​
​If you’ve recently received a very flattering, flowery email inviting you to be featured on a podcast or Instagram Live - especially one associated with a recognizable account - you are not being discovered. You are being targeted.

Let me break this down so you know exactly what’s going on.
​

The Hook

So, we have this flattering email from an unofficial/generic gmail account (non-domain account, like myname @ legacyartmgt.com) inviting the artist to do a relaxed Instagram Live interview. To seem more legit, the person uses a few links from the podcaster's own IG account.

The Scam

There are a few different ways the scam works:

1. Quick Money - If you engage (don't!), they'll say they can get you on the books for X date. To secure that spot, you'll just need to pay a small fee to assure you'll be there. 
2. Phishing - The bigger fish most scammers want is your private information: credit card info, login credentials, etc. They may send you a link to log into their calendar or guest book or even send an invite to connect your Instagram or TikTok account to theirs. (Theirs will not be the legit account anymore.) Once they gain the connectivity, they can take control of your account and all your hard work will go down the drain.
3. Digital Assets - They may ask for a few high res images to help in promoting you leading up to the interview. They get their hands on your high res images, and then they can reproduce them for their own products or EVEN WORSE try to pose as you and scam collectors using your name - which will be an even bigger legal headache for you.

It's the same bad actors flipping the script.

Scammers know that one of the biggest aspects to artists' success is the need for visibility, and social media is the main tool artists get that visibility. They also are seeing that artists have caught on to the NFT scam. 

But! Don't think they're all a scam.

If you're gaining traction in your social media presence with lots of followers and engagement, you will gain attention from credible accounts. Partnership opportunities can come about if your presence is dynamic and your storytelling appeals to the products they sell. 

If someone genuinely wants to feature you:

• They will contact you through a professional, verifiable channel
• They will not ask you for money
• They will not ask for your login information
• And you will be able to confirm their identity independently

When in doubt, take five minutes to look them up outside of the email. Search for their official website and check what their interview process is. If you're not confident they're legit, they probably aren't. Do not reply to them and just delete the email.

(Note for Artcloud users: Artcloud's support team has a system in place to block scammers' fake email addresses from the entire platform. Help your fellow artists by forwarding these scam emails to their support email.)

​If you’ve received one of these, you’re not alone—and you’re not being singled out for your brilliance (as nice as that would be). You’re on a list.

Feel free to share this with other artists. The more people who recognize this pattern, the less effective it becomes.

Stay sharp out there and keep on creating!

A PS after posting this:

I reached out to both podcasters to let them know, and heard back from one almost immediately that they're seeing a lot of this. He shared THIS link which goes into their perspective and a bit more insight from their end.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparison or judgment, especially around pricing, style, or career choices. But over the years, I’ve noticed a simple truth:

​The most successful and fulfilling artistic careers are built not by tearing others down, but by lifting each other up.

Critiques, advice, and discussions about art are invaluable—but they work best when they come from a place of encouragement and curiosity rather than judgment. Supporting each other goes beyond words—it’s about fostering a community where creativity is celebrated. Celebrate peers’ achievements, share knowledge generously, and offer guidance where you can. Even small acts of encouragement can have a lasting impact on someone’s artistic path.

At the end of the day, our true success isn’t measured by the competition around us but by how we grow and how we contribute to the community we love. By lifting each other up, we create a culture where artists can thrive together, rather than in isolation.
​
Let’s remember: the art world is big enough for everyone to succeed. Supporting one another doesn’t diminish your own talent—it strengthens the entire creative ecosystem.

And, as my mother always told me:​

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

​Artists can protect their autonomy while maintaining an ethical and professional relationships with galleries. One of the most important steps is ensuring that any expectations or limitations on sales or visibility are clearly documented in contracts or agreements AT THE VERY START OF THE CONVERSATION.

