Becoming a “good” Artist.
I can’t speak for other artists, but I can speak from personal experience and observation. I’ve known many artists of many different walks of life with varying genres and styles and here is my summation.
People don’t want to believe the truth about becoming a “”“good artist”“”. The truth is hard to swallow. You will need to sacrifice everything for it. Being an idealist myself, I never wanted to assume, on other’s behalf, that they might need to give up their security just to pursue it. It sounds difficult to believe. It seems farfetched. But you will have to.
I run into many young artists who run the broken record of “I spend SO MUCH TIME drawing! Why am I not good yet! Why can’t I make a living off of it?” I will tell you why you aren’t where you want to be.
You are not spending nearly as much time on it as you think you are.
I get it. Culture today is one of insta-gratification. Attention spans are at an all time low. That is why you will really need to devote yourself to the cause.
The phrase ‘only a real artist’ prefixes a lot of critique– but here’s my belief. Only a real artist knows what it’s like to TRULY SUFFER for their art.
If you’ve ever suffered for your art, you appreciate it. And I mean appreciate in both definitions. Maybe you’ve lost sleep or food and therefore your health. Or maybe you took a leap and quit your day job and had to face some hard times. Maybe you have cried yourself to sleep from exhaustion because you just couldn’t manage what you saw in your head. This is what I have personally gone through.
Art is a full time commitment if you make that decision to become “”“good.”“” And it will not stop.
It will not get easier. Every threshold you meet, no matter how “good” you become, you’ll want to be better. You will have to WANT to, or you will not improve. And will be unmarketable for yourself if you intend to make it your job.
There is NO substitution for hard work. Drawing or painting is like every other skill. Every other job. Do not make the foolish decision to quit your job to try and live the “dream” of being a full-time artist because it seems so fun, easy and romantic. Because you’re tired of your 9-5 or because you hate your boss. Don’t.
And if you want to become “good” and also make it your full-time job, it will be even harder than that.
You need self management, business sense, creativity, a rock solid sense of self-worth, discipline and the skills to form a brand or you will not succeed.
However, if it is something you must do, you will suffer for it. But, like anything, if you put in the time. REALLY. Put in the time and develop your skills, it is as rewarding as being proficient in any other skill.
Don’t make the mistake of placing art in it’s own special category of proficiency just because it’s the thing you want to do. It’s a technical skill like every other thing.
Just my advice. You’ll know what to do with it.
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
areudirty
kaledo-art
vaporwave
yousharknotpass
