Don’ts To Become An Artist

by Arthipo | 8 October 2022 | Art Philosophy

What to do, what not to do to be an artist, advice for artists who want success.

As artists, we are told to seize every opportunity that comes our way.

You never know who might attend the next gallery opening, what connections you’ll find at that event, or what could lead to future opportunities.

But sometimes it’s more about knowing what’s right to give up than saying “yes”.

Habits, as you probably know, can be incredibly hard to break if you’re a nail-biter. Overcoming our invisible mental habits may be even more difficult, but therefore even more important.

So give yourself permission to let go of these things. And give yourself time and patience to break habits.

Give up the “not enough” frame of mind

Successful artists don’t frame things around “not enough”. There is never enough time, not enough money, not enough confidence to do or do whatever it takes to be a successful artist.

All point to an underlying fear of not being enough. And once you can deal with the underlying fear, other problems fall into place.

Discard comparisons

There’s something about comparisons: You will always be better at some things than other people and worse at other things. Stopping at either will get you nowhere.

As an emerging artist, comparing yourself to someone who has twenty years in their career can stifle your creativity, and comparing your work to someone just starting out can hinder your growth.

Instead of focusing on how you stack up next to someone else, spend that energy comparing your last work to work you did six months, a year ago, and five years ago. And where do you want to see yourself in six months, a year and five years in the future?

Just compare yourself to yourself.

Stop making excuses

If you want to be a successful artist, you have to show up. You have to do the job.

If you’re like any artist in the world, you’ve probably said to yourself once: “I can’t go to the studio today because I’m too busy/heartbroken/my family needs me. too much/ [insert any excuses here]

And do you know? It feels good to do this. It feels right and makes sense, and it’s like you’re doing the right thing for yourself.

It’s about fear masquerading as resistance: that thing, the idea, busy work, or self-doubt, or procrastination or rejection, coming up and discouraging you from making art.

When you stop making excuses, you can begin to own the direction you are going and have the will to change that direction if necessary.

Always stop working

Of course, you have to come to the studio even if you don’t want to do the work. But you should also know when to leave and when to take time to take care of your body, health, emotional and social well-being.

You won’t be at your best if you’re not investing in your body and mind as well.

We have seen artists sacrifice both in the name of their craft. However, you need your body at the most basic levels to create your work. Successful artists know that their success is a marathon, not a sprint, so you need to maintain your health to stay in the game.

Make time in your schedule to stretch, exercise, go for a walk, cook healthy meals, and chat with your peers, family, and friends.

Stop taking ignorant advice to heart

“When will you find a real job?”
“When will you grow up?”
“At what point does an artist realize he’s not talented enough to ‘do'”
“It must be nice not to have to work.”
“It must be nice to work only when you feel like it.”

It is a fact that toxic relationships prevent artists from reaching their potential.

But we can choose who to listen to and what advice to take. You may have heard the adage that we are the sum of the five people we spend the most time with.

Build relationships with those who push you to succeed, those who succeed as an artist, and those who inspire you.

Give up perfectionism

This goes hand in hand with the fear of failure. Artists who are obsessed with the need to make everything perfect often fear failure. But the irony here is that they couldn’t reveal anything there at the time.

The only way to grow is to take your business public. The truth is, you will likely fail throughout your career in art (however you define it). You won’t get a grant, you’ll have a show that failed, you’ll have a great idea that didn’t come true. The comforting thing about it is that everyone else will be too.

Be it skill, talent, education, website or expression, the belief that it has to be ‘perfect’ will keep you going forever.

stop feeling selfish

Everyone contributes to the world in their own way.

We need doctors, lawyers and teachers, but we also need artists, craftsmen and creators who make our world interesting, vibrant and fun.

Your task is to find out what you truly are and then do it.

Creative work does not demand selfish action or appeal. It is a gift to the world and its existence. Don’t fool us for your contribution. Give us whatever you have.

Artists often feel guilty about not having a “real” job and needing to contribute more to the family income. Then they feel guilty either when they are in the studio away from their family or when they are away from the studio and not working.

But guilt is an unproductive emotion. If you feel that way, remind yourself that your job is important and necessary – it’s what makes you whole and able to contribute more to your family when you’re there.

Let go of your need for praise

You may want everyone to love your job, but that won’t happen. And actually, it’s better if not everyone likes your work.

Self-doubt certainly plays a role, but knowing that not everyone will like your technique or subject matter can be empowering and that’s okay. It means you’ve reached something interesting and different.

As an artist, it’s not your job to sell the most produced canvases at Arthipo. Your job is to say something and reach out to someone.

Ask yourself, would you do what you do today if no one saw it? Would you paint, sculpt or draw it if you couldn’t show it to anyone?

It’s easy to get caught up in the social media raves and huge influx of “likes” for a piece you’ve posted online. But successful artists know that their growth comes from within, not from outside praise.

Give up the messy, genius artist myth

Successful artists know they need to be organized to get ahead.