​Ambiguous verbal expectations leave room for misinterpretation and can make conflicts more difficult to navigate. A written agreement ensures both the artist and gallery understand their responsibilities, from commissions and exclusivity to marketing support and exhibition commitments. It also safeguards the artist’s financial investment, protecting thousands of dollars’ worth of work.

Transparency remains essential. Asking buyers how they found a piece and involving the gallery when a sale originated through them demonstrates professionalism and maintains trust. Even for works not consigned to a gallery, keeping communication open protects the relationship and shows respect for the gallery’s role.

Artists should also set professional boundaries. Limitations should apply only to works the gallery actively represents. Open, respectful conversations about pricing, timing, or specific works can often satisfy both the gallery’s and the artist’s goals without compromising autonomy. Simple practices, like keeping notating and logging the origin of inquiries, spotlighting available consigned artwork in your own marketing to boost the galleries, or checking in to share with them what you're doing, allow artists to maintain autonomy while respecting the gallery’s role.

Finally, artists should recognize their value. Galleries depend on the artist’s work, not the other way around. Independent visibility and direct sales strengthen a career and can create more opportunities for the gallery in the future. Artists who manage their independence responsibly often become even more valuable to galleries because they cultivate broader collector networks and build long-term career resilience. By combining professional transparency with clear boundaries and strong contracts, artists can maintain integrity, support their galleries, and protect their livelihoods — all while fostering strong, respectful relationships.

The healthiest galleries know how to work with artists without limiting their autonomy. They focus on the works they represent, trust the artist’s professionalism, and see independent sales channels as complementary rather than competitive. Galleries that operate this way elevate artists, maintain strong partnerships, and build long-term success — without creating fear or control.

Galleries should outline exactly what they are offering the artist — including marketing efforts, promotion, exhibition schedules, pricing guidelines, and commission structures — and clearly define any expectations regarding exclusivity or sales. Without this, the artist is essentially entrusting a gallery with thousands of dollars’ worth of work with no formal protections, like giving someone you barely know your wallet and saying, “Hold this, I’ll be right back.” Clear, written agreements protect both the artist and the gallery and form the basis of a respectful, professional partnership.

I discourage artists from starting relationships with galleries that do not have contracts or agreements that break down the terms and expectations. It's an important protection for both parties. If a gallery doesn't have contracts they are either lazy or cannot be trusted. Either way - be wary.

Galleries should limit authority to the pieces they actively represent, rather than trying to control an artist’s entire practice. They should trust the artist to act professionally while maintaining independent visibility. When handled transparently, direct sales strengthen the artist’s career and ultimately benefit the gallery as well. The most successful galleries see an artist’s independence as part of a larger ecosystem that helps maintain collector relationships, build awareness, and generate future gallery opportunities.
​
By respecting the artist’s autonomy, clearly stating their expectations in contracts, and trusting the artist’s professionalism, galleries create stronger, longer-lasting partnerships — partnerships that don’t rely on fear or control, but on mutual respect and shared success.

The artist–gallery relationship is often described as a partnership rooted in trust and shared goals. In theory, both sides support each other’s success. But in practice, I’ve seen that relationship become strained when a gallery begins to impose restrictions that extend far beyond the work they actually represent. As a consultant working with multiple artists across different stages of their careers, I’ve encountered this firsthand — and it revealed just how outdated and unbalanced some gallery expectations still are. 

Recently, I worked with two artists represented by the same gallery. These artists each have vibrant independent audiences — people who discovered their work through social media, studio visits, email market, word of mouth and years of personal connections. Their followings are not the gallery’s doing; they are the result of consistent creative labor, storytelling, and direct engagement. Despite this, the gallery demanded that both artists remove the “purchase” option from their own websites. Not just for works the gallery represented, but for all original work, including pieces the gallery never wanted, never saw, and never planned to consign. The gallery framed this as “maintaining exclusivity” and “protecting client relationships,” but the expectation went much further than that. They insisted that even acknowledging that collectors could buy work directly from the artist would “compete” with the gallery.

