Photo courtesy of Jessica Watts Art

Nosotros asked 14 achieved artists: "What do you wish you would have known at the showtime of your art career?"

Some of their advice is very applied (continue practiced records!) and some is wide, sweeping and existential, but all of it can be applied to make your journey as an artist a piffling smoother and a little happier.

These artists address issues that all emerging artists face at some point in their career.

From finding your confidence, bailiwick, and vox, to understanding entrepreneurship, money issues, and business tips, and dealing with success, rejection, and bruised egos, these artists take been through it all and are here to share what they learned forth the way.

Here is what they would tell their younger selves:

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

Information technology's a marathon, not a sprint

The route is very, very long. It takes a lifetime to develop your craft and anyone who tells you otherwise is only 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 atrocious. Keep making the work anyway.

At that place are no lightbulb or grand inspiration moments (ok maybe once in awhile, just hardly ever); information technology's about chipping away each day. Larn to experience the joy in that.

Learn every bit much as you tin about marketing yourself and your work every bit before long as possible. Don't rely on anyone else to help yous with information technology.

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

Relish the ride. I get a lot of people telling me that they used to exist really into fine art when they were children but had to requite it upwards because of a variety of reasons (and dearly wish they could brand art again). If you lot've got the guts to be making piece of work and putting it out there, be proud of yourself and have fun with it.

Julia Ibbini

@JuliaIbbini , @JuliaIbbiniart
I Think She Winked at Me by Jessica Watts, Oil, acrylic, and paper on sheet

At that place is no right or incorrect, at that place is no win or lose

When I was outset starting out I idea there was a "right" fashion to approach my art and my fine art business. I felt like all artists knew the mode ... except for me. If I could get back in time, I would tell myself at that place is no right or wrong way.

Rather, information technology'due south most doing things your style. Had I known this before I would have been less troubled about how my piece of work was received and more than confident in my vision for my business organization.

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

So, I would also tell my fledgling self that competition is the enemy. Information technology'due south a much better employ of time to monopolize the space in which you lot create value.

Jessica Watts

@jessowatts, @JessicaWattsArt
LGBTQ Rights by Melanie Reese, Acrylic and spray pigment on canvas

Existence an artist besides means beingness a concern possessor

I wish I would have known how much being a working artist today requires y'all to be a small-scale business organisation professional with an understanding of fine art market place trends.

With the rise of the cyberspace and social media came a new wave of art globe–artist interaction. Artists of all mediums, practices, genres, and talent have exposure in ways that those who came earlier us could only 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 marketplace.

Melanie Reese

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

B.L.E.N.D

Be dainty. Ever be prissy to people even if they critique you or merely do not respond to your images.

Learn everything y'all can about marketing and develop organizational skills. Y'all can have four,000 brilliant images on your difficult drive, only they slowly become insignificant without exposure.

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

Northwardetwork. Anybody needs a tribe for back up.

Don't surrender … just endeavour harder.

Jill Sanders

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

Minimize administrative tasks and maximize making fourth dimension

Paint (or create) more than.

I spent so much time doing busy piece of work early on that my fourth dimension at the easel was afflicted. In hindsight, I should have devised a way to delegate or outsource my busywork sooner so that my painting time could have been preserved or even increased.

For that reason, I recommend that you hire an assistant before you lot call back information technology's necessary. If you wait too long, things are already hectic and the transition of delegating volition be unnecessarily cumbersome. Another symptom of waiting too long is that things start to autumn through the cracks equally your time to accomplish them becomes more than and more deficient. This can be dangerous. The expense and time to hire and train an assistant is worth it. Make plans and first budgeting for information technology at present.

Karen Whitworth

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

Develop the business concern side of things early on

When I was simply getting started I really didn't understand the entrepreneurial side of existence an artist. It was quite the learning procedure to get established equally a business concern alongside developing my studio practice and personal vision as an creative person.

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

Every bit, I wish I would accept known how of import it is to accept accurate athenaeum and records.

Years later when I was established, I had to do months of data entry to get caught up. Artwork Archive was a life saver for this process, merely it was yet a ton of work to exercise all at once.

