20th Century by HKFA
Building on a Wave
Waves. They come one after another. Some are big, others not so much. They swell and crash and hit the ground with force and fury. They are a thing of beauty and destruction all at once. They are the things that keep us mesmerized and hypnotized. They call us. They are also impossible to hold.
Why then are we desperate to be on top of one, knowing that there is another on the way, knowing that it is a fleeting base that will never hold us? Because we each want to be on top, if only for a little while. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I’ve never learned how to swim, but I love the ocean. Sure I can tread water and doggy paddle, but there’s no podium in my future. My lack of freestyle buoyancy has never deterred me from jumping right in and trying to build something on top of a moment. It’s time to catch one of those big waves.
I have websites, social media accounts and (since you’re reading this, you know) a weekly email that is in your inbox every Tuesday at 6am. Consistency is key. And since I’ve already shared one secret, I might as well tell you another. I thought I’d have more clicks, likes and followers by now. But please don’t take that the wrong way. I appreciate you and I’m grateful that you’re even reading this. But sometimes I check other accounts, sites and blogs and am just a little bit jealous of their engagement, followers, likes and sales. I feel like I’m sitting there, in the open ocean on my board watching others catch the big waves and ride them beautifully. But even that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the moment, basking in the beauty and celebrating the achievements of my colleagues. Hang ten and stay rad.
Cool things I have that I thought would’ve sold by now
A vintage, monumental, highly polished, abstract bronze sculpture by Israeli / Bulgarian artist Aharon Ashkenazi (1913–1993). Mr. Ashkenazi was born in Bulgaria and later moved to Israel and lived on a Kibbutz.
A circa 2015 wet plate collodion photograph of a vintage camera by New York City photographer Jamey Looney. The whole idea of taking a picture of a camera with another camera really made me smile.
I’ve recently started a storefront online, actually two as one is on my website and the other is on Chairish. They’re both stocked with cool finds — paintings, sculpture and other stuff that I thought would’ve sold as instantly as I posted it. While I still dream about a brick and mortar storefront, one that allows me to move things around constantly, create vignettes, meet and greet customers and serve as a destination, I’m doing all I can to recreate that vibe online. By building a community, however small, of folks that enjoy my finds, wordy rants and pics of my daughters. I’m making my own wave to ride. ;-) hkv
As a special thank you for reading all the way through, here’s a third secret: while I’ve been on vacation I’ve sold four things. One was a really cool abstract wall sculpture, two vases and an ashtray that I bought down here. So I guess the secret really is, buy what you like, share it the best you can and it will sell.