To the gallery’s credit, they did allow the artists to sell to “friends and family quietly,” as long as it remained discreet. The implication was clear: it wasn’t the sale itself that troubled them — it was the visibility of the collectors having clear opportunity to shop elsewhere or form a relationship directly with the artist. (Personally, I also think it's a bully tactic to stop the artist having agency.) This was the moment I realized just how problematic these dynamics can be.

A gallery should only govern the works it actually represents. A gallery that has chosen not to consign a piece cannot reasonably insist on controlling its sale. Yet here was a situation where the gallery wanted authority over the entire output of the artists’ studios, even though they only represented a fraction of it. The demand wasn’t contractual; it was cultural — a lingering expectation from an older era in which galleries were the sole gatekeepers of “serious” art buying.

And yet, the artists I work with have always been exceptionally transparent. They ask buyers how they found a piece, and if a gallery was involved, they ensure proper commissions are paid. This demonstrates that independent sales can coexist with ethical, professional gallery relationships — a model of integrity that should be encouraged, not restricted.

The art market has evolved — collectors discover artists through websites, social media, and direct connections. Modern gallery relationships must adapt to this reality rather than attempting to enforce outdated exclusivity models. Trust is a two-way street: while galleries expect loyalty, they must also trust that artists will act responsibly. The strongest partnerships rely on mutual respect, not one-sided control.
​
The healthiest and most forward-thinking galleries operate very differently. They understand that artists need autonomy to maintain their careers. They recognize that direct sales don’t diminish their value. They focus on the pieces they represent and give the artist freedom everywhere else. They trust the artist not to undercut their prices and support their independent visibility because they know it strengthens the partnership, not weakens it. That is true collaboration.

I remember the very first painting of hers I ever sold... FIRENZE. It was an amazing piece that quietly but confidently dominated the room. The collectors took one look at it and bought it without batting an eye. Most of her work sells like that. People just fell in love with her colors, brushstrokes, and energy. When I would talk to folks, I would pretty much tell them all - she is just like her art. Full of energy and color.

With the help of my favorite system, Artcloud, we worked together to get her digital archives organized, built her a beautiful website, and have her art business moving more smoothly so she can be in her studio more.

Everyone should have an Amy Dixon in their home. She has so many styles and subjects she taps into... always trying to find her next inspiration. If you see something you love, I would be happy to help make it yours.

They are the reason you are here. They are the ones that help keep your business going. Pay Them.

​I recently heard a horror story of a situation where a gallery didn't pay an artist that went above and beyond nasty. Sadly, this was the second time the artist experienced a situation like this. ​

The first time this artist experienced a gallery cheating them was a gallery in a coastal town that suddenly closed its doors and emailed its artists they were shuttering the business. Some artists were successful in getting their work back. Many did not... or they only got some work back and were not paid for pieces they didn't even know were sold.

This artist had two pieces they were able to collect, but the gallery sold two and claimed they never had the pieces to begin with. Despite documentation contradicting this, the artist was out over $5,000. (We learned later than this same gallery was chased out of another city a couple years before for doing the same thing.)

So, I can understand why my artist friend would be wary of galleries, but they decided to consign some work with a new start-up gallery near their town. Soon into the relationship a painting was sold and the artist was paid. Promising start.

But then, late last year, a painting sold and the artists didn't hear anything about it. They learned about the sale by doing a quick visit to the gallery website. The artist reached out to confirm. The gallery was offended. 

The gallery explained that it was having a bad end-of-year and [insert excuses for not paying your artists here]... 'We can pay in installments.' Graciously, the artist said yes and the gallery sent them $200. Less than 1/10 of what was actually owed.

Fast forward almost a year and that's the only payment the artist ever received. So, they reached out to gallery with an invoice requesting payment.

Oh boy... Within minutes of receiving the invoice, the gallery was on the phone calling and berating the artist. "How dare you send us this invoice when you know we're struggling!"