I would also tell myself to stay positive and know that information technology IS possible to be a professional artist. I got so many discouraging messages maxim my dream was impossible, making it took much longer than I wanted to go a total-fourth dimension artist. Only, information technology's totally possible. Information technology just takes a little ingenuity and hard work.

Caitlin McCollom

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

Simply compare yourself to former cocky

I began in a identify of very little understanding of the fine art globe and other artists effectually me. I retrieve that had if I had known the amount of talent that was already out in that location, I probably wouldn't have even started!

Back then, I compared my work only to my earlier work, which is a safe identify to build confidence.

Gillian Buckley

@GillianBuckleyArtist
Hybrid Vigor, Julie One thousand. Anderson,Ceramic

Don't rely on money from your art ... at kickoff

Having multiple sources of income other than just selling your artwork is very important when y'all are first starting off and possibly throughout your career as an artist.

A diversified stream of income has allowed me to experiment and make the work I truly want to make, rather than just making work that I know will sell. I learned that trying to please everyone with the blazon of art I make is a recipe for making pieces that are non and then smashing.

Information technology also made me hate making art; I was bored by it.

Create the piece of work that you truly love and the right buyers will come along eventually.

This way, you can stay your own personal creative path, but in the concurrently, you can feed yourself and keep a roof over your caput with your alternate source of income.

Julie Anderson

@JulieAndersonCeramics
Fringe V2, Beth Kamhi, Brass beads, aluminum, woods

Trust your instincts and your abilities

Your sincere delivery 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 concluding answer. I know many highly talented artists who feel unqualified to telephone call themselves artists because they don't have an MFA.  I also know many MFA Artists whose piece of work is sub-par.

You lot have it or you 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 paint

Make more piece of work

The standard logic backside this advice is that working in greater quantity loosens you up and yous stop up making more good piece of work.

And this is true, but also I find that when I speed upwardly my workflow I'm not as emotionally married to the last product. Each gallery submission or residency application doesn't experience like a personal plebiscite on me as an artist. When, inevitably, rejection comes my fashion, information technology's easier to carry on when I can say to myself, "Oh, simply that was old work anyway."

Sawyer Rose

@Ksawyerrose
Arctic Tumbleweed by Kathleen Elliot, Glass

Go along going in the face up of rejection

Afterwards virtually two decades as an artist, there is much I am however learning, and a lot I don't fifty-fifty know I don't know yet. Perhaps the most of import, though, is the power to proceed going in the face of declines or people not responding to and liking my piece of work.

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

Contest is fierce, the number of declines is exponentially greater, and we take to be ok and not knocked downwardly by that. Or, at least exist able to pick ourselves up from disappointments and proceed going.

Kathleen Elliot

@Kathleenelliot
Bird on Grenade (3 mad Swallow fastened to pivot) Steven Spazuk, Soot and acrylic on console

Commitment is everything

I would tell myself to really devote all my time to my art; to work towards my goals total-time, stay on rail, and stay focused.

When I was a young teenager, I was a big Dali fan, and one of his citations was, "No masterpiece was ever created past a lazy artist." That e'er stuck in my mind.

Steven Spazuk

@steven_spazuk
Daydream Luminescence, Laura Guese, Oil On Sail

Put in the hours and persevere

What I wish I had known equally an artist simply starting out is that rejection is simply part of the profession. You accept to be willing to accept a lot of "no'south" to finally get a "yep." Perseverance is key, and information technology'southward of import not to take those rejections likewise seriously or personally. Go along moving frontwards!

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

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

Laura Guese

@Lauraguese
Moody Dejection Ii by Annie Wildey, Oil On Linen

Don't wait to get serious well-nigh fine art.

Don't be fearful. Exist more willing to take risks. Be confident and believe in yourself. Nurture and explore your inventiveness and main your skills.

I put off seriously pursuing my art for 18 years. Later fine art school, I was a little lost and unsure of who I was. I traveled and fell into a career in concern, working for an organization 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 fourth dimension for my fine art. I didn't know how to navigate that journeying solitary so I sought the help of a creative and life coach and eventually decided to pursue an MFA at twoscore.

I would tell my younger self to discover a mentor or a artistic coach whom you lot can learn from. And, put money aside when you take it! Lastly, and mayhap about chiefly, identify your goals, and approach your art career with a business mindset.

Annie Wildey

@anniewildey

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