Diary of a reluctant art gallery owner, Chapter 1

What do I know about art? Well, I know what I like and I like most everything that is honest and surprises me on some level but that’s a most unsophisticated confession now, isn’t it? This isn’t new. I almost went to art school myself. I didn’t have the guts and took a safer road. I admire those of you who have the talent and the courage to go after your dreams.

Frankly, I’m a business woman. I’m not sure how that happened either but that’s another blog. So for the last 20 some years I’ve hung around in my husband’s business interests doing just about every job you could imagine and motivated by my desire to eat regularly. I’ve learned a lot about what it’s ‘really’ like to work for yourself (its hard) and what it really takes to be successful (lot’s of sacrifice and money if you can scrape it up). So when I ought to be seriously thinking about retiring and taking life easy, I’m “re-firing” and once again starting up a new business. And the truth here is that it’s lots of fun for me.

I love a challenge and believe me, art and business are a bit like oil and water. I’m challenged to prove that good business principles when applied to an unlikely commodity can indeed prosper. And perhaps my bigger challenge is in disciplining myself to follow those principles and not get caught up emotionally in what seems right vs analyzing the situation and planning so that the steps we take are right. Again….confessions for another day….

So here I am emotionally naked before you and intending to bare my soul as I share my prospective on our striving to realize this vision we have named, “some things looming”. I should have started blogging sooner. There have been many days where I have had to talk myself back in off the ledge wondering what I’ve bitten off here. So far I’ve managed or my partners Melanie and Floyd have managed to help me refocus and find my two feet once again safely on the ground. Anyway, you are catching me on a good day today. Don’t lose heart for those of you who enjoy that sort of voyeurism, I’m sure if you hang around long enough, you will get to experience that with me yet again. It’s a roller coaster at times. There are these wonderful moments of encouragement and then the great leaps of faith that take such incredible courage that I think I just won’t be able to find again within me…..and then…somehow I do.

Stay tuned for the ride.

Rebekah