We were lucky to catch up with Michael Reibel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work as a professional fine artist (painter), however it has taken some time, a lot of hard work, courage and perseverance. My story is a bit unique in that prior to making the jump to full time creative, I worked in Corporate America and prior to that I was a Certified Public Accountant. I created and painted a lot during high school taking art classes all four years and garnering several scholastic art awards. I had a 22 year period from the age of 18 to the age of 40 where I did not spend any time creating (not one painting!). At that time, fine art was on the back burner for a variety of reasons…….. a different career path, marriage, family and I did not necessarily have the desire or interest to pursue painting. At the age of 40, I started up again looking for something outside of my day job for a distraction or an escape presumably. Within 2 years, art was on the front burner again. I won several awards in local art shows but the turning point came when my work was accepted to a prestigious national show with entries from all over the country. At that point, I began making art a priority while still working my day job in corporate America. I took workshops from painters I admired in order to improve my craft. At the age of 45, I decided I wanted to give it a go full time and quit my day job. My wife and I made a 5 year plan to save money, get better at my craft, and position us financially for me to quit. I left my day job at age 50 to be a full time creative. We also left our native state and moved to a market that was much better for fine art. I assumed zero revenue in year 1 of being a full time artist without a day job. While I did have sales immediately, it wasn’t until year 3 that I landed the right galleries to represent me and generate enough sales to allow me to now earn a living as a creative. Looking back, I now know that you can earn a living as a full time creative and that the notion of “the starving artist” is simply a myth. It can be done with focus, discipline, hard work, belief in yourself, a supportive partner and candidly, a bit of luck along the way. Relocating to a better art market was huge in terms of my success. I had stayed in my native state, I would not have been nearly as successful so quickly. I don’t think I could have sped up the process simply because my path was not a traditional one. I think for most creatives, mastering the craft takes time and cannot be rushed no matter how fast we want it to happen. In the end if the work is good, there is a buyer out there somewhere. The better the work the more buyers.
Michael, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As the owner of Michael Reibel Fine Art, I create original one of a kind works of fine art. My medium is oil. I paint primarily the landscape and still life. My still life series focusing on Bourbon/Spirits/Cocktails has been hugely successful. As for the landscape, my focus is on the southern coastal region of South Carolina and Georgia as well as my native state of Kentucky. I am most proud of having the courage and belief in my self to walk away from the security of a corporate job to be my own creative entrepreneur and self employed. My work is represented by galleries in South Carolina and Georgia. I have my own gallery and studio in Beaufort, South Carolina. One of the reasons I opened a gallery/studio in Beaufort was that I missed the interaction with people. When you are represented by commercial galleries, rarely do you get to meet the buyers of your work. Being a creative can often be isolating and solitary. After leaving corporate America and a few years into this endeavor I realized I just wasn’t getting enough social interaction with people while working in my home studio every day. I now have the best of all worlds, commercial gallery representation and a place where I get to interact with clients and the public in my Beaufort studio which is open to the public. I still maintain a home studio for creating larger works and my bourbon/spirits series. I take a lot of pride in my work, so getting to show people my process is something I enjoy. Being able to interact with clients and see their reaction to what I create provides a lot of motivation and drive to continue producing and to get better at my craft. I now have repeat buyers and collectors who buy or commission my work.
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?
I think non-creatives, often think that what we do comes easy and naturally, as if it is pure utopia and must be nice to do what we do, to have the gift and talent. The reality and what I would like them to realize is that it is no different than other profession. It takes hard work, focus, discipline, study, and commitment to be a successful attorney, doctor, nurse, business executive, or any other profession. The same is true for creatives. IT IS NOT EASY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE! Talent only accounts for a small percentage. The rest comes from a lot of work, frustration many times, belief in yourself, courage and a willingness to often spend a lot of time and money to create something that you don’t if anyone will buy.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I recognize that the work I create is not necessarily inexpensive and society certainly at times seems to value and purchase other high priced items in our culture more frequently and without pause….i.e. designer merchandise, jewelry, sporting equipment to name a few. Accordingly, I am always extremely appreciative and feel fortunate that there are people in this world who value and buy my work and that of other creatives. Most material purchases today in our society become obsolete, worn out or dated within 5 -10 years if not less……not so with many of the things made by creatives. The work of creatives last much, much longer, bringing joy to its owners for entire lifetimes and to future generations. I think ultimately that is one of most rewarding things about being a creative, my creation will hopefully continue to bring joy long after I am gone.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mreibelpaintings.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mreibelpaintings/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mreibelpaintings/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-reibel-04359a6/
- Other: https://atelieroffbay.com/michael-reibel http://www.wellsgallery.com http://georgedavisfineart.com
Image Credits
All photos are property of the artist.