Things ended with the artist learning that there were actually TWO paintings that sold. The gallery said they would begin paying in those installments and told the artist they were severing the relationship and to come get the remaining pieces. 

I don't need to go further. Let's focus on the moral of the story...

To be a successful and REPUTABLE gallery, you have to do what's right. There is no weighing of options when it comes to gallery sales. Your inventory is not an out-of-pocket expense for you. Your artists are entrusting their work to you with the understanding that you sell it, you get your commission, you pay them theirs. 

When you're talking about art, you're talking about luxury goods. And luxury goods typically come with a hefty price tag. A gallery can very quickly get itself into a hole if it doesn't stick to the plan. Pay the artist when the collector has the art and you have the money. Simple as that. It's not your money to use. 

Otherwise, you're hurting someone that trusted you, hurting your business, and potentially destroying your reputation.

(Artists talk to each other.)

I was talking to a gallerist friend recently about how things have been going for her gallery. The art market has been having a lot of issues lately, and so galleries and artists have to work a lot harder to sell, but aren't necessarily seeing the strong profits for their hard work. Summers are especially difficult. 

In our conversation, she told me about an artist that called her to get an update on how things were going. That call started out as a friendly inquiry but quickly turned into the artist berating her and questioning if she's actually doing anything for them. They were jealous to see that sales for other artists were happening, but none, lately, for them. Eventually it led to the threat, "Maybe I should just come get my work."

I've experienced this before. It's not a good feeling.

​Being an employee of a gallery you have more than just the gallery owner/boss to keep happy. You have artists as well. And, being the employee, you have to keep in mind how you handle a call like this, because you are speaking on behalf of the gallery and its owner, not just yourself.

In my early years, I would have placated and said what the artist wanted to hear - "we're working really hard for you... we don't want you to leave... how about I boost your art in our social media this week and in an email..." Anything to make sure they feel good and are happy at the end of the call.

​Now that I am my own boss and my goal is to help artists with the business behind their art, I'm going to use my platform to tell you this:

Chances are they're just as disappointed and ever stressed about the lack of sales for you. 

Don't call and make them feel worse. Don't call and threaten to leave. 

For one, it's just nasty to do to another person. More specifically, though, you are the one to suffer more. Being ugly to your gallery's staff, the people that are selling your work, will only make them lose the drive and interest in you and selling on your behalf. Sure, it's totally in your right to be concerned and reach out. But... be nice. Ask how you can help. Ask if there's something different you need to do, together, to improve your sales. 

My advice to my gallerist friend? Call the artist back and tell them that it's best to part ways and come pick up their work. Their not going to be happy, and the gallery needs to focus their energy on the other artists that appreciate the hard work the gallery does for them ever day.

My advice to artists is simple:

​Passive income is, essentially, money you earn with minimal day-to-day effort after the initial setup. It's not tied to the rest of the daily job. Instead, you do the work upfront, and then it continues to generate income over time with little or no ongoing involvement.

​By passive income for consultants, like myself, we're talking about offering subscriptions for videos or recorded webinars that educate and guide artists on things like how to price your work, photograph it, how to approach a gallery... that sort of stuff.

I have seriously considering doing this. It would be great to have that information at anyone's fingertips at any time of day for a nominal price to get them started with the generalized tools they need.

In researching other artists, art figures, podcasters and even influencers in the art world that have their own form of passive income, the one thing that stands out the most is how there is so much noise and not a lot of substance to take from it.

I recently started listening to an art world podcast that I actually really liked. The podcaster knew what they were talking about and had a lot of great interviews with people that offered all sorts of great perspective.

So, I signed up for their email newsletter and was going to pay for their subscription. But then... the emails started coming. And kept coming. Almost every other day emails addressed to me but giving off major Journey Marketing vibes. 

​Journey marketing is a way to use automated emails to walk people through your brand story and encourage them to do what you want them to do — like buying your product or subscribing to your passive income subscriptions. It can be a great tool when used thoughtfully. It's just my opinion that journey marketing can be insincere and... noise. 

