's an ambience that can't be created any other way. "We also always try to add a new element every year. Last year, Bruce had just begun the abstract landscape series, Vistas, so we did an unveiling of the first piece from the collection - the excitement and anticipation was palpable. This year, we held a competition to name the painting featured on the invite - not only did everyone have a great time coming up with their entries, but we received a lot of great potential future titles, too.  |
©2011 Bruce Marion Studios "Name the Painting" title competition display
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"We've just finished our third year of the Collectors' Party, and I hope we'll be doing them the rest of our lives. It's a lot of work, but so, so rewarding... Think of it - how fabulous to get to spend time with people who like what you do so much, they'll spend their hard-earned money to possess it, and then fly halfway across the country to spend their equally precious free time talking with you about it. It's an honor."
ACT: Going back for a moment to the work you do for Bruce Marion Studios - you mentioned a lot of diverse jobs. What is your background that supports these wide-ranging skills?
"I come from theatre - my BFA is in theatrical design, and I worked in professional theatre for the first half of my life. Basically, that means I've learned to do a wide range of things on practically no money. Could there be any better preparation? (laughing) But honestly, I do often feel like I couldn't possibly have had any better background for what I do now than my years in theatre... I have a good basis of design training that allows me to speak of form, color, and balance.
"In addition, I'm familiar with architectural drawing and rudimentary construction, I have an understanding of lighting design and a relatively good grasp of electricity and wiring, and I have an enormous respect for the impact of doing something on a big scale (and a near addiction to doing so). I know how to milk the most from a tight budget, how to construct a working schedule for a large production, how to time-manage, how to advertise - all the things it takes to run a theatre company.
"When I left professional theatre, I did a little bit of everything: I worked as a buyer for a women' clothing chain, did store display and merchandising, put on fashion shows and workshops, then went into management. This experience with the retail world has proven invaluable to the art career. For a period of time I worked for a jazz club, originally designing lighting for the musical acts, but then ending up developing and editing a 16-page tabloid music newspaper for them. That was really good exposure to advertising and promotion, and that definitely comes into play today. It's a hodge-podge of experience, but I've learned a great deal in each of the industries in which I've toiled, so added together it works."
ACT: What would you say is the single most important trait or talent you bring to the table?
"I'm obsessive/compulsive, so I never stop trying to make something better."
ACT: And the quality that's sometimes the most difficult, as you and Bruce try to work together.
"As I said, I never stop."
ACT: Do you paint?
"Let's put it this way - I can, but I prefer not to. Bruce would love for me to really dive into it, get into galleries, etc., but what can I say? It's just not my thing. So for now, the only regular painting I do is 'edgework' for Bruce's gallery-wraps, but I only do that when he's trying to meet a deadline (usually he does it himself). It's basically matching the color and texture from the face of the canvas, and continuing it on the two-inch-wide strip on all four sides. Doing the edges for the Sam Houston commission was my full-time job for a while...it was literally hundreds of linear feet."
ACT: Let's talk about the Sam Houston State University commission. You've indicated that you were fairly involved in developing the proposal...
