Photograph courtesy of Jessica Watts Art

Nosotros asked 14 accomplished artists: "What do you wish yous would have known at the start of your 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 make your journey as an artist a fiddling smoother and a little happier.

These artists address problems that all emerging artists face at some betoken in their career.

From finding your confidence, bailiwick, and voice, to agreement entrepreneurship, money issues, and business concern tips, and dealing with success, rejection, and bruised egos, these artists have been through it all and are here to share what they learned forth the fashion.

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, non a dart

The road is very, very long. It takes a lifetime to develop your craft and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply lying. At that place will exist many tears and not much appreciation (at first).

People can (and will) be brutal 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 anyway.

There are no lightbulb or chiliad inspiration moments (ok maybe one time in awhile, but inappreciably always); it's about chipping abroad each day. Learn to experience the joy in that.

Acquire as much every bit you tin can about marketing yourself and your work as shortly as possible. Don't rely on anyone else to help you with information technology.

Get to know the people who collect your work, and go on in touch with them. They are a part of what makes it all worthwhile.

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

Julia Ibbini

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

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

When I was first starting out I thought there was a "right" way to arroyo my art and my art concern. I felt like all artists knew the mode ... except for me. If I could get back in time, I would tell myself there is no correct or wrong way.

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

The fine art business organization can be very competitive: whose work is meliorate (fine art prizes) whose work is selling more. Information technology took me a while to detach myself from the racket.

Then, I would likewise tell my fledgling self that contest is the enemy. It's a much better use 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

Beingness an creative person as well ways being a business organization owner

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

With the rise of the internet and social media came a new wave of art world–creative person interaction. Artists of all mediums, practices, genres, and talent have exposure in means 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 power to sell artwork directly is non merely possible but desirable and with that comes the responsibleness 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.Due north.D

Be nice. E'er be nice to people even if they critique y'all or simply do not reply to your images.

Learn everything yous can well-nigh marketing and develop organizational skills. You can accept 4,000 brilliant images on your hard drive, but they slowly go insignificant without exposure.

Educate yourself.  Never finish learning. Intelligence is the foundation of bully art. In social club to stir an emotion in others, ane must exist able to brand a viewer question their previous ideas and challenge their established thoughts.

Network. Everyone needs a tribe for support.

Don't give up … just try harder.

Jill Sanders

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

Minimize authoritative tasks and maximize making time

Paint (or create) more.

I spent then much time doing busy work early on that my fourth dimension at the easel was afflicted. In hindsight, I should have devised a manner 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 earlier you call back information technology'south necessary. If yous wait too long, things are already hectic and the transition of delegating volition be unnecessarily cumbersome. Some other symptom of waiting too long is that things start to fall through the cracks every bit your time to accomplish them becomes more and more scarce. This tin can be dangerous. The expense and time to hire and train an assistant is worth it. Make plans and outset budgeting for it at present.

Karen Whitworth

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

Develop the business organization side of things early

When I was just getting started I really didn't understand the entrepreneurial side of being an artist. Information technology was quite the learning process to get established every bit a business aslope developing my studio practice and personal vision equally an artist.

I highly recommend finding a mentor who can bear witness y'all the road ahead while you're getting where you're going.

Equally, I wish I would have known how important it is to accept authentic archives and records.

Years subsequently when I was established, I had to practice months of information entry to get caught upward. Artwork Archive was a life saver for this process, simply it was still a ton of work to do all at one time.

I would likewise tell myself to stay positive and know that it IS possible to be a professional artist. I got so many discouraging messages saying my dream was impossible, making it took much longer than I wanted to become a full-fourth dimension creative person. Just, information technology's totally possible. It just takes a fiddling ingenuity and hard work.

Caitlin McCollom

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

Only compare yourself to sometime self

I began in a identify of very trivial understanding 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 in that location, I probably wouldn't have even started!

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

Gillian Buckley

@GillianBuckleyArtist
Hybrid Vigor, Julie K. Anderson,Ceramic

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

Having multiple sources of income other than only selling your artwork is very important when you are first starting off and possibly throughout your career equally an artist.

A diversified stream of income has immune 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 type of art I brand is a recipe for making pieces that are non and then keen.

It as well made me hate making fine art; I was bored by it.

Create the work that you truly love and the right buyers will come forth eventually.

This manner, you can stay your ain personal artistic path, simply in the meantime, you tin can feed yourself and keep a roof over your head with your alternating 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 practise is the path to becoming a successful artist. That, and trusting your instincts.

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

A degree in Fine Arts is non the last answer. I know many highly talented artists who experience unqualified to call themselves artists because they don't have an MFA.  I besides know many MFA Artists whose work is sub-par.

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

Beth Kamhi

@bethkamhi
Luminous Bluish Variable, Sawyer Rose, argent solder, copper, ultramarine powdered pigment

Make more work

The standard logic backside this communication is that working in greater quantity loosens you up and you lot cease up making more skillful work.

And this is true, but also I find that when I speed upward my workflow I'1000 not as emotionally married to the final product. Each gallery submission or residency application doesn't feel like a personal referendum on me every bit an artist. When, inevitably, rejection comes my way, information technology'south easier to carry on when I can say to myself, "Oh, only that was old work anyway."

Sawyer Rose

@Ksawyerrose
Arctic Tumbleweed past Kathleen Elliot, Glass

Keep going in the face of rejection

After nigh ii decades every bit an artist, there is much I am notwithstanding learning, and a lot I don't fifty-fifty know I don't know nonetheless. Mayhap the near important, though, is the ability to go along going in the face of declines or people not responding to and liking my work.

After 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.

Competition is fierce, the number of declines is exponentially greater, and we have to be ok and not knocked down by that. Or, at least exist able to choice ourselves up from disappointments and proceed going.

Kathleen Elliot

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

Commitment is everything

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

When I was a young teenager, I was a big Dali fan, and ane of his citations was, "No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy creative person." That always stuck in my heed.

Steven Spazuk

@steven_spazuk
Daydream Luminescence, Laura Guese, Oil On Canvas

Put in the hours and persevere

What I wish I had known equally an artist just starting out is that rejection is simply part of the profession. You have to be willing to have a lot of "no's" to finally become a "yes." Perseverance is key, and it's important not to have those rejections too seriously or personally. Keep moving forward!

Your work will continue to improve if you keep practicing your fine art and putting in the hours. I received communication from an fine art professor in college that has stayed with me to this twenty-four hours.  He encouraged me to merely show up at the studio even if I wasn't feeling particularly inspired to work.

Unremarkably, afterward being in the studio for an hr or and then, I would find myself getting engrossed in my art.

Laura Guese

@Lauraguese
Moody Dejection 2 by Annie Wildey, Oil On Linen

Don't await to get serious about art.

Don't be fearful. Be more willing to accept 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 xviii years. After fine art school, I was a little lost and unsure of who I was. I traveled and fell into a career in business organization, working for an organization in New York City. Though I gained a lot of skills and matured,  the last few years of my business concern career I desperately wanted to make more than time for my art. I didn't know how to navigate that journey alone and so I sought the assistance of a artistic and life coach and eventually decided to pursue an MFA at xl.

I would tell my younger self to find a mentor or a artistic omnibus whom you can learn from. And, put money aside when y'all have it! Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, identify your goals, and approach your art career with a business organization mindset.

Annie Wildey

@anniewildey

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