How not to suck at being an artist

 

Ever wondered why being an artist or simply being creative can sometimes be so challenging? There are many factors that can play a role.

One of the most effective things you can do to spoil your enjoyment of being creative is to constantly compare yourself to others. It is you as an individual that makes your art work special. Comparing it to others is a waste of time and energy. You can beat yourself up for thinking “Why didn’t I come up with this?”, or you can realize that many people will have the exact same thought looking at YOUR work.

Also, don’t expect your family to cheer you on when you talk to them about what you do. Not all of them will understand what it means to be an artist and to have an urge to be creative. If all they do is try to talk you into doing something more down-to-earth, you’d better close your ears and get over it. Once they start figuring out how talented you are, their support will follow.

Another mistake many artists make is to stick to what they know. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing what you’ve always done, and it doesn’t matter how often people have told you that’s what you’re good at. Try something new. Try painting. Try sculpting. Try writing. It will open you up to new ways of thinking and make you even better at what you’ve been good at for years.

In case you want to become a professional artist, don’t base your career on only one particular thing you do. Stay open for any opportunities that may arise. 

And don’t ever let money or your client/customer/gallery owner etc. dictate what you do. That’s a sure-fire way to kill creativity and make creative flow impossible. Do whatever YOU want and people will start to appreciate it. 

Lastly, don’t set yourself completely unachievable and overwhelming goals to accomplish by tomorrow. It’s not gonna work.  Like I already discussed in an earlier post, you need the perfect balance of challenge and ability in order to really reap the benefits of creative flow. Set goals for yourself that are difficult to achieve but can be achieved. 

Being an artist has its pitfalls. But if you keep in mind the above, you should do fine. Just don’t forget: “Creativity takes courage.”