Photo courtesy of Jessica Watts Art

We asked 14 accomplished artists: "What do you wish you would accept known at the start of your art career?"

Some of their advice is very applied (keep proficient records!) and some is broad, sweeping and existential, but all of it can be applied to make your journey as an creative person a little smoother and a lilliputian happier.

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

From finding your conviction, subject, and voice, to agreement entrepreneurship, money bug, and business organisation tips, and dealing with success, rejection, and hobbling 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, not a dart

The route is very, very long. It takes a lifetime to develop your craft and anyone who tells you otherwise is just lying. In that location will be many tears and not much appreciation (at first).

People tin can (and will) be cruel or unconstructive towards you and your piece of work. Abound a very thick pare.

Middle fingers are useful when gallerists, teachers, critics, or other artists are being unnecessarily atrocious. Keep making the piece of work anyway.

There are no lightbulb or m inspiration moments (ok peradventure once in awhile, just inappreciably ever); it'south about chipping away each day. Learn to experience the joy in that.

Learn as much every bit you lot can about marketing yourself and your work as before long as possible. Don't rely on anyone else to aid you with it.

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

Enjoy the ride. I go a lot of people telling me that they used to be actually into art when they were children but had to give it up because of a variety of reasons (and dearly wish they could make fine art again). If you've got the guts to be making work and putting it out there, be proud of yourself and accept fun with it.

Julia Ibbini

@JuliaIbbini , @JuliaIbbiniart
I Think She Winked at Me past Jessica Watts, Oil, acrylic, and newspaper on canvas

There is no correct or wrong, there is no win or lose

When I was offset starting out I thought at that place was a "right" manner to arroyo my fine art and my art business organization. I felt like all artists knew the way ... except for me. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself at that place is no right or wrong mode.

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

The art concern can be very competitive: whose work is better (art prizes) whose work is selling more. Information technology took me a while to detach myself from the noise.

And then, I would likewise tell my fledgling self that competition is the enemy. It's a much better use of time to monopolize the space in which yous create value.

Jessica Watts

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

Existence an artist too means beingness a business owner

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

With the rise of the internet and social media came a new wave of fine art world–artist interaction. Artists of all mediums, practices, genres, and talent have exposure in ways that those who came before united states of america could simply dream of, only with that exposure comes more of a responsibleness 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 not just possible merely desirable and with that comes the responsibility of agreement the intricacies of the art market.

Melanie Reese

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

B.50.East.N.D

Be nice. Always be dainty to people even if they critique you or only do non answer to your images.

Learn everything yous can almost marketing and develop organizational skills. You can take 4,000 brilliant images on your hard bulldoze, but they slowly become insignificant without exposure.

Educate yourself.  Never cease learning. Intelligence is the foundation of great fine art. In club to stir an emotion in others, one must exist able to make a viewer question their previous ideas and claiming their established thoughts.

Network. Everyone needs a tribe for back up.

Don't surrender … simply try harder.

Jill Sanders

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

Minimize administrative tasks and maximize making time

Paint (or create) more than.

I spent then much time doing decorated work early on that my time at the easel was affected. In retrospect, I should accept devised a way to delegate or outsource my busywork sooner then that my painting fourth dimension could have been preserved or fifty-fifty increased.

For that reason, I recommend that you hire an banana before you call back it's necessary. If y'all wait likewise long, things are already hectic and the transition of delegating volition be unnecessarily cumbersome. Another symptom of waiting as well long is that things start to fall through the cracks as your time to reach them becomes more and more than deficient. This can exist dangerous. The expense and time to hire and train an assistant is worth it. Make plans and starting time budgeting for it now.

Karen Whitworth

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

Develop the business side of things early

When I was only getting started I really didn't sympathize the entrepreneurial side of being an artist. It was quite the learning process to get established as a business organization alongside developing my studio practise and personal vision as an artist.

I highly recommend finding a mentor who can show yous the route alee while you lot're getting where you're going.

