Doesn’t it drive you crazy that you’ve read hundreds of blog posts and books on painting and creativity, and yet you’re still not making the progress you expected to make by now? I can remember a time when I was not successful at art, mostly because I was not doing it. At that time I decided that I wanted to make a change.
The first thing that I did was join an art class! I knew that showing up once a week to create would be just the start I needed to get back into my work. And, it was! I met amazing people who were on a similar journey. We connected, shared resources, and learned from each other.
From these experiences, I became successful and you can, too! To get you started, here is a short list of ways to become successful as an artist.
1. Create art everyday.
Set time aside whether it is 15 minutes or an hour to have fun, create, and most importantly not judge your work.
2. Be social.
Attend local art meetups or art classes. Share what you are working on with others and ask to see their work. Inspire each other to be kind to both yourself and others. We are all in this together and art heals the soul.
3. Take risks.
Mess up your work and fix it again. Transform your piece. Kill it and give it new life again. Photograph the process.
4. Set goals.
Create a list of objectives for yourself. Ask yourself where do you want to be in a month, 1 year, and 5 years? Set small and large goals.
5. Forgive and forget.
Not everything you touch will be a winner and that is okay. It is important to stay focused and keep creating. Besides, how can you be an artist if you aren’t creating?
If you want to create authentically, you’ll come to a point of making a decision. Do I want to tell my story, convey my journey, and paint/draw/sculpt my vision? My suggestion: create away. That’s what artists do. Your journey will be messy, surprising, and fun. You may learn new things about yourself in the process. I sure have!
I’d love to hear about your journey as an artist and your practices. Share your story.