I don't want to contribute more noise just to make money. Not the way everyone else is doing it. So many emails. So many Reels 'buy my lessons...' I don't want to come into someone's Inbox and them think "Jeees, another email from her?" and then click... 

It's not to say I won't one day figure a way to provide for more people in a way that isn't just one-on-one. But, I want to do it right and with more purpose than all the noise I hear and see that's out there. For me, I see workshops and Q&As in my future. Maybe a passive income opportunity will come from that. But, I want ways that I can still connect directly with people and learn who they are as they learn about who I am and what I can provide them.

As I mentioned in my very first blog post, when I was working at Hagan Fine Art in Charleston I met a lot of artists and answered a lot of questions and offered free advice. 

There was one particular artist that I met during that time. She was energized about being an artist and had big goals for herself. Like so many artists, though, she knew there was a lot to figure out to fulfill those goals. It was actually talking with her on that slow and hot summer day in the gallery that made me think I could create what later would become Legacy Art Management.

My first goal to help Deb expand her success was to build out a new website for her:

​Now, we are working together to create her marketing plans, find gallery representation, and grow her following and clientele. 

Visit her site to learn more about her background and her work. Subscribe to her newletter and follow her on IG at @debhauserstudio

Be creative. Make your own statement. And hope... hope that you are on the right side of history. I know I am. Peace.

​On September 25, 2024, rain started coming down on my little town of Saluda and over 500 square miles of Western North Carolina. When it started, the hurricane hadn't even made it to land... it was still out in the Gulf. 

By 7am the next morning Helene made her way up here. Our power went out, and stayed out for almost 9 days. We lost internet connection at home for even longer. The loss of such creature comforts, like a hot shower or even just flushing the toilet without having to collect buckets of water from the pond, was not lost on us and are extremely appreciated. 

I grew up with numerous hurricanes down in Louisiana. I experienced Irene and Sandy while in NYC. And then there were a handful we also experienced during our time in Charleston.

But Helene... this was something totally different.

When we made the decision to move from Charleston, really the only difficult part of that decision was leaving Hagan Fine Art and its owner, Karen Hewitt Hagan. I spent close to ten years working with Karen in helping her grow her gallery business, her artist roster, and selling millions of dollars worth of wonderful art. It was a proud period of my life.

At the beginning of August, some news came out. After fourteen years, Karen sold her gallery. WHOA! 

And, so... with every chapter that ends, a new one begins. I'm so happy Karen will be focusing on painting more and sharing her knowledge through workshops. I'm also thrilled to now include her as an independent artist and Legacy Art Mgt. client. I just finished building her an artist website on Artcloud. Check it out:

www.KarenHewittHagan.com

Welcome Karen! Thank you for choosing Legacy Art Management to help you grow your online presence for your art!

During my time in Charleston, I was the Secretary then Vice President and finally the President of the Charleston Gallery Association. I just saw it as helping out my art community and the gallerists I had gotten to know over the years. I never thought I would use this experience to help another community.

But... here I am, and enjoying every minute of it.

Together with a number of the Saluda gallerists, we started brainstorming how to bring more attention (and sales) to the art community. So, we have created a walking map  to put a spotlight on the galleries as well as list a number of artists' websites to introduce visitors to Saluda to even more art. I've also added a page called Saluda Arts to Legacy's website to help people visit 

When you move into a new community, especially one so small and quaint as this one, you want to participate and give to the community to feel a part of it. I never thought when I was building Legacy Art Management that I would use my consulting company to give to my new found community. I'm all for it!

This called for Alice to paint an entire body of work, which we titled "A Good Year" (named after and inspired by one of her favorite movies) on top of also painting for this month's upcoming exhibition "French Daydreams" at my former Charleston gallery Hagan Fine Art.

​The workshops came and went without a hitch with many happy students, and I am proud to say I sold more than half of the exhibition. It was such a wonderful experience to see Alice working with so many talented artists and newcomers to painting, as well as pair her beautiful work with collectors.

