Retired from Teaching - Now What?
- Carol Hansen
- Jun 30, 2024
- 2 min read
After 20 years of teaching high school English, I've done it! I'm retired.
So what now? This is what everyone is asking me and the simple answer is - I don't know. All I know is that it is time to make a change. As part of that change, I am going to be blogging about the process and welcome my readers to follow along as I bumble my way through the wilderness of now knowing.
An area that I am definitely exploring is expanding my art business. Like many artists, I am an introvert and have a hard time reaching out and promoting myself. When I started looking into how to grow my art online, I was told that I HAD to promote myself on social media: I needed to learn and keep up with everchanging algorithms, use hashtags, create videos and post, post, post.
As a beginner I was willing to try this and did for a short time. But it is just not me. I am a private person who hates having my picture taken so it all felt very awkward. I know that I need to push myself but social media isn't going to be the answer for me to reach a wider audience.
Fortunately there is a plethora of artists online who are willing to share their advice - some for free, and some as a revenue source - so I will continue to explore. In fact, the idea for a blog came from one of those artists (I've since closed the tab so I can't credit her here now but I have asked permission to follow her Facebook group for artists in business so I will fill you in when I have further information.)
Since retiring, I have added an About page to my Wix site and just this weekend I created a gallery on Pictorem where visitors can order prints of my work. I have my work in one gallery and a gift shop and I will have a larger gallery exhibition coming up in November. I just picked up 3 pieces from a juried show - no sales and no awards but they have sold a few prints and want more so that's somewhat encouraging. Tomorrow I will drive 80 miles to get scans of my newest 2 mosaics, "Clamming" and "Seafoam" and will list them on Pictorem (and Etsy) as soon as I can.
In the meantime, I am getting ready to spend a month at my son's place (123.7 mi) in an ADU, trying out the position of part-time nanny to my 2 grandsons (1.5 and 8 yrs). I will be taking my e-bike and my art supplies (table, canvas, eggshells, paint, brushes, etc.) as well as everything needed to furnish the space for that length of visit. I have a design already penciled in on the canvas. I often work from my own photos but this one came from a Facebook page called Artists Photos Free to Share for Artwork Only I'll include some process photos once I get set up in the ADU (about 2 weeks from now).
This is my Now What? for now. Stay tuned as I continue to navigate and learn a thing or two along the way.
I'm so excited to follow your path, Carol. So glad to 'hear' your voice again.
Fantastic Carol! December 1st is my "jump off" date😉