Pablo Picasso the painter, ever heard of him? Famous and world-renowned guy, right?
That’s him. But you should know that not all of his work is considered great or famously known work. Not all of his work is selling for millions of dollars. Only about 1% of his work is top dollar art, or at least considered so by the art world, whatever that is. He painted over 13,000 paintings, did nearly 100,000 graphic prints, over 30,000 book illustrations, and 300 or more sculptures. But he was an artist. Someone who loved to create. And while he died extremely wealthy (which in the art world doesn’t happen often) it’s his work, his art that lives on, that was his legacy.
The point is this: you probably aren’t going to get rich and famous off your art, and that is OKAY. Or maybe you will, I have no idea. But the point is: you shouldn’t STOP creating. Just because you got a rejection letter from that publishing company about your novel doesn’t mean toss it. Screw them, you put your heart and soul into that, so go self-publish it. Or just because a gallery or two around town won’t accept your paintings into their shows, screw them too, you can find another gallery that will. Get inventive. Be creative. Find coffee shops to sell your art. Send out press releases to local newspapers, magazines, and television stations when you release newly created art. Play the card of “local/native artist out here grindin’ and you should appreciate that news people.” The news loves public interest stories and every city/town/market has several “independent” magazines or journals or papers that eat up stuff from the artwork. So find them.
And if you are feeling disappointed that it’s not picking up or you’re not selling as much as you think you should simply ask yourself: why do you do it? Why do you create art? Is it the end product? Is it the process? What do you love about it? There has to be something that you love about it, otherwise, why on earth would you be doing it? Find that one thing, no matter how small or minute it may feel like, and hone in on it. Focus on it. Become obsessed over it. Remind yourself daily why you create the works that you do. Remind yourself that you are creating because you love the process of creating. Art is a journey.
Branch out. There are multitudes of different forms of art, why do you have to choose just one? So, you love to write poetry? What about trying your hand at a few short stories and see how that goes? Then next, maybe try to write a play, or a film script or even a novel or novella. The point is this: there are so many ways to express yourself artistically. Do not dig a ditch and bury yourself into just one art form. That is truly doing yourself a disservice as an artist. Heck, you might even start creating and come up with an entirely new blend or a mixture of previous art forms.
Make time for your art. And this might mean you have to have money to buy supplies, book studio time, buy instruments or recording equipment or a tattoo gun or canvases or ink or clay, whatever it is, budget it. Get a second job if you have to (yes, on top of your full-time job) to make that extra cash for your supplies. Make your practice, if not daily then at least every other day. Muscle memory takes about 10,000 times of repeating it before you become a true expert at it. This means IT TAKES TIME AND PRACTICE to be good at anything. Sure, some are born with natural talent, and maybe you have that or maybe you don’t, but regardless, you should still be developing those skills every day.
Find friends and other artists that support you. Go to poetry readings. Go to local art shows. Go see live music when it’s local bands (if you’re a musician). Make connections in the community. One of the worst things a struggling artist can do is completely isolate themselves. Start a book club. Or a writing club. Or a painting club. Exchange ideas and concepts and share your work with like-minded people, and look at their work for them. A different perspective than your own will do nothing but help support your growth as an artist.
And finally, just create. Don’t stop. Simply do NOT stop creating. You might have to write for 20 years before you are recognized and that’s alright. You might have to paint 1,000 paintings before one sells for decent money, and that’s okay too. As an artist, I am pleading with you: just do NOT stop. Do NOT give up. Create create create. Create your little heart out and then damn it, create some more.
If there is one thing this world could use it would be more art. More artists perusing their dreams, no matter how difficult it may be. The creating of new art is amazing and beautiful and heartbreaking and awful and tedious and fulfilling all wrapped into a strange burrito of the human experience, and this world would be lucky to have more of your art in it. So please, don’t stop creating. And please, create more!
Andy Warhol (love him or hate him) once said “Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” And I think those are fantastic words to live by for any artist. So be like Picasso and create 100,000+ pieces of art so that the world can have that few that are gems.
Interesting articles you should check out:
https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-make-art-even-if-youre-bad-2016-6
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beastly-behavior/201709/why-do-humans-make-art
https://thefuturebuzz.com/2008/10/01/21-reasons-you-should-make-art/
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/15/arts/international/whos-rich-enough-for-a-picasso.html
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/pablo-picasso-facts-didnt-know-about-famous-artist
No comments:
Post a Comment