Photo courtesy of Jessica Watts Art

Nosotros asked fourteen achieved artists: "What practise you wish you lot would have known at the commencement of your fine art career?"

Some of their advice is very practical (keep good records!) and some is broad, sweeping and existential, but all of it can be applied to brand your journey every bit an artist a little smoother and a piffling happier.

These artists accost problems that all emerging artists face at some point in their career.

From finding your conviction, discipline, and vocalism, to understanding entrepreneurship, money issues, and business tips, and dealing with success, rejection, and bruised egos, these artists have been through it all and are here to share what they learned along the way.

Here is what they would tell their younger selves:

Untitled Study (Fahan), Julia Ibbini, Hand and Lasercut Paper over Ink on Mylar

Information technology's a marathon, not a dart

The road is very, very long. Information technology takes a lifetime to develop your craft and anyone who tells you lot otherwise is just lying. There will be many tears and not much appreciation (at first).

People can (and will) be cruel or unconstructive towards you and your work. Grow a very thick skin.

Middle fingers are useful when gallerists, teachers, critics, or other artists are being unnecessarily awful. Keep making the work anyhow.

There are no lightbulb or grand inspiration moments (ok maybe once in awhile, just hardly ever); it's about chipping away each day. Learn to feel the joy in that.

Learn every bit much as yous tin can almost marketing yourself and your work as soon as possible. Don't rely on anyone else to help you with it.

Get to know the people who collect your work, and continue in affect with them. They are a role of what makes information technology all worthwhile.

Enjoy the ride. I get a lot of people telling me that they used to be actually into art when they were children but had to give information technology up because of a diverseness of reasons (and dearly wish they could brand art again). If y'all've got the guts to be making work and putting information technology out there, be proud of yourself and have fun with it.

Julia Ibbini

@JuliaIbbini , @JuliaIbbiniart
I Call up She Winked at Me by Jessica Watts, Oil, acrylic, and newspaper on canvas

There is no right or wrong, there is no win or lose

When I was first starting out I thought at that place was a "correct" fashion to arroyo my art and my art business concern. I felt like all artists knew the way ... except for me. If I could go back in fourth dimension, I would tell myself at that place is no correct or wrong mode.

Rather, it's about doing things your way. Had I known this earlier I would have been less troubled about how my work was received and more confident in my vision for my business.

The art business tin can be very competitive: whose work is better (fine art prizes) whose work is selling more than. It took me a while to detach myself from the noise.

And then, I would also tell my fledgling self that competition is the enemy. It'southward a much better use of time to monopolize the space in which you create value.

Jessica Watts

@jessowatts, @JessicaWattsArt
LGBTQ Rights by Melanie Reese, Acrylic and spray paint on sail

Existence an artist also means being a business organization owner

I wish I would have known how much being a working artist today requires you to be a modest concern professional with an understanding of art market trends.

With the rise of the net and social media came a new wave of art world–artist interaction. Artists of all mediums, practices, genres, and talent have exposure in ways that those who came before the states could simply dream of, but with that exposure comes more of a responsibility for the artist.

A website is a requirement, social media presence is a necessity, keeping an inventory is crucial, and an ability to sell artwork directly is non only possible but desirable and with that comes the responsibility of understanding the intricacies of the art market.

Melanie Reese

@Melaniereese
Screen_Shot_2016-01-16_at_5.53.18_PM_f1vggw Shangrilah, Jill Sanders, Metallic photograph

B.L.E.Due north.D

Be nice. Ever be nice to people even if they critique you or simply practice not reply to your images.

Learn everything you lot can about marketing and develop organizational skills. You can have 4,000 brilliant images on your hard drive, simply they slowly become insignificant without exposure.

Due eastducate yourself.  Never stop learning. Intelligence is the foundation of peachy art. In gild to stir an emotion in others, one must be able to make a viewer question their previous ideas and challenge their established thoughts.

Network. Everyone needs a tribe for support.

Don't give upwards … just try harder.

Jill Sanders

@jillsandersphotographer
Awakening Mt. Susitna, Karen Whitworth, Oil On Panel

Minimize administrative tasks and maximize making time

Paint (or create) more.

I spent and so much time doing decorated work early on that my time at the easel was affected. In hindsight, I should accept devised a way to delegate or outsource my busywork sooner so that my painting time could have been preserved or fifty-fifty increased.

For that reason, I recommend that you lot hire an assistant before you call back it's necessary. If you wait as well long, things are already hectic and the transition of delegating will be unnecessarily cumbersome. Some other symptom of waiting besides long is that things start to fall through the cracks as your fourth dimension to accomplish them becomes more and more scarce. This tin be dangerous. The expense and time to hire and train an banana is worth information technology. Brand plans and start budgeting for it now.

Karen Whitworth

@karenwhitworth
Cavity of Dizzying Heartbeats, Caitlin G McCollom, Acrylic on yupo

Develop the business side of things early on

When I was simply getting started I really didn't sympathise the entrepreneurial side of beingness an artist. It was quite the learning process to go established every bit a business alongside developing my studio practice and personal vision as an artist.

I highly recommend finding a mentor who can show you lot the road ahead while you're getting where you're going.

Equally, I wish I would accept known how of import it is to take accurate archives and records.

