I used to think that when preparing for a solo exhibition all my energy and focus had to be geared to that one opening night and, after that night, I could just sit back and relax. After all, I had spend so many days working in my studio preparing for the “big” night. Soon after I opened my own gallery, I came to realize the opening is just the beginning both for the artist and the gallery. There is a lot more that can and should be done to maximize the effort.

As curator of the Zhou B Art Center, I get to talk to a lot of artists. Whenever I meet with an artist who just had a solo show around the city, I like to ask the following question: How did you capitalize on that opportunity after the show? What did you do with all that momentum? Most of the time I get a blank stare. It seems like we put so much energy in getting the ball rolling to that one show that afterwards we forget the ball is still rolling. Yes, all the energy you put into it is still capable of giving you back a lot in return. In fact, the ball rolls faster than before because you have already done a lot of the hard work and you are still fresh in people’s minds.

“Success is like a snowball. It takes MOMENTUM to build and the more you roll in the right direction, the bigger it gets.” –Steve Ferrante

Unfortunately, momentum fades out very fast if we forget about it. People move on to the next thing and, after a while, it seems like your big event never happened. I’ve talked to artists who have exhibited in museum shows. They have said to me that other than being one big important event, it did not lead to anything else.

I personally believe that there is a lot you can do with all that momentum you have built after an exhibition, important project, conference, talk or whatever else you put a lot energy into. The one thing for sure is that momentum takes time to build. If that is the case, why waste it? Why let it go?  What if you learned to build momentum and capitalize every opportunity in your art career?

If you would like to learn five effective strategies to build momentum and stay motivated in your art career, don’t miss the Artist Next Level Week! It is a FREE five-day virtual event where you will receive one email each day for five days with a link to an exclusive video class on the topic of building momentum. Join me and learn how to make the most of every opportunity. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.