Forward
Obviously I'm not 100% (or even 85%) sure what it takes to be a successful and accomplished artist. Partially, I think, it has to do with countless variables related to the individual, things like: personality, lifestyle, goals, style, technique, etc. However after dedicating the past 7 + months developing my artwork and working trying to create an art business I've become acquainted with key characteristics necessary to face any challenging dream (in my case making a business out of my passion and becoming a full fledge artist with a comfortable income).
As I said I'm not positive what qualities are necessary for success (if I was I would be less worried about financials and have a bit more professional of a studio!) however I have some helpful hints& ideas. I would like to share these thoughts with readers. Hopefully they will help you to achieve whatever your dream is and give you that extra motivation to keep going!
Ups and Downs
I got the idea for this post yesterday when I was starting to feel down about the career & financial situation. To date I've had zero sales (zero profits). I've also had constant reminders of this by friends and family. NOTE:: my friends and family who have made these type of remarks are trying to help, and I don't think they realize how it can be taken when all you hear is "you know you're going to need to get a real job sooner or later."
I was thinking things over, considering all the options I have. One potential I could persure is going into the corporate business world. My B.A. was in the business school specifically in supply chain management. This made me remember all the work that went into my college degree. When I think back over the years I remember so many times in college when I though - - "there's no way I'm going to make it", or "how in the world am I going to finish this midterm much less this class" and many other versions of the same basic idea. Well despite it all I finished!
I finished, and even I made it into the business school. Students were selected (into the business school) after sophomore year once you had taken the basic business courses. Many of these courses were considered weed out classes where professors would intentionally set the bar extremely high in hopes of making sure only the best of the best made it into the business school. I was fortunate enough to have a high enough GPA to make it in automatically at the end of sophomore year - many others were not as fortunate.
NOW all that above sounds pretty impressive right? I must be one of those people who is just gifted when it comes to test taking, or school work or something ....? Right? NOT AT ALL . Nothing could be farther from the truth. School did not come easy to me. Some things weren't so bad, in fact a few areas were pretty much a breeze but those of course were the things that were hardly focused on in the business school ciruculum (things like history and literature). The areas I struggled the most in were definitely math - math, and of course the dreaded standardized tests. To this day the word scantron makes me shudder.
I made it through all the classes. Usually doing well enough in the A - or - B range. That doesn't tell the story of all the hard work and sleepless nights that went into my college career. I can't even guess how much time I spent working at the library studying, re-reading, and practicing problem after problem. The most frustrating part of all of it was I had so many friends who did about 1/10 the work I did and managed to get the same or better grades then I. That was what got to me, not the fact that I worked hard but the simple truth that so many others didn't have to work to wind up right were I was.
In the end though it didn't matter. I learned what I needed to as did everyone else. I also learned how important putting in the time and hard work is to being successful at whatever you goal is.
Work Ethic and Art
A lot of times I forget this concept when it comes to art. Instead of buckling down and really working to create whatever my current piece is I get aggravated when something doesn't look the way I want. Usually my response is to put it down and walk away (sometimes never even returning). So instead of feeling sorry for myself and my current job situation I'm going to put that energy towards art. After all isn't that what it's all about for us artists anyways.
Remember the Name Song Lyrics:
10% luck
20% skill
15% concentrated power of will
5% pleasure
50% pain
----- yes I know they don't add up to 100% but you get the idea behind the lyrics. It's not easy to be successful. That doesn't mean it can't be done, it can but it will NOT be easy. It won't be handed to you on a silver platter. No it takes hard work, perseverance, dedication, and the ability to keep going.
Obviously I'm not 100% (or even 85%) sure what it takes to be a successful and accomplished artist. Partially, I think, it has to do with countless variables related to the individual, things like: personality, lifestyle, goals, style, technique, etc. However after dedicating the past 7 + months developing my artwork and working trying to create an art business I've become acquainted with key characteristics necessary to face any challenging dream (in my case making a business out of my passion and becoming a full fledge artist with a comfortable income).
As I said I'm not positive what qualities are necessary for success (if I was I would be less worried about financials and have a bit more professional of a studio!) however I have some helpful hints& ideas. I would like to share these thoughts with readers. Hopefully they will help you to achieve whatever your dream is and give you that extra motivation to keep going!
Ups and Downs
I got the idea for this post yesterday when I was starting to feel down about the career & financial situation. To date I've had zero sales (zero profits). I've also had constant reminders of this by friends and family. NOTE:: my friends and family who have made these type of remarks are trying to help, and I don't think they realize how it can be taken when all you hear is "you know you're going to need to get a real job sooner or later."
I was thinking things over, considering all the options I have. One potential I could persure is going into the corporate business world. My B.A. was in the business school specifically in supply chain management. This made me remember all the work that went into my college degree. When I think back over the years I remember so many times in college when I though - - "there's no way I'm going to make it", or "how in the world am I going to finish this midterm much less this class" and many other versions of the same basic idea. Well despite it all I finished!
I finished, and even I made it into the business school. Students were selected (into the business school) after sophomore year once you had taken the basic business courses. Many of these courses were considered weed out classes where professors would intentionally set the bar extremely high in hopes of making sure only the best of the best made it into the business school. I was fortunate enough to have a high enough GPA to make it in automatically at the end of sophomore year - many others were not as fortunate.
NOW all that above sounds pretty impressive right? I must be one of those people who is just gifted when it comes to test taking, or school work or something ....? Right? NOT AT ALL . Nothing could be farther from the truth. School did not come easy to me. Some things weren't so bad, in fact a few areas were pretty much a breeze but those of course were the things that were hardly focused on in the business school ciruculum (things like history and literature). The areas I struggled the most in were definitely math - math, and of course the dreaded standardized tests. To this day the word scantron makes me shudder.
I made it through all the classes. Usually doing well enough in the A - or - B range. That doesn't tell the story of all the hard work and sleepless nights that went into my college career. I can't even guess how much time I spent working at the library studying, re-reading, and practicing problem after problem. The most frustrating part of all of it was I had so many friends who did about 1/10 the work I did and managed to get the same or better grades then I. That was what got to me, not the fact that I worked hard but the simple truth that so many others didn't have to work to wind up right were I was.
In the end though it didn't matter. I learned what I needed to as did everyone else. I also learned how important putting in the time and hard work is to being successful at whatever you goal is.
Work Ethic and Art
A lot of times I forget this concept when it comes to art. Instead of buckling down and really working to create whatever my current piece is I get aggravated when something doesn't look the way I want. Usually my response is to put it down and walk away (sometimes never even returning). So instead of feeling sorry for myself and my current job situation I'm going to put that energy towards art. After all isn't that what it's all about for us artists anyways.
Remember the Name Song Lyrics:
10% luck
20% skill
15% concentrated power of will
5% pleasure
50% pain
----- yes I know they don't add up to 100% but you get the idea behind the lyrics. It's not easy to be successful. That doesn't mean it can't be done, it can but it will NOT be easy. It won't be handed to you on a silver platter. No it takes hard work, perseverance, dedication, and the ability to keep going.
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