We were lucky to catch up with Mary Pow recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mary, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I haven’t yet found it possible to earn a living from my creative work. I’ve pivoted often over the past 12 years of being self-employed, especially as my children have grown and our family dynamics have changed. Since 2020, my goal has been to get my art out there by doing art fairs. Of course, the pandemic threw a wrench in that pivot and things have been delayed. Over the two years, I can see that I’m slowly finding my audience. It’s been really difficult though. I’ve had to take on part-time jobs to support my drive to be an artist. And as a family of five, we definitely rely on my husband’s dependable income. I couldn’t be an artist without having a partner who has a reliable career. While I feel enormously grateful for his income, it also makes me angry that our society doesn’t value the work artists do in the same way as other careers. Some people have the drive to become an engineer and they’re paid well for that drive, while others have the drive to make art and they’re not paid for that drive. It makes me sad. But even though it takes an emotional toll on me, I can’t NOT do what I do. Being an artist chose me, not the other way around.

This past summer, a woman came into my booth at an art fair and she seemed to be enjoying my art. She looked for a long time. But after she left my booth, she popped her head back around the wall and looked closely at the price tag of my most expensive piece. Then she looked me in the eye, pointed to the tag and said, “Can I ask you a question? … WHY?” It was so rude that I stood there with my mouth open not knowing what to say. Eventually I muttered, “because it took a really long time to make.”

I keep thinking back on that interaction because my reply to her question didn’t really answer it. The time it takes to make a piece of art cannot be the only consideration in the price. The price of my artwork also has to include all of my overhead costs: my studio rent, the cost of materials, art fair booth fees, the price of travel – these things need to be paid for somehow.

I can see now that being an artist who sells her work at art fairs is a long game. Perhaps eventually I’ll earn a full-time living from my creative work. In the meantime, I keep putting myself out there – and most importantly, I keep making the work. I also advocate for artists to be paid for their work!

Mary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an artist and designer. My art practice is divided between two mediums: textiles and soft pastels. For my textile art, I create artworks with fabrics and a sewing machine. I also draw and paint with soft pastels. Mainly, I sell my art at art fairs and at my studio gallery. I also take on commissions and apply for grants and fellowships.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

As an art fair artist, I’ve learned how important it is to maintain a positive attitude. I’m not sure non-creatives realize how challenging this can be. After a 12 hour day working at an art fair in the hot sun, sometimes with little or no sales, this can be an enormously difficult task. However, if I dwell on the negative, how would I continue to do art fairs? There have been times when I really didn’t want to go back to the show the next day. But showing up with a bad attitude really affects how the public sees you and your art. It’s my goal to put my good out into the world. So, I search out books and podcasts that help me see the world in a more positive light. I am now very intentional about what thoughts I let into my head. I’m very deliberate about maintaining a positive attitude. I use positive self-talk throughout the day and I put a lot of energy into staying upbeat. Learning to do this has helped me in more ways than just working at art fairs. I’m a more content person in my life in general and I see the world in a much more positive light.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The connections I make with people is the most rewarding aspect of being an artist. It is a privilege to do what I do. I love that I can affect people through my art. Many times it’s happened that someone will look at my art and tell me what they see in it -that perhaps I didn’t see before- and we’ll both feel chills running down our arms. That is a feeling that cannot be beat.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marypow.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marypowdesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marypowdesigns