Putting the Work in Motion
Posting matters. But it is not the only thing.
By Sue Pendleton, Founder
Lately, I’ve been thinking about what it means to get my work out into the world beyond posting on social media. I believe in posting. Deeply. Staying visible, sharing regularly, helping people understand the work, and keeping the connection warm are all part of building a sustainable marketing practice.
That foundation matters. But once the foundation starts to take shape, there is another question worth asking: Where else could the work go?
I recently submitted work to a juried show.
A few weeks ago, I submitted three paintings to a juried exhibition at the Craven Arts Council and Gallery in New Bern, North Carolina.
It is a beautiful gallery, and this particular show has an added layer that feels especially magical to me: selected artwork will be used as inspiration for poetry.
That changed the way I chose the pieces.
I did not simply ask, “What are my best paintings?”
I found myself asking, “Which paintings might open a door for a poet?”
That felt exciting.
And also vulnerable.
Juried shows ask something different of us.
There are many kinds of art opportunities.
A general call for art can be a wonderful place to begin. You submit your work, you participate, your art gets seen, and you become part of something larger.
I think those opportunities matter at every stage of an artist’s life. They do not become less valuable just because you have been making work longer.
But a juried show is different.
With a juried show, your work is being considered before it ever gets on the wall.
You are not just sharing the work.
You are asking for it to be chosen.
And that brings up all the familiar questions.
Is the work strong enough?
Is it ready?
Will they understand it?
What if it does not get in?
That last question is the hard one.
Because there is a very real chance the answer will be no.
“Not selected” is not the same as “not good enough.”
This is where artists can get stuck.
We submit work, wait for the decision, and if the answer is no, it can feel very personal.
But a painting might not be selected for all kinds of reasons.
There may be too many pieces with a similar subject.
The juror may be shaping a particular kind of show.
The color palette may overlap too much with other work.
The size may not fit the space.
Another piece may speak more directly to the theme.
Who knows?
We often turn “not selected” into “not good enough.”
But those are not the same thing.
Maybe rejection is not always rejection.
Maybe sometimes it simply means:
Not this show.
Not this moment.
Not this particular mix of work.
That reframe matters.
Because if every “no” becomes a verdict, it gets much harder to keep putting the work out there.
This is part of the marketing practice, too.
At ENSOhello, I talk a lot about helping artists build a solid marketing foundation.
Posting regularly enough to stay visible.
Sharing the story and context behind the work.
Creating connection.
Helping people know where to go next.
Those pieces matter.
But marketing is not only what you post.
Marketing is also what you put in motion.
Submitting to a show is a marketing step.
So is applying for an opportunity.
Reaching out to a gallery.
Joining an open studio.
Sending a newsletter.
Creating a small collection.
Sharing work with a local group.
Building relationships with other artists, curators, collectors, and art lovers.
Not because artists need a longer, more exhausting to-do list.
But because there are more ways for the work to travel.
More ways to make connections.
More ways to be surprised.
More ways to be inspired into something you might not have made otherwise.
The edge of the spotlight is still a step.
For me, this submission felt like a small step toward the edge of the spotlight.
Not the center of it.
Just the edge.
A place where the work can be considered by people beyond my usual circle. A place where I might have news to share. A place where someone else might encounter the work and respond to it in a new way.
I do not know yet whether my paintings will be accepted.
And for this particular lesson, I am trying to let that not be the whole point.
The point is that I submitted.
I chose the work thoughtfully.
I sent it out.
I allowed it to be considered.
I practiced being a little more visible.
That is a step.
And for now, that step counts.
