The Artist Magazine and Major Self Doubt

I have just had the most surprising email.

At the beginning of the week, I was spitting nails because a competition I wanted to enter only wants to see original paintings before they choose who to accept. This meant that I would have to spend around £60 per painting I want to enter which is asking too much on an uncertainty. So I wrote an email to the letters page of The Artist Magazine, complaining (oh, god, that sounds so awful) about Open Art Competitions and Exhibitions and how the cost of simply putting a painting forward (whether selected or not) is becoming prohibitive. I felt much better having written it - I needed to let off a bit of steam.

Unexpectedly, I got a reply sympathising, which was rather nice. However, the editor then went on to ask, having looked at my website, "...if you might be interested in contributing a practical article to The Artist magazine in the future, on a subject/theme that would be helpful and inspirational to other artists."

And now I'm a bit flustered, nervous, flattered and panicky. I think I am going to do it, and I'll just have to hope that they don't find out I'm the one still learning. But if this goes ahead, I am going to be a bundle of nerves for quite some time.