Shipping to Show

First stop Paris

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

While I was painting this painting I was listening to
Seth Godin videos. One of the talks I enjoyed was
about shipping.  Lizard brain according to Godin stops
us from shipping.  And when you're showing in
New York City as I am at the Amsterdam Whitney
Gallery (the opening reception is May 10), you have
to ship to show.  So this painting had to be ready to
go on Saturday.  And it was.

Godin calls the negative chat we do "thrashing" and
says that lizard brain encourages us to thrash at the end
of a project, and then we miss our deadlines.  We don't ship.
Shipping of course is also a metaphor for getting our
work out to the public, for being actively involved in
moving our art, or writing, or opinions into the world
to do what we were meant to do.  But doing so involves risk,
and risk makes us uncomfortable, so we don't take
risks.  We manufacture excuses instead of just doing
it.  Believe me I have worked really hard at fighting the
urge to let the lizard win.  Nothing against lizards.

So here she is.  I have had dreams of going to the shipper,
taking the work out of the box and doing more.  (Note
to self -- you could always do more.  On the next painting!)
Godin also says that you do have enough time, but you have
to decide.  I was taught at art school by a wonderful
artist who would take his work down in museums, take
watercolours out of the glass and "fix" things.  That's
a disease.  I had to let her go, and looking at her tonight
I feel happy that I did.

Have a getting-it-out-there day.