So, what next? A BOOK! 

In addition to being a wonderful painter, Alice also has a passion for writing and has been writing stories to include in a big, beautiful coffee table book we hope to have published in 2024.

In addition, Alice's daughter - Christine Williams Mann - has a dream job of providing unimaginable safari experiences in Africa. Alice and her charming husband, Don Williams, will be hosting a special safari and painting opportunity to a limited number of artists. Click HERE to learn more and sign up for this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

I had my sights set on the ground floor to turn it into a studio. Of course, I also needed to figure out where I was going to find the equipment and whatnot to actually have a studio, but as they say:

                                   IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME.

My former gallery, Hagan Fine Art, was making a move to a wonderful new location back in the heart of Charleston's French Quarter. Their landlords were a couple that included an artist named Margaret Peterson... 

...and she just so happened to have an entire printmaking studio she was planning to sell. I was blown away by what I was purchasing and how generous both she and her husband, Harold, were to help me make this ​happen.

And so, with a deadline to get the equipment moved, Ethan and I busted our butts to get the downstairs space emptied of all we'd been storing it in, lay down subfloors, put up insulation and walls, and get the place ready for a printmaker's dream studio. 

Well, I finally got the studio of my dreams. But, you'll have to keep reading in Part 2 to find out exactly what that means...

An artist friend of mine recently sent me an image of a post another artist posted on their social media of a couple different pieces that were extremely similar to my friend's work. No, they weren't exact copies of any specific pieces, but they were distinctly my friend's style, palette and compositions. The sting, I think, is that they know each other.

The first half of Wilde's quote, the original proverb, was the first thing I said to my friend in hopes to lessen the frustration and insult she felt. But, I think the second half is more important for the other artist:

Don't be mediocre. Be the great one.
​
I'm not going to get into the whole copyright infringement issue in this post. That's a beast in and of itself. I do want to talk about being your own artist and finding your own style. Yes, artists out there paint in the style of Impressionism, Realism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, on and on. There's a difference between influence and copy. But, a Hirst is a Hirst, a Slonem is a Slonem. Do start carving up sharks or doing quick paints of bunnies and call it your own.

Another impressionist-style artist friend of mine took a private class from an abstract artist and walked away enriched from the experience. She didn't turn into an abstract artist, but she did incorporate different tricks and tools to create pattern and texture. 

I always encourage artists that are learning their craft to take workshops and classes from other artists. These opportunities, though, are to walk away with nuggets of information and different ways that artist creates.

Find the inspiration of who you admire and see how you can apply it to your work... but don't copy.

(How did my friend handle it, you may be curious? She was the bigger person. She left it be and moved on, knowing that she has established herself and her work to be something not only sought after by collectors but by artists as well.)

In May of 2014 a Charleston-based digital artist named Kevin McCoy created and sold the first-known NFT for a whopping $1.5 million at a Sotheby's auction. And suddenly the whole world was nuts about NFTs. But what are they and how are they being used to scam?

Full disclosure, I still don't completely get NFTs, and I am probably not 100% accurate in the workings of how they're done. But, NFTs essentially are a high res digital file of a work of art. In McCoy's case (and the intended purpose of NFTs) is there's a single high res digital piece with a single buyer... and that's it. It cannot be reproduced. 
NFTs are bought and sold through cryptocurrency. Originally it was to move digital money around. But, these days NFTs are pretty much done and worthless as a commodity... but not as a scam. They're used to capture real currency from you and convert and move it into cryptocurrency.

The scam, as always, is to get your money. 

What they do is make you an offer (that's too good to be true), and invite you to upload the digital images to a specific site. But, that site requires a credit card payment for each upload. We're talking around $150 for each upload. And then there's something they call a Gas Fee, which is a and $500 a pop to "convert" the file to an NFT.

