How My First Art Show Changed My Trajectory
Rainy Bike Rides to the Office, Dreams about Paint Folds, and My First Art Show
My first art show planted the seed that I could succeed as a full-time artist.
Standing before my booth at Pancakes and Booze, my first art show.
Just a few years ago, I was selling art at my first art event in San Francisco.
I was still working full-time as a software engineer. My life was a bit hectic, although I enjoyed the rhythm—I would wake up, write at the Spro cafe on my block, bike to work (usually in the San Francisco rain), write software for the workday, then bike home. I would grab my gear to go climbing, bike another mile, hit the gym for a few hours, then bike home. I would return to my apartment around 9 and I painted until the evening caught up to me, then I’d repeat the process.
(I spent much of this time in solitude. Having moved to a new city, I had a slower social life, so I spent that time with my artistic muse instead. If you’re curious about my writing over this period, check out My Only Friend La Croix, the fictionalized story of my imaginary-friend-muse and other inspirations. I recommend reading it in order.)
My time in San Francisco was instrumental to my growth as an artist. I had sold some paintings here and there to friends, and I still considered it a hobby. The momentum that I retained while working my software career, staying physically fit, and painting into the late hours drove my artistic journey to the point that I wondered if it was a viable career path. I learned about the significant overlap between fitness and art, exploring how the momentum of one would build on the other.
Paintings piled up in my apartment as I practiced. I remember the first dreams that I had about paint folds—I spent hours crafting delicate globs on the end of a palette knife, blending two colors in just the right ratio so that streaks of red could peek out beyond a deep purple.
I needed a way to make room—so I applied to my first show, Pancakes and Booze. It was informal, and I was there mostly for fun—I wanted to meet other artists.
In my first show, I ended up selling three original paintings. Gabe, the artist next to me, was ecstatic at my sales. I think he just might have been more excited than I was! He and I bonded over the event and we became close friends, meeting up to make art and for future shows.
At the time, I still attested that I didn’t want to be a full-time artist. Still, I knew that something else was out there for me, knowing that I wanted to escape a 9-5. It took many years for the concept to pursue my own endeavors to crystallize (more on that later).
Here we are, a year after leaving San Francisco, quitting my tech job, and going all-in on my own path. I still don’t know what the future holds, but I’m glad I made the jump.
Thanks for being here to explore this journey with me!
Glad you’re here,
—Kevin
p.s.
If you want to start painting or approach a new creative hobby, I encourage you to check out my free Creative Development with Oil Painting course! There’s a supplemental PDF version of the course as well. I have the download here.
I’m still expanding the materials in this course and recording demonstrations and concepts. So far, it describes some of the basic setup that you’ll need to begin with oils, but the main concepts are transferrable—I think the crux to a successful artistic practice is the ability to reduce friction in your environment, maintain artistic momentum, and create without being attached to the outcome.
