@parus I was a shy one too. That might be hard to believe since I'm here talking about art, but I learned to love the real appreciation that I got from people, and watching them enjoy my paintings makes me feel good that I gave them some joy. The people who like it stop and look for a bit, the others look politely and walk on by. There are also those who want to tell me how their grandmother can do this too, and that's OK if they want to think that, as I know it's not likely to be the truth. I don't need to please everyone and art is so personal. I know lots of artists and all of our work is different, equally good, but it reflects the individual who created it and their response to what moved them to create it. Yes, it does feel like being exposed, but let that be our secret. When you stop to think about it and you realize that only you knew how to create it, and that they wouldn't be able to do that just like you did, and that they are not making the connection to the exposure because they haven't tried to do this, then you're giving them something that they didn't know about, and teaching them what you think is important. When you start marketing your talent in hopes of sales, you need to learn to be entertaining and to connect with people on a personal level. I used to be nervous about public speaking, and one day at an art show that I was in, someone put a mic in front of me and asked me to say something about my work. I was totally unprepared and couldn't think of much to say, but I realized what an opportunity that was, and that I needed to be prepared to talk about my experiences and my work at any time. I have no fear of public speaking now, and have given a talk at a museum along with a solo show of my work, and I have been interviewed on a live TV talk show about my work that was in an auction. I was able to set up that opportunity through a connection and get air time to promote a charity fundraiser for a volunteer fire department with my art work, and talk about the experiences I had on a covered wagon trip that was the source of the painting that I had in the show. I guess this would be an example of how being an artist changed my life and gave me confidence in other areas. Art is problem solving, and those skills relate to ways to creatively solve other problems. It's OK if you do it just for yourself and don't share it with the world, as it's a benefit either way.

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