I'm always fascinated by other artists talks.  I love to hear what people say about their work; why they create, why they created this exact body of work, what they were thinking about when creating, what inspires them, what their background is - the whole who what where when why thing.  One of the reasons that I like to listen to other artists talk about their work is that I know at some point that someone will ask me to talk about mine. 

That scares the fooey out of me.

This is ironic considering that I spent my first career talking.  I sold hot air.  I was a trial lawyer.  But somehow talking about my art is ... different.  It is way WAY harder.  

My art is personal in a way that the practice of law never was.  After all, a trial is all about the client and the client's problem.  My art is all about me.  It is a reflection of me.  Each piece is my vision, my concept, my technique, my version of beautiful.  It usually doesn't bother me if people are not wild about my art.   Indeed, I think of clients whom I met at art fairs as a self-selected group.  Those who walk on by probably like only representational art.  They'd never buy abstract art so I'm not hurt when they walk on by.  However, in some fundamental way, talking to a crowd of folks who may or may not be wild about  my art is a whole different thing.   It is judgement day and I'm the one on trial.  

It doesn't help that I am in one of the top galleries in Denver, Walker Fine Art.  The other Walker artists are impossibly erudite, educated and accomplished.  Their artist talks are captivating.  On my best day I couldn't possibly hope to be as eloquent about my art as they are about theirs.  

I know that eventually I'll have to muscle through this fear.  Eventually someone, probably my gallery, will want me to give an artist talk.  Until then, I will continue to attend every artist talk that I can, not only to hear what other artists have to say about their work but also in the hope that I will somehow learn the artist talk "tricks of the trade".