Photo courtesy of Jessica Watts Art

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

Some of their advice is very applied (keep skilful records!) and some is broad, sweeping and existential, only all of it can be applied to make your journey every bit an artist a fiddling smoother and a little happier.

These artists address bug that all emerging artists face at some bespeak in their career.

From finding your confidence, field of study, and voice, to understanding entrepreneurship, money issues, and business tips, and dealing with success, rejection, and hobbling egos, these artists have been through information technology all and are here to share what they learned along the fashion.

Here is what they would tell their younger selves:

Untitled Report (Fahan), Julia Ibbini, Hand and Lasercut Paper over Ink on Mylar

It's a marathon, not a sprint

The road is very, very long. Information technology takes a lifetime to develop your craft and anyone who tells you otherwise is simply lying. There will exist many tears and non much appreciation (at first).

People tin (and will) be brutal or unconstructive towards you and your work. Abound a very thick peel.

Heart fingers are useful when gallerists, teachers, critics, or other artists are being unnecessarily awful. Continue making the piece of work anyway.

There are no lightbulb or g inspiration moments (ok maybe once in awhile, just hardly ever); it's about chipping away each twenty-four hour period. Larn to feel the joy in that.

Acquire as much as y'all can near marketing yourself and your work as soon equally possible. Don't rely on anyone else to assistance yous with information technology.

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

Relish the ride. I get a lot of people telling me that they used to exist really into art when they were children merely had to give it upwardly because of a multifariousness of reasons (and dearly wish they could brand art again). If you've got the guts to be making work and putting it out there, be proud of yourself and have fun with it.

Julia Ibbini

@JuliaIbbini , @JuliaIbbiniart
I Think She Winked at Me past Jessica Watts, Oil, acrylic, and paper 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 "correct" way to approach my art and my art business organization. I felt similar all artists knew the manner ... except for me. If I could go back in fourth dimension, I would tell myself there is no right or wrong manner.

Rather, information technology's most doing things your way. Had I known this earlier I would have been less troubled about how my work was received and more confident in my vision for my business.

The art business concern tin can exist very competitive: whose piece of work is better (fine art prizes) whose piece of work is selling more. It took me a while to detach myself from the dissonance.

So, I would also tell my fledgling self that contest is the enemy. It's a much better use of time to monopolize the infinite in which you create value.

Jessica Watts

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

Being an artist also ways being a business owner

I wish I would have known how much being a working creative person today requires you to be a small business professional with an agreement of art market place trends.

With the rise of the cyberspace and social media came a new moving ridge of art earth–artist interaction. Artists of all mediums, practices, genres, and talent have exposure in ways that those who came before us could simply 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 ability to sell artwork directly is not only possible but desirable and with that comes the responsibility of understanding the intricacies of the art market.

Melanie Reese

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

B.L.E.N.D

Bdue east nice. E'er exist nice to people even if they critique y'all or merely do non reply to your images.

Learn everything yous tin about marketing and develop organizational skills. Yous can have 4,000 bright images on your hard bulldoze, only they slowly become insignificant without exposure.

Eastducate yourself.  Never stop learning. Intelligence is the foundation of swell art. In order to stir an emotion in others, 1 must be able to make a viewer question their previous ideas and challenge their established thoughts.

Network. Everyone needs a tribe for back up.

Don't give up … just try harder.

Jill Sanders

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

Minimize administrative tasks and maximize making fourth dimension

Pigment (or create) more.

I spent and so much time doing busy piece of work early on that my time at the easel was afflicted. In retrospect, I should have devised a way to consul or outsource my busywork sooner and so that my painting time could have been preserved or fifty-fifty increased.

For that reason, I recommend that you hire an assistant before you think information technology's necessary. If you wait too long, things are already hectic and the transition of delegating volition be unnecessarily cumbersome. Another symptom of waiting too long is that things commencement to fall through the cracks every bit your time to achieve them becomes more and more than deficient. This can be unsafe. The expense and time to rent and railroad train an assistant is worth it. Make plans and start budgeting for it now.