"Well, I think the first thing any artist needs to understand about doing commissions is that 99% of the people in the world have absolutely no ability to visualize. If you can't find a way to show them what your proposed art will look like in their space, you just don't stand a very good chance of getting the job. It's not enough just to 'spec up' the art - they have to be able to see it in relation to their project, whether it's for a big space like SHSU, or a moderately-sized piece to go above a sofa. "We create mock-ups in Photoshop for almost every commission job, because it allows the clearest form of communication with the client, and gives them confidence to hire you. When I met Bruce I'd never even heard of Photoshop - I could barely use a computer, and didn't even have an email address. Now, I can take images of several of his different paintings, cut and paste them together, change their sizes, colors and shapes, and blend the seams or fill-in any gaps to simulate something that doesn't exist. Then I can take it and scale it within a room photo, distort it to show proper perspective, and cast its shadow on the wall. This is exactly what was done for the two-story atrium proposal at SHSU, so the selection committee could virtually see the art hanging in their building's entryway.  |
©2011 Bruce Marion Studios
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"The other element to a really successful proposal is being able to tell them why you did what you did, to justify your choices in a meaningful way. It isn't enough to say, 'I thought it would look good,' or 'That's just what I envisioned,' you must have a reason. For SHSU, the artwork was for a new building for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, so I started by reading everything I could find about that department - what degree programs they offered, their course lists and descriptions, that sort of thing. As it turned out, they also put out a monthly newsletter, where in back issues I was able to read about their 'Ribbon-Cutting' ceremony and dedication of the new facility, including copies of the speeches made by the Dean of the college and by the university president. I also found the name of the architectural firm that designed the building; their website included fascinating information about what they considered to be the biggest challenges of the job. All together, it gave me a good understanding of what was important to the students and faculty at SHSU, and how they felt about what they do... a very valuable point of view. "What struck me the most about their courses and disciplines was that they all seemed to require the ability to think logically and critically, while at the same time being a visionary and a dreamer - sort of opposite sides, being integrated as one whole. I thought playing up that duality could be an interesting approach. When I read that what the Dean of the college, and the architect, were most proud of was the fact that the new building would house both the classroom/teaching facilities and the research facilities for the professors and PHD candidates (aspects traditionally considered disparate, and thus usually housed in different buildings), I knew I was on to something. The two-story atrium had two tall walls opposite each other, one on either side of the main entry doors, so we proposed two facing works of art, one in a cool color scheme, the other in a warm. With the two palettes, the works would appear to be two halves of one whole, and would symbolize the duality of character and purpose in the subjects of study, as well as parallel the integration of the teaching and research disciplines under one roof. Having this insight about the dual natures at play in the building was critical to the design of the art work; explaining it to the selection committee, in the proposal, was critical to getting the job. "Of course, once the general approach was determined, a lot of other details began to fall into place. Since the project was for a university, we wanted the artwork to be on a grand scale, and to convey a sense of striving ever higher, of reaching for greatness. But at the same time, we were concerned about the size of the finished artwork: how would we transport it? Hang it? To solve these problems, we decided to divide each piece into four long vertical panels (Bruce has done a lot of multi-canvas work), and then stagger their placement up and down on the wall. This allowed us to fill the space, and achieve the scale we wanted, while keeping the canvases to a manageable size. And the staggered panels beautifully represented a sense of striving for bigger and bigger heights. Since we were proposing a warm and cool palette, we also pointed out how the dual tones would nicely reflect the accent colors used in tile and paint throughout the building (the schools 'colors' are blue and orange). Similarly, we explained that while the circular motif in the abstract works represented the evolution of learning, they also just happened to reflect the college's logo (which is round, and is featured prominently in the atrium). The light fixtures in the building were also round (we pointed that out, too). "In this way, we gave them reason after reason why the artwork was appropriate to their space, why it was meaningful to their work. They had all of this supportive evidence, to go along with beautiful images of artwork created just for them and customized to their space, shown virtually 'hanging' on their walls. They told us later it was an easy decision. "Interesting side-note: the Dean of the College liked the concept write-ups so much, and felt they so well conveyed what Humanities and Soc. Sciences are all about, that he had large plaques made (about 16" x 30") quoting edited versions of the proposals. These now hang alongside the artwork in the two entryways."
ACT: Bruce also did the artwork for the three-story atrium. How did that come to be?
"Well, initially, we had no intention of applying for the three-story space. When the art call went out, they were looking for a number of pieces - the two atria were the only large spaces - the rest of the art was for offices or meeting rooms. These smaller pieces also had criteria attached, like 'Artwork should reflect man's history of social diversity while showing his achievements in integration...' Typically they were calling for more representational images. Since that's not Bruce's focus, we eliminated them as potential commissions. That left the two entrance atria, but the spaces couldn't have been more different! The two-story space was simple and straightforward, loft-like. Two photos on the website showed you everything you needed to know. The three-story space, in contrast, had stairways and landings criss-crossing every direction, so all the wall space was broken into diagonal fragments. Even with the 20 or so photos they supplied of the space, you still couldn't get a clear picture of it. The space seemed unmanageable for a painter, so we passed on it.
"But about ten days after we submitted our proposal for the two-story space, Bruce got an email from the Dean, asking him if he'd consider creating a submission for the three-story space as well. Naturally, we thought this meant they were going with someone else for the two-story, so we said we'd 'see what we could do.' But we couldn't possibly begin to approach a design unless we had a better idea what the space really was. Since we didn't want to fly to Texas, we contacted the architectural firm and asked for drawings. The drawings seemed to confirm our suspicions. The space was very unusual, with very little wall space that wasn't sandwiched diagonally between stairs. It was like one big spiral, moving around the walls on an angle, for three floors, interspersed with flat landings against the glass wall.
