What's Next? 6

I spent part of today decluttering my apartment.  It wasn't difficult, but now things are cleaner and much better ordered, and somehow this also helps my thinking to be a bit clearer.  Or that's how the theory goes.  My number one question is, what do I do with all my paintings?  I can't force anyone to buy them.  When the archbishop praised my art openly upon seeing some photos I later asked her if the church would be interested in buying some of my art, at least as some sense of compensation for the outrages I have suffered from both her nibs and her ilk.  Suddenly, she didn't like my art any more. 

So, here I am, stuck with a bunch of paintings that no one seems to want.  They do make nice decor, even if they're my own work.  I have enough documented photos of my work in order to contact some of the art galleries, but galleries generally are not interested in self-taught artists.  You need to show them a reasonably impressive pedigree before they will even nibble.  I suppose that I could try to find a café or restaurant that would like to exhibit my work, but that often ends badly.  Work goes missing or gets stolen and no one will accept responsibility for it.  Or they just want the art to decorate their premises in order to attract business, and still insist on taking the work on for free instead of renting it, as they ought, and then add insult onto injury by demanding a commission for anything sold, even if nothing has been agreed on verbally or in writing before.  I don't want to go through this again.

So, in the meantime, I guess I am kind of paralyzed, Gentle Reader.  Unless a door opens, and I have no way of knowing this.  On principal, I am also done with trying to market my art online.  I lack skill and expertise in this area, plus, I am too trusting for my own good.  But especially because I don't like the anonymity of online marketing.  I prefer to meet and speak in person to the ones buying my paintings, not just on video chat but in living flesh.   Neither do I want a financial transaction to be the dominant reason for connecting with others. 

So, I am content to leave everything for now as it is.  I am still waiting, watching and listening for my next step in this new stage of life.