Karen Whitworth

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

Develop the business side of things early on

When I was just getting started I actually didn't understand the entrepreneurial side of beingness an artist. It was quite the learning process to get established as a business organisation alongside developing my studio practice and personal vision as an artist.

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

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

Years after when I was established, I had to exercise months of data entry to get caught up. Artwork Archive was a life saver for this process, only it was still a ton of work to do all at once.

I would as well tell myself to stay positive and know that information technology 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 go a total-fourth dimension artist. But, it's totally possible. Information technology just takes a little ingenuity and hard work.

Caitlin McCollom

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

Simply compare yourself to onetime cocky

I began in a place of very petty 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 fifty-fifty started!

Dorsum then, I compared my work only to my earlier work, which is a condom place to build confidence.

Gillian Buckley

@GillianBuckleyArtist
Hybrid Vigor, Julie K. Anderson,Ceramic

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

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

A diversified stream of income has allowed 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 delight everyone with the type of art I brand is a recipe for making pieces that are not and then great.

It also fabricated me hate making art; I was bored by it.

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

This way, y'all can stay your ain personal artistic path, just in the meantime, you can feed yourself and keep a roof over your caput with your alternating source of income.

Julie Anderson

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

Trust your instincts and your abilities

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

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

A caste in Fine Arts is not the concluding answer. I know many highly talented artists who feel unqualified to phone call themselves artists considering they don't have an MFA.  I likewise know many MFA Artists whose work is sub-par.

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

Beth Kamhi

@bethkamhi
Luminous Blue Variable, Sawyer Rose, silver solder, copper, ultramarine powdered pigment

Brand more work

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

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

Sawyer Rose

@Ksawyerrose
Chill Tumbleweed by Kathleen Elliot, Drinking glass

Go along going in the confront of rejection

After well-nigh two decades as an creative person, in that location is much I am still learning, and a lot I don't even know I don't know yet. Perhaps the most of import, though, is the ability to keep going in the face of declines or people not responding to and liking my work.

After pouring everything I am into my work, I assume others will connect with that and want information technology, whether that's gallerists or collectors or curators.

Competition is fierce, the number of declines is exponentially greater, and we take to be ok and not knocked down past that. Or, at least exist able to option ourselves upward from disappointments and keep going.

Kathleen Elliot

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

Commitment is everything

I would tell myself to really devote all my fourth dimension to my art; to work towards my goals full-fourth dimension, stay on track, 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 e'er stuck in my mind.

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 merely starting out is that rejection is merely part of the profession. You have to be willing to accept a lot of "no'due south" to finally get a "yeah." Perseverance is key, and information technology's important not to take those rejections too seriously or personally. Keep moving forrad!

Your work will proceed to improve if you keep practicing your art and putting in the hours. I received communication from an art professor in college that has stayed with me to this solar day.  He encouraged me to only evidence upwards at the studio even if I wasn't feeling particularly inspired to work.

Unremarkably, afterwards being in the studio for an hour or and so, I would find myself getting engrossed in my art.

Laura Guese

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

Don't await to get serious about art.

Don't exist 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 fine art for 18 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, working for an organization in New York City. Though I gained a lot of skills and matured,  the concluding few years of my business career I desperately wanted to make more time for my art. I didn't know how to navigate that journey alone so I sought the assistance of a creative and life double-decker and eventually decided to pursue an MFA at xl.

I would tell my younger self to find a mentor or a artistic double-decker whom yous can learn from. And, put coin aside when y'all have it! Lastly, and perhaps about importantly, identify your goals, and arroyo your fine art career with a business organization mindset.

Annie Wildey

@anniewildey

Looking to set yourself up for success right from the start? Try Artwork Archive to manage all the details of your art business from solar day one.