Currently viewing the tag: "Advice for Artists"
We’ve just about reached the point in the year where those New Year’s resolutions seem like a dim, distant memory, something that belongs to the far past when we were so much more optimistic – and perhaps a bit naive. The beginning of a new year often feels like a good time to make new resolutions, for a variety of reasons. It’s a memorable date so you’ll know how long you keep it up for, there’s something attractive about the idea of a fresh start for a fresh year, and, of course, everyone else is doing it.
However, the truth is that these sorts of factors can actually make it harder for you to keep your resolution once it has been made. As the year begins [...]
Happy new year, everyone! As 2012 begins and we move out of the holiday season and back into a more normal working routine, it’s natural to be considering what you’ll be doing with the year ahead, how you want to use it, and what your priorities will be. Of course, much of this kind of thinking relates to your personal life, in a way separate to the part of your life which is involved with creating art, although naturally a connection exists between the rest of your life and your artistic process. But it’s also a good time to consider what you want to do specifically with your art in the coming year, identify some of the challenges you might face, and think of ways to manage them.
One aspect many artists worry about [...]
Now that the summer vacation seems like a lifetime ago and we’ve all had a chance to get used to the same old routine again, it might seem like you never had a break at all. If that’s the case, you might be feeling a bit stuck in the grind, and worrying that your all-too-well-known timetable is cramping your style, and your creativity.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’ll want to read these top tips for shaking up your schedule. Sometimes, just moving things around a little and making minor alterations to what you’re used to can make the daily routine seem refreshed and new.
When people normally think or talk about places to buy or sell art, the first places to pop to mind are usually galleries, perhaps dealers, and maybe museums. But there’s another arena that’s well worth considering seriously as an artist, and that’s art fairs. Art fairs exist the world over, include immense diversity of art, and range from the small and local to the large and international. They retain great popularity with artists trying to reach a slightly different market and art-lovers looking for a fun day out, for a specific work of art, or to keep up with trends in the art world and seek out new talent.
You’ll have to consider which kind of art fair is best suited to you. Local fairs sometimes have an intimate feel, and [...]
With the 26th Chelsea International Fine Art Competition heading this way, due to open on February 2 and receive entries until March 14, this seemed like a good time to review a few of the important points to bear in mind when you’re thinking about entering an art contest. In many ways these are similar to those you should consider when submitting your work to an art gallery, but some are more specific to competitions.
Contests can be great ways to progress in your career as a professional artist. Of course, if you win, the prizes can be valuable in helping you along the way, from money to buy art supplies to help in promoting your art to a chance to show your [...]
Choosing the right materials for you as an artist is a very personal decision, something that relates directly to the art that is produced. Many artists strongly prefer a particular brand or supply source, and are never really comfortable unless they know that the relevant material is available to them. Some have particular preferences for different kinds of work – one sort of watercolors for landscape works, and another for portraits, for example. Some love to buy online because of the range of choice and the convenience of delivery, others only buy from local stores where they know the proprietor.
There’s nothing wrong with this preference, any more than there is a problem with other people preferring to buy their clothes from a certain place or favoring jeans over any other kind [...]
Do you often feel overwhelmed by the amount in front of you? Do you have trouble making time for your work? Wonder which activity to prioritize? Worry you’re drifting rather than directed? If any of this sounds familiar, you might need to clean up your art act – take a good hard look at the way you work and try to identify the things that cause stress in your work life.
Sometimes artists with these kinds of problems worry that there’s something deeply wrong with their working method, that the kinds of situations that are conducive to their creative talent just aren’t also helpful when it comes to efficiency. This isn’t the case. Usually, the overall method is fine – it’s important to work in a way that suits your temperament and creativity – [...]
Now that the summer is drawing to a close, many of us are starting to get that ‘post-vacation’ feel. The trees will soon be changing color, newspapers are turning to serious rather than silly stories, and public places are emptying out now that school has started again. Whether or not you actually take a break during the summer, it’s a season that does tend to be a bit more relaxed as things move a little more slowly and people enjoy the sunshine and spend time with their kids. All good things come to an end, though, and most of us are starting to get back to ordinary work structures. But what if you’re having trouble with that?
Well, the first thing to be aware of [...]
We’re all familiar with the cliche of the ‘starving artist’ and although it’s generally an exaggeration, it’s true that the life of an artist is well known to be one with relatively little financial certainty. Unless you’re a commercial artist, working for a company, you’re not likely to have a regular salary coming through your work. For this reason, many artists have other jobs as well as their artistic career, sometimes in related fields such as design or restoration.
Of course, this is not to say that it is impossible to make enough money as a full-time artist. There are many talented artists who manage to do just that. Yet it takes time to build up the kind of awareness of your work, exposure in wider markets, and circle of buyers you [...]
Do you sometimes have trouble working out where to go next with your work? It’s not unusual to have no definite plan for what you’re going to be creating in a week, a month, a year’s time – many artists work best when they are inspired by something in particular, and find too much planning ahead cramps their style and takes away necessary spontaneity. Yet developing your creativity for the future can be vital in making sure the ideas are there when you need them.
We’ve talked about ‘artist’s block‘ on this blog before, but this is a slightly different issue. The problem there is being stuck and out of ideas at a specific time, and finding it hard to break past that barrier. Now, we’re talking about a lifestyle approach, [...]