Years later when I was established, I had to do months of data entry to become caught up. Artwork Annal was a life saver for this procedure, simply information technology was still a ton of piece of work to do all at once.

I would also tell myself to stay positive and know that it IS possible to be a professional person artist. I got so many discouraging messages proverb my dream was impossible, making information technology took much longer than I wanted to get a full-time artist. But, information technology's totally possible. Information technology merely takes a niggling ingenuity and difficult work.

Caitlin McCollom

@cgmccollom
Echoes & Silence, Gillian Buckley, Graphite and Acrylic

Merely compare yourself to former self

I began in a place of very little agreement of the art world and other artists around me. I think that had if I had known the amount of talent that was already out there, I probably wouldn't have even started!

Back then, I compared my work just to my before work, which is a safety place to build confidence.

Gillian Buckley

@GillianBuckleyArtist
Hybrid Vigor, Julie K. Anderson,Ceramic

Don't rely on coin from your art ... at offset

Having multiple sources of income other than just selling your artwork is very important when you are first starting off and possibly throughout your career as an creative person.

A diversified stream of income has allowed me to experiment and make the work I truly want to brand, rather than just making work that I know will sell. I learned that trying to please everyone with the type of art I make is a recipe for making pieces that are not so slap-up.

It also made me hate making art; I was bored past it.

Create the work that you truly beloved and the right buyers will come along eventually.

This manner, yous can stay your ain personal artistic path, but in the meantime, y'all tin can feed yourself and proceed a roof over your caput with your alternate source of income.

Julie Anderson

@JulieAndersonCeramics
Fringe V2, Beth Kamhi, Contumely beads, aluminum, forest

Trust your instincts and your abilities

Your sincere commitment to your exercise is the path to becoming a successful artist. That, and trusting your instincts.

Those two things plus a current approach to marketing = success.

A caste in Fine Arts is non the final answer. I know many highly talented artists who feel unqualified to telephone call themselves artists considering they don't take an MFA.  I also know many MFA Artists whose work is sub-par.

You accept it or you lot don't. Believing in yourself is paramount to artistic success and artistic happiness

Beth Kamhi

@bethkamhi
Luminous Blue Variable, Sawyer Rose, silver solder, copper, ultramarine powdered pigment

Make more work

The standard logic behind this advice is that working in greater quantity loosens yous up and you end upwardly making more proficient piece of work.

And this is true, just also I observe that when I speed up my workflow I'grand not as emotionally married to the final product. Each gallery submission or residency awarding doesn't feel like a personal referendum on me as an creative person. When, inevitably, rejection comes my fashion, it'due south easier to acquit on when I can say to myself, "Oh, simply that was sometime piece of work anyway."

Sawyer Rose

@Ksawyerrose
Arctic Tumbleweed past Kathleen Elliot, Glass

Keep going in the face of rejection

Later nearly two decades every bit an creative person, there is much I am still learning, and a lot I don't even know I don't know notwithstanding. Peradventure the virtually important, though, is the ability to keep going in the face of declines or people non responding to and liking my work.

After pouring everything I am into my work, I assume others will connect with that and want it, whether that's gallerists or collectors or curators.

Competition is fierce, the number of declines is exponentially greater, and we accept to be ok and not knocked downwards past that. Or, at least be able to pick ourselves up from disappointments and continue going.

Kathleen Elliot

@Kathleenelliot
Bird on Grenade (3 mad Swallow attached to pin) Steven Spazuk, Soot and acrylic on panel

Commitment is everything

I would tell myself to actually devote all my time to my art; to work towards my goals full-time, stay on track, and stay focused.

When I was a immature teenager, I was a large Dali fan, and one of his citations was, "No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy creative person." That always stuck in my mind.

Steven Spazuk

@steven_spazuk
Daydream Luminescence, Laura Guese, Oil On Sheet

Put in the hours and persevere

What I wish I had known as an artist just starting out is that rejection is simply part of the profession. You have to be willing to accept a lot of "no's" to finally get a "yes." Perseverance is key, and it'southward of import non to have those rejections too seriously or personally. Proceed moving forward!

Your piece of work volition continue to improve if you keep practicing your fine art and putting in the hours. I received advice from an fine art professor in higher that has stayed with me to this solar day.  He encouraged me to merely prove up at the studio even if I wasn't feeling peculiarly inspired to work.

Normally, after existence in the studio for an hour or so, I would find myself getting engrossed in my art.

Laura Guese

@Lauraguese
Moody Blues Two by Annie Wildey, Oil On Linen

Don't wait to become serious almost art.

Don't be fearful. Be more than willing to take risks. Be confident and believe in yourself. Nurture and explore your creativity and master your skills.

I put off seriously pursuing my fine art for 18 years. After art school, I was a little lost and unsure of who I was. I traveled and roughshod into a career in business organisation, working for an organisation in New York City. Though I gained a lot of skills and matured,  the last few years of my business career I desperately wanted to make more time for my art. I didn't know how to navigate that journeying alone so I sought the help of a artistic and life coach and eventually decided to pursue an MFA at forty.

I would tell my younger cocky to find a mentor or a creative passenger vehicle whom you tin learn from. And, put money aside when you have it! Lastly, and perhaps virtually chiefly, identify your goals, and approach your art career with a business organisation mindset.

Annie Wildey

@anniewildey

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