Prolific or Proficient?

As I sit here assembling the teddy bear brigade. I will have them all done by tomorrow (oh my god....YAY!) I was thinking about being prolific vs proficient. I'm wondering now how that plays out with a small business.

I consider myself very proficient with my sewing, thanks to my mum. She started teaching me the rudiments of hand sewing when I was but a wee tot. (as if I was ever wee) By the time jr. high home ec rolled around I was well versed with machines, patterns, basic tailoring. While my eager classmates were trying to follow the dotted line on a piece of paper with the machines, I was working on dresses, blouses, and slacks with.....oh dear...the dreaded zipper. Ok so that one I put in the proficient column.

Later in a college art class I got another perspective. I enjoy painting. My preferred medium is oils. I love the smell, the feel as I brush the canvas, and the textures I can achieve. I lean towards an impressionistic style.  Once again, I was gleefully going all out. I produced 6 paintings that quarter. Some I was gloriously proud of and are still hanging in my home, some I painted over. (oh well , waste not want not) The professor told me I was very prolific! hmmm is that a compliment? or just an observation of my working style. 

So I decided to look closer at my chosen arts. I am both. When I find something I love doing I tend to focus so much on it that I am very prolific. Producing masses of said art, but it leads to proficiency. The more I work the better I get at it, the more I learn and want to expand my feeble knowledge. I believe business wise that it's a good blend to have. If you are in the business of selling your art you have to create a quality product, and if your art does sell ( as I learned this last Christmas ( thankfully) you have to be able to produce in quantity as well.  So what kind of artist are you? proficient, prolific? Does this affect your art or your business.

LOL ok Im done being philosophical.