"You couldn't possibly approach it with anything near a conventional painting. So, we started to play around with shapes. We wanted to use the angle of the stairways, because it was the strongest design element in the space, and using triangles seemed an interesting approach to that. We found we could combine and rearrange them in a number of different ways, creating interesting shapes that really related to the wall spaces. It reminded us of origami, with the shapes looking more like sculptures than just paintings on the wall. Given the architectural complexity of the space, I took 'looking sculptural' as a very good sign. It was dynamic and exciting to look at; we really thought we were on to something. "But it was just too hard, working on flat drawings of the atrium, to sense how the pieces should be distributed throughout the three floors, so I decided to build a scale model. Once we could view the space in three dimensions, it came together easily. Piggy-backing on the duality concept from the two-story proposal, we proposed pairs of triangles, each comprised of one warm and one cool canvas, combined in different ways at each major space, with some smaller, singular canvases scattered in between. They seemed to allude to innumerable opportunities for people in the humanities and social sciences to creatively combine their multiple talents in ever-new and challenging ways, expanding the boundaries of their disciplines. So, that's precisely what we said in the proposal.
"The problem, however, was how to convey the proposal to the art selection committee - this was not anything you could adequately mock-up in Photoshop. So, I built another model that was more finished and professional than the first one, mocked up the artwork in the same scale, and placed it on the model's walls. We even created the glass wall, printing the doorways and mullions from the architect's drawings onto a sheet of clear plastic - suddenly, not only could you see how the artwork looked in the atrium, but also how it looked from outside of the building, looking in through the glass as if from various spots on campus. After building a special box to protect the model, we crossed our fingers and fed-exed it to Houston, along with the written proposal. I think they notified Bruce just a few weeks later that he'd been awarded the commissions for both spaces."
ACT: You put in a lot of time and care to win the projects - not just into the conceptualization, but also into the proposal presentation itself.
"Absolutely! Don't get me wrong - concept counts, first and foremost. But no matter how great your idea is, if you don't take the time to make it look good on paper, if you don't create an attractive layout within your proposal, they'll never see your genius. And even if they do, you won't instill confidence in your work.
"We built a brand new model to send to Houston because the first one, while perfectly functional and not bad looking, was still not as professional as it could have been. Every proposal, every email, every phone call - they all represent you as both a person and as an artist. It has to be of the highest caliber, so you always make the right impression. That way, not only will they like your work, but they'll also have the confidence that you can deliver it, with the utmost quality and professionalism. Anything less is just that: less. Is that really the message you want to send?"
ACT: I understand that once Bruce had been awarded the commissions, he faced some interesting challenges trying to complete them in his studio.
"Oh yes... it was truly a case of 'the best laid plans.' We'd given considerable thought to the largest canvases we thought he'd be able to transport to Houston; what we neglected to consider was the largest canvas sizes he could work on in his studio. Individually, the canvases weren't a problem, but in their staggered groupings they were just too big. The triangular pieces weren't too bad; although they would be hung in pairs, other than needing to establish the points of overlap, he felt he could paint them independently. But the vertical canvases for the two-story atrium could only fit two at a time, horizontally, in the biggest room of the studio (and even that left several feet of canvas 'floating' off a corner wall). He'd never have been able to get a sense for the piece working that way."Originally, Bruce thought he'd have to lease something, but the only spaces available were either too expensive or too far away to be practical. We needed something close-by, with large spaces, good lighting, free access, and a low cost. We'd been debating our options for several days, when suddenly the idea struck - maybe he could work in the auditorium of the grade school in our neighborhood. We knew the principal fairly well. We'd designed their logo for them a few years earlier, and even reproduced it in large scale on the cafeteria's proscenium. |
©2011 Bruce Marion Studios The Confluence canvases, hung sideways in the Hartford Elementary School auditorium. You can see the logo we created for the school painted above the proscenium.