Fortunately, I do not have any direct experience with this to carry on in explaining the manner of the scam beyond this. All I can say is DO NOT BUY INTO NFT OFFERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

​If it's too good to be true, it is. Don't engage.

If it's you're first, you may be tricked into believing it's authentic. But, chances are you'll received another one, close to exactly like this one but the name and where they're from has changed. Sometimes they'll be more specific and list artwork they want to buy.

It's not even about getting your artwork. It's about getting your money. What they do is they find a high ticket item on your site, offer to buy it full price plus whatever your shipping cost is. Then they mail a check... or what looks like a check.
When you see the check, though, it will be fore more than the agreed upon amount. Usually by a couple thousand dollars. So, you contact them. They apologize 'ohhh, my accountant sent the wrong amount. How about you send me a cashiers check for the difference and send that along with the artworks?'

You shouldn't even bother going any further with this conversation.

If you deposit the check, the bank will hold it because the funds cannot be verified. And then, boom - you can be hit with your own bank fees for their bounced check.

I used to receive emails like this at least once a week... sometimes three or four times. At first, I would reply and string them along. After while, I would email them simply "I'm reporting you to Gmail for using their platform for nefarious reasons." - because 100% of those I received were coming through Gmail. Now... I just delete.

Engaging with scammers opens the door. Who knows what they do with your information if you do reply. Who they share it with. So, I highly encourage you to just delete the email. 

At the beginning of September, I had the wonderful opportunity to fly out to Provence to meet with Alice, her husband Don and her daughter Christine, to start our adventure together.

I am proud to announce I am now the Agent and Business Manager for Post-Impressionist artist Alice Williams!
 
What exactly does this mean? It means I am here to help Alice build out and manage her business, marketing strategies, and goals to help her strengthen her legacy in art history. She's had a wonderful team, aka her family, to provide the support to help her grow her business relationships with the galleries that represent her. I'm here to help expand that. 

I lost my voice and am still hoarse from all the coughing, which I'm still doing. The headaches were more than just an inconvenience. They were debilitating at times. Fortunately, they're subsiding. The waves of fatigue that hit are annoying, as they typically happen right when I'm trying to really get into something, like make dinner or take a little walk around my property.

My perspective of this experience helps me appreciate how this too shall pass and I need to continue to learn patience. I'm usually more patient when it comes to others than with myself. So, it's a test of one's Self-Care. I tend to silently deal with pain and stress - not even letting myself think much about it, much less talk about it to others. It's all just too inconvenient to impose on others or trouble myself with, because it'll stop everything I have in motion.

And so, it's time to get back my focus and build on my goals of success.

For my husband's birthday in 2016, I got him all the fixin's to start beekeeping. We joined the area association, took the beginner's tests and got to keeping bees.

We would spend hours just watching them fly to and from their hive, working hard to build up their colony and their pollen and honey reserves. Every two weeks we would go into the hive to inspect their progress and their health. It's hard work, and you do have your failures, but the payout of learning about them and observing their world has been amazing.

Honey bees have a broad range of careers in their short life. (They only 30-60 days!) From the moment they hatch out of the little cell, they get to work. First, they're cleaning service, then they become nurses, then builders and undertakers, then guards...

It's when they graduate to become foragers that they reach their prime (and the last half of their life) they get to go out and see the world... within a 5-6 mile radius. 

I cannot compare myself to the magic and talent of the honey bee. 

But, if I look at my career, I see that I have taken a variety of steps to reach this new moment. I was one part winging it, two parts making a wish list of what I wanted to experience. I sort of took a jack of all trades approach - wanting to learn what it's like to work for the artist, the collector, the museum, the auction house, so on and so forth. Other than maybe Curator of MoMA or the Met, I've pretty much checked off that list of wishes. From this, I have gained a lot of perspective on what it takes to build a successful career in art.

And now, I'm happy to share what I know to help those that are foraging for knowledge on how to find their success. So yeah... I'm not the honey bee. I'm the flower.