Wouldn't you be able to sell your work/prints online? There are major art galleries online, that way you can live anywhere and sell. Also, are you trying to get in brick and mortar galleries in the main land? You can ship your work to them, the same as when you get into another gallery on CA when you live in FL. My thoughts are that you will regret it in a few months, I've met people who have moved from Hawaii then took 2 years to get back. But, sometimes when you live in paradise you forget how deep the day-by-day hardships of living elsewhere, same problems but without paradise, the grass is always greener....
Those are some excellent points, M****, and ones I have thought long and hard about before reaching this decision :) I do have originals and prints available online but I very rarely sell to folks who have not experienced my work in person, which I think is true of many artists. The online art world is just sooooo saturated which makes it difficult to have one's work connect with people via a tiny swipe screen when competing with 10,000 other artists doing the exact same thing. Plus I am more fulfilled interacting with people with my art in person. And don't even get me started on the extremely limited (and frankly not well-paying) teaching opportunities out here. There is absolutely no comparison with mainland opportunities.
And I have had my work in galleries on the mainland since coming out here, but do you have any idea how expensive that is? The artist must pre-pay shipping both there and back in specific gallery-approved boxes, and that's after paying an application fee to get into the show. It has cost me in the past around $170 to show two pieces in one show, which I wasn't even able to attend because of the flight cost, hotel, missed work etc. And since I wasn't there I was not able to meet folks and have them form a deeper connection with my work so I honestly don't know if those shows even benefit me more than adding one line to my CV.
I know I won't regret moving because Hawaii is not going anywhere and I can always come back. Honestly the hard part about moving to Hawaii is first making the leap. Now I am comfortable here on O'ahu with lots of welcoming friends and feel like I could move back any time, if I should choose. I think sometimes living in 'paradise' looks a little different to folks on the outside than to folks actually experiencing day to day challenges like anywhere else in the world. I do not think it's healthy to have to work 60 hours a week to live comfortably, and the folks who do out here don't even get to adventure and enjoy paradise on a regular basis. It's a shame! Trust me, if I could feel fulfilled as an artist and traveler while making O'ahu my home base I would.
Everyone who lives on island that I have discussed this with has completely understood and many say they will leave one day to for similar reasons once they're done having fun in the sun. There's a reason why most folks who move here stay for about 3-5 years then move on with their lives, better and happier for the opportunity to enjoy this great land.
By all means, move on out to the island and give a whirl for yourself!