| Within twenty minutes of calling the school, we not only had a place to work, but also were scheduled to lead several assemblies for the kids about creating art. It was fantastic - we took the unusually-shaped canvases, along with lots of paints and aprons, and not only talked with them about the artist's life, but had them helping paint the first layer on the canvases. "It became a highlight of the whole process, so much so that Bruce included it in his speech at the dedication ceremony in Houston. Everyone loved knowing that the artwork for the university originated with children at a grade school a thousand miles away. Now, the elementary school has gotten a grant, and raised matching funds, so they can have Bruce do a month-long art program in May 2011. And it never would have happened if we hadn't encountered space problems in the studio.  |
©2011 Bruce Marion Studios At one of the assemblies, as the handfull of students chosen to help create the underpainting get to work, I kept the rest of the kids pumped up by painting "HEAT" on a portion of the canvas (the school's mascot/symbol is "Hancock Heat"). Much screaming and cheering ensued.
| "By the way, there's a short film about the entire Sam Houston Commission process, which includes delightful footage from our work with the kids at the grade school. You can view it in the 'News' section of Bruce's website (www.brucemarion.com), or on YouTube."  |
©2011 Bruce Marion Studios It's interesting to compare the finished artwork, as installed, to the Photoshop mock-up created for the proposal. It's almost uncanny how similar they are.
| ACT: Clearly you and Bruce have developed a very close, collaborative working style, that's been tremendously successful. Is there any advice you'd offer to other couples trying to build a similar working relationship?
"Don't do it! (Laughing) OK, that was a joke, but like most good jokes, there is a little bit of truth to it. Not everyone should try to work this closely together - as I said earlier, Bruce has rare qualities of self-assurance, that allow him the comfort and security to ask me for regular feedback.
"I think it's also helpful that we're only building one art career - if I was working on building my own career simultaneously, I know things would get too complicated. So, we've got a few things working in our favor.
"We've learned a few guidelines the hard way. For example, no matter how time-crunched we are, you can't by-pass the 'niceties.' I make it a point to say a minimum of three things I like about a painting before discussing any aspects I feel aren't working. It seems like common sense, but it takes a surprising amount of discipline to always do it that way. "The same is true with waiting to be asked before offering feedback - simple enough in theory, but hard to put into practice 100% of the time. And Bruce tries to do these same things for me - to compliment a new article I've written, or a commission idea I've dreamed up, before getting critical. We didn't sit down early on and come up with a list of rules to follow; we developed them along the way as someone's feelings got hurt, or as communication broke down between us. Really, it's like working through any marital hardship - you have to lovingly and kindly express your feelings, and listen with compassion to the concerns of your partner, then make the compromises necessary to a mutual resolution. Easy, right?
"There is one area of difficulty that continues to pop up that's been harder for us to recognize and define. For lack of a better term, I'll call it the 'Boss Syndrome.' Essentially, it's when the division of labor on a project ceases to be by mutual agreement, but turns into the assignment of duties by one or the other of us. In other words, rather than saying, 'We need to get (fill in the blank) done. Do you want to do it, or shall I?' one of us will say, 'You need to do this,' or 'I need you to do that...' It's a small thing, but has large consequences, especially if it goes unrecognized for a period of time, because it throws off the balance of power. You feel this resentment building, and you're not sure why, you just know you don't feel like partners anymore. And you're not! As soon as one of you takes on the role of 'boss,' the balance of power is thrown off, and the person being treated as the 'worker' feels a loss of respect and importance. We finally got tuned in to what was happening when I saw an article in Inc. Magazine about husband and wife partnerships in the corporate world. It helps if you can clearly define your working responsibilities, but ultimately it comes down to remembering that your spouse works with you, not for you."
ACT: Any final thoughts you'd like to share?
"I'd just like to thank you, Aletta, for recognizing the important role that spouses or partners like myself play in the artist's career, and including it as an element of your training. It's a frequently unrecognized contribution, because you're working behind the scenes to help boost someone else into the spotlight. But it's invaluable - and I'm very lucky to be married to someone who knows and understands that." _________________________________________
If you don't have someone in your studio behind the scenes, don't let that hold you back. If you need an accountability partner for your art business or someone to roll up sleeves to produce art marketing materials or work on your web site, just let us know. We have a whole team to help you. Start with a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Sign up here: http://www.artistcareertraining.com/request-a-consultation/ or email Robin@ArtistCareerTraining.com.
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