By ART & F.I. | October 17, 2020 at 09:56 AM EDT | No Comments
The struggles of navigating the world as an artist
In the field of creation, there is a vast space of uncharted territory and not many can hold out a guiding hand to steer us in the correct direction that we need to go. If we take the initiative to explore on our own and see what works and what is very challenging, we'll remove some of the trepidation that was once overwhelming.
When practicing my art at a young age, the technical side of the drawing process was challenging. It took so many hours of practice for my fine motor skills to show on paper that my drawings were advancing towards a standard that I wanted to achieve. Yet, I saw improvements along the way which kept me inspired and interested to move forward.
Having the confidence and forethought to monetize your Art creation is a big step towards supporting yourself as an artist. It took me a long time to find a balance, and what would work in the marketplace to charge for my art and services. Money (if utilized efficiently) is the element for creating time and freedom in your life, to be able to work on your art with less pressure and stress from having the bills covered. There's also the administrative work involved (sales, invoices, content, etc.) that goes into growing a business and keeping your dreams and career going that needs consistent attention.
What I have found through my experiences is that school focuses more on the technical side of creating your craft, and not so much about how to sustain a career throughout your lifetime with the skills that you've learned. Which is very important if you are dedicated to sharing your talents with the world.
When first starting out on your journey, it usually is necessary to help other people with their company "a job" in order to have a steady income, but it's absolutely vital to have enough time as well to make progress on your work as an artist. The goal can be to build your own business so you can have more earning potential and creative/time control. By doing this you'll be more independent from any one source of income, which can feel liberating.
Life is challenging for the majority of artists. For some it's a matter of life and death. One of the reasons why someone starts practicing their craft is to use it as therapy to help them recover from intense traumatic experiences. So whenever I see something amazing that's been created, I wonder what experiences they've been through.