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

Years afterwards when I was established, I had to practise months of data entry to become caught up. Artwork Archive was a life saver for this process, simply it was however a ton of piece of work to exercise all at once.

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

Caitlin McCollom

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

Only compare yourself to former cocky

I began in a place of very little understanding of the art earth and other artists effectually me. I recall that had if I had known the amount of talent that was already out there, I probably wouldn't take even started!

Dorsum then, I compared my work just to my earlier piece of work, which is a safe place to build conviction.

Gillian Buckley

@GillianBuckleyArtist
Hybrid Vigor, Julie G. Anderson,Ceramic

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

Having multiple sources of income other than just selling your artwork is very of import when you are outset starting off and possibly throughout your career equally an creative person.

A diversified stream of income has immune me to experiment and make the work I truly desire to make, rather than merely making work that I know volition sell. I learned that trying to please everyone with the type of art I make is a recipe for making pieces that are not so great.

It too fabricated me hate making art; I was bored past it.

Create the work that y'all truly dear and the correct buyers will come along somewhen.

This way, you tin can stay your own personal creative path, simply in the meantime, you can feed yourself and keep a roof over your head with your alternate source of income.

Julie Anderson

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

Trust your instincts and your abilities

Your sincere commitment to your exercise is the path to becoming a successful artist. That, and trusting your instincts.

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

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

Y'all have it or y'all don't. Believing in yourself is paramount to artistic success and artistic happiness

Beth Kamhi

@bethkamhi
Luminous Blueish Variable, Sawyer Rose, silverish solder, copper, ultramarine powdered pigment

Make more work

The standard logic behind this advice is that working in greater quantity loosens you up and you end upward making more good work.

And this is true, but also I find that when I speed up my workflow I'k 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's easier to carry on when I tin can say to myself, "Oh, but that was old work anyway."

Sawyer Rose

@Ksawyerrose
Arctic Tumbleweed by Kathleen Elliot, Glass

Keep going in the face of rejection

Afterwards nearly two decades as an artist, there is much I am however learning, and a lot I don't even know I don't know yet. Peradventure the most important, though, is the power to keep going in the face of declines or people not responding to and liking my work.

Afterward pouring everything I am into my work, I presume others volition connect with that and want it, whether that'south gallerists or collectors or curators.

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

Kathleen Elliot

@Kathleenelliot
Bird on Grenade (3 mad Eat attached to pivot) Steven Spazuk, Soot and acrylic on panel

Commitment is everything

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

When I was a immature teenager, I was a big Dali fan, and 1 of his citations was, "No masterpiece was always created by a lazy artist." That e'er 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 as an artist just starting out is that rejection is simply part of the profession. You have to be willing to accept a lot of "no's" to finally get a "yep." Perseverance is primal, and it's important non to have those rejections also seriously or personally. Keep moving forward!

Your piece of work volition keep to improve if y'all keep practicing your fine art and putting in the hours. I received advice from an art professor in college that has stayed with me to this twenty-four hour period.  He encouraged me to just prove upward at the studio even if I wasn't feeling particularly inspired to work.

Ordinarily, subsequently existence in the studio for an hour or and then, I would find myself getting engrossed in my art.

Laura Guese

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

Don't wait to get serious about art.

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

I put off seriously pursuing my art for 18 years. After fine art school, I was a lilliputian lost and unsure of who I was. I traveled and vicious into a career in business, working for an organization in New York Metropolis. 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 art. I didn't know how to navigate that journey alone and so I sought the help of a artistic and life coach and eventually decided to pursue an MFA at forty.

I would tell my younger self to detect a mentor or a creative coach whom you lot can acquire from. And, put money bated when you take it! Lastly, and perhaps nigh importantly, identify your goals, and approach your fine art career with a business concern mindset.

Annie Wildey

@anniewildey

Looking to ready yourself up for success correct from the offset? Try Artwork Archive to manage all the details of your art business from day one.