8: 30 Inspirational Tips to Artists from Other Creatives (1of 3)

ABOUT EPISODE

In Episode 8 we got advice from 30 artists, galleries owners, magazine editors, authors, creative business owners, etc answering this question: “If you could give one bit of advice to an artist just starting out what would that be?” This is part 1 of 3.

SHOW QUOTES

1: Follow your heart, not your wallet. – Martine Johanna

2: Make a 5 year plan and write down what your goal is. Be conscious of who you are making art for and why. – Tina Imel

3: To educate yourself with the business side of being an artist. – Maria Pabico LaRotonda

4: Don’t worry about what other people might think. (Except this!) – Jack Lind

5: Do not confine your work or technique within the limitations of the medium. Always experiment and search for new discoveries! Sometimes the best things happen when you push materials to do what they are not traditionally designed to do. – Matthew Dutton

6: Don’t let what is popular or selling in the marketplace dictate your style. – Arabella Proffer

7: Respect the arts. Be appreciative to your supporters. – Patrick Thai (FB)

8: Never be afraid to try new things, sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone opens a whole new portal to ideas and techniques you might not ever have discovered otherwise. – Danny Bryant

9: It’s not easy... Prepare for it to take over your whole life. – Luna Milly

10: Make sure your skin is thick like a rhino’s. Learn to say “thank you” when someone tells you that your work stinks. Realize that people don’t listen. When you find a collector (or, when a collector finds you), thank them often, and value THEIR opinion. – Flannery Grace Good

11: Get a marketing degree. Draw/create everyday even if it’s just a doodle. – Karen Preston

12: Be business minded. People are probably not going to just find you because your art is so amazing (even if it is)..you need to market your work. If you want to make a living as an artist treat it as a business. – Lea Barozzi

13: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. There are always “duds” made in the process to something great! – Janae Corrado

14: There will always be a heavy demand for fresh mediocrity. Learn to rise above it. – Kyle K J Johnson

15: If you want to get into galleries, do the research. Find out if the gallery you want to be shown at is a fit, and then approach the gallery via email, not facebook! Don’t get too dejected if they turn you down. They may not want your work now, but maybe they will later on! – Carisa Swenson

16: Don’t overlook the business of being an artist. Websites, social media, accepting credit cards, responding to email. all these things pull you away from the studio but they are vital. – John De Jesus

17: Be professional in everything you do. – Erich J. Moffitt

18: Experiment, don’t be afraid to ruin it, some of the best discoveries come from taking it beyond what you know and are comfortable with. – Nina Pak

19: Never stop exploring. Work through the blocks because great things are waiting on the other side. – Maria Memmolo Cooper

20: Stick with it, one’s skills are rarely at the same level as their ambition- it takes a lot of time and patience to develop those skills. – Bradley Cahill

21: Be professional. Don’t complain. Learn how to spell. – Ulla Anobile

22: Pay attention to the details when it comes to marketing. Oh... and never stop learning from others!- Jackie Phillips Weatherly

23: I think the number one thing I have told budding artists, is to make sure to never use your influences as the main ingredients, but more like spices when developing your style. – Josh Geiser

24: Do not overbook yourself on commissions and remember that they are coming to you with an idea did they already have in their head and let them know what your idea looks like before you even begin on t