Creating pretty pictures, carrying out a tune or dancing on beat doesn't make one an artist. Being an artist is a desire to add something of value to this world. Art can alter your perspective, causing you to see color in any black and white environment. An artist has the ability to find pockets of inspiration and share their findings with others. With this ability comes a continuous desire to create and sustain themselves through their creations. Art becomes a lifestyle, and the artist is the vehicle for creative thinking.
I have been creating art all my life and have been seriously exhibiting my paintings since I was fifteen years old. Now, twelve years later, I'm leading artist workshops and classes for people of all ages, teaching them technical art skills, creative approaches, and the fundamentals of being an artist. Through watching my students develop and my professional artist peers grow, I've decided to list the common areas that people struggle as artists and ways in which one can succeed.
Here are some things you should consider as an artist:
1) Honor your style:
Every artist has a unique contribution to the arts. Our approach to our creative forms are as different as our fingerprints. Art tends to happen in movements, with cultural, social, political and periodic influences reflecting the direction of the majority of artists. However, within the schools of thought there is a personal voice that needs to be heard. Don't be scared to dance to your own rhythm or paint your own type of stroke. Discover your own individuality within the creative collective context.
Suggestion: Create a body of work for your eyes only! Don't worry about what other people might think for a moment. Create art that you may never share, just as if you were keeping a diary, if only for a period of time. This will help you discover your own expressions without any pressure and can fuel the work that you do publicly.
2) Practice, and practice often!
Many artists rarely devote the time and attention necessary to build their craft and become the master of their own skills. Artists often limit their abilities by concentrating their efforts on other obligations, such as school, work, families, and that other thing -- survival. Although all of our obligations are valid and important, an artist must make their craft a priority if they want to maximize their own growth potential.
Suggestion: Give yourself an artistic challenge. Set a goal for yourself, such as "paint one painting a week for 20 weeks" or "write one short poem a day." Whatever the goal may be, make sure it is realistic, practical, and purposeful. Be as detailed as possible in your goal. If you do not fulfill it, do not beat yourself up about it. Revise the goal and try again. But if you do accomplish your goal, you will learn something from the process, and have a bunch of great art to show for it!
3) Stay inspired:
Art requires constant fueling. Discover what makes you feel the most connected to your creativity. Is it being around certain people? Visiting certain places? Looking at other art? Pin point your inspiration techniques and actively participate in them.
Suggestions: Find time in your routine to incorporate artistic inspiration in your daily life. Also, identify the blockages you may feel as an artist and do one thing daily to release that blockage. For example, if you feel that you don't have the space to create art regularly, then concentrate some effort to locating a reasonable option for you to have the space that you need.
4) Don't be shy, let your art be known!
People want to see your work! Part of being an artist is being visible, so be sure to tell everyone you know that you are a working artist. Update them with your work and shows regularly through email, social media, direct mail, etc. Realize that you are your own marketer, a one person show, and that no one is better for such a job. Your visibility helps you succeed as an artist but also exposes people to the wonderful gifts that you have to offer.
Suggestions: Tell five people every day that you are an artist. As random as it may feel, be sure to let the people you may meet in casual or professional settings know what it is that you do. Networking is the best way to be successful in anything. Maintain your visibility with followup marketing, and watch word of mouth do the rest!
5) Teach:
Some people think that teachers are failed artists. What a horrible misconception! Teaching someone your skills helps keep you in the field, refines your own knowledge, and spreads encouragement in the arts. It a wonderful act of service that benefits the artist as well.
Suggestions: Find a compatible way to teach your art form. Most professional art teachers have had some formal schooling in the arts. If you are an artist with limited experience, share whatever you do know with someone casually. This helps build your confidence and your knowledge base, as you may have to do more research in order to share anything. If you already have steady employment and are not interested in teaching for pay, volunteer your artistic knowledge to a charity group or non-profit organization for a day. This will help you identify yourself more as an "expert" and will expose others to the work that you do.
6) Surround yourself with people that are more successful than you.
As with anything, being in good company helps! Forget the stereotype of a starving artist. There are plenty of successful artist professionals that have already achieved their goals and then some. Interacting with positive influences in your field can help inspire you and point you in the right direction.
Suggestions: Find a mentor. Ask someone in your community or artistic field to lend their support to you. If they are the busy type, they may be kind enough to give you periodic guidance over the phone. Be sure to also go to networking events, art shows, and stay up to date on the latest happenings in your creative field. Research public role models and stay current with their successes.
7) Appreciate Your Process:
Enjoy everything -- yes everything -- about being an artist. The creative path is organic and very individual. There are no direct rule books on how you express yourself and maintain yourself professionally. The more that you are in the flow and appreciative of your own plateaus and valleys, the more that your are opening up to your own way of being.
Suggestions: Write down a whole page (or two or three) of things that you love about being an artist. Look at that page when you forget why you are doing what you are doing. Keep this in your wallet, by your bedside, at your artist studio, or wherever you find it helpful. Trust in your own ability and have fun!
Helina Metaferia is a full time guerrilla artist and mother of several mixed media paintings and murals shown all over the nation. When she is not splattering paint, she is practicing yoga, reiki, Thai massage, and other holistic practices. Visit her at www.themetaexperience.com.
