On Trying

Here's the thing that rarely gets talked about regarding being an artist. You have to try A LOT! And I don't just mean with your art practice, although you certainly have to experiment a lot there. I am refering to the unending application process for jobs, residencies, grants. All manner of opportunities for the world to engage with your work mean trying. This group of work is what I am using to apply to a residency with. I am hoping to manufacture this brushprint pattern in clay, and this residency will facilitate that. I imagine all of you being able to hold one of these printed prayers in your hands as a tangible hope. I have to complete this application less than a week after finding out that another opportunity I applied for wasn't even interested enough for a conversation. I have so many ideas about what I can be doing and making, and while I am diligent about doing and sharing certain ways of making there are always more ideas, and thus there are more tries.