Often times, artists will try to get away with saying something like, “I’m an artist, not a business person” or “I’m not good with technology.” This is an excuse to be too lazy to learn the basic skills needed to run an arts business.

Being organized not only reduces the stress of an art career, it also helps you present yourself with professionalism.

Knowing where your artwork is, who you’re selling each piece to, and how to get critical information out of the blue is a vital part of achieving success as an artist. If you’re constantly seeking information, it can be nearly impossible to concentrate on creating the business at hand.

Often times, artists mistakenly sell a piece online at a gallery because they don’t have a system in place.

That’s why, at Arthipo, we create the tools that artists need to eliminate the chaos in their art careers. Inventory, business reports, consignment and invoices, scheduling, contacts, tracking and more.

Rules You Should Know When Purchasing Artwork

by Arthipo | 8 October 2022 | Art Philosophy

Rules You should know when purchasing artwork? What are the rules you need to know when buying artwork? Art doesn’t have specific rules, but there are rules about how you talk about art or how you buy art.

Rules You Should Know When Buying Artworks, Paintings, Sculptures, Important Issues

What to say to artist friends other than ‘This is so beautiful’?

It is not difficult to please artists or other creative people with compliments. Any enthusiastic generalization will make. And when you’re not there as an art critic, even if you really hate the job, there’s a well-known saying: “You must be so proud.”

But wait, what? This doesn’t help. And that’s kind of rude. Also, keep up the bad behavior.

There are some real etiquette rules for talking and working with artists based on some common questions collectors often ask.

Can I directly ask an artist to purchase an artwork I’ve seen in a gallery?

RULE #1: If you find a work of art you like at a gallery, show, or through an independent art dealer, you should run your business there. Respect the artist-gallery relationship when working with art galleries.

WHY: When collectors skip the gallery, often because they think they can make a deal by cutting the middleman, what they’re doing is risking the artist’s job.

Unbelieving artists are usually removed from the gallery as soon as their behavior is discovered. Losing this relationship can ultimately ruin an artist’s career, as one loses the stability and benefits of representing oneself and explaining their work and pricing system.

In the last few years, there have been many artists leaving the galleries and going out on their own to sell their artwork. There is a direct correlation with having a longstanding relationship with a reputable gallery and being able to provide solid prices for your work.

TIP:  Work with galleries. Be transparent. Ask lots of questions; it’s their job to educate you and help guide you through the process. And if meeting the artist is important to you and I think should be part of your final decision, make it easy to sell.

Think of it this way, trying to get the gallery off the commission they deserve is like asking your doctor if he can avoid paying the hospital by going to his house for a discount and having surgery there.

Rules You Should Know When Buying Artworks, Paintings, Sculptures, Important Issues. Rules You Should Know When Purchasing Artwork

What if you see a piece of art at an exhibition and it doesn’t sell after the show is over? Who gets the commission if you buy?

RULE 2: People can argue this point. In our opinion, if you’ve seen something you’re interested in but haven’t purchased on the show arena, it’s still considered eligible for a reasonable amount of time after the show closes. It is necessary to make the sale through the exhibition or to have the artist direct the commission to the exhibition.

WHY:  Artists need exhibitions and art galleries need reliable artists. A great relationship when worked in harmony. Collectors should help maintain harmony by understanding and supporting this important business relationship.

TIP: Juried and invited exhibitions have a real end date. Therefore, if a month or more has passed, or if the painting has been returned to a gallery, the gallery receives a commission. Often national exhibitions are set up to support a cause. Whenever you decide to purchase an artwork you find in the exhibition, consider supporting the cause.

Collectors should be reminded of the expenses incurred when putting together an exhibition by a nonprofit or private gallery for a cause.

When is it appropriate to ask for a discount on an artwork from an art gallery?

RULE 3:  Discounts are for loyal customers who work with an image gallery quite specifically and purchase a substantial amount of artwork from that gallery or purchase a large number of works at once.

WHY:  In the days before the discount method was ubiquitous, image galleries used it as an advantage for their best collectors. Typically 10% will be split between the gallery and the artist, with each party receiving 5%, and similar methods are still used.

The biggest problem with discounts is that if done frequently, they completely devalue the artist’s work. That is, anyone who buys the work without a discount is essentially overpaying.

TIP:  Collectors should understand how prices are determined before asking for a discount.

Usually, painting prices for a famous professional artist are calculated in square inch, for example 20×30: 600 inc², 10 dollar per inc², the price of the painting will be 6000 dollars. The price per inch² may increase or decrease depending on the artist’s talent and reputation. Pricing of printed work can be determined by the size of the print, how complex the job is, for example, how many plates there are for a hand-drawn print, and its importance or relevance, especially with photography. You can review the painting pricing article for painters.

Painting pricing depends on the longevity of the artists, the stability of their prices and the purchasing power of the market.

How long has the artist been working professionally?

How do they price their work?

What kinds of promotions were made? Magazine editorials, awards, honors, inclusion in major collections?

How much say do I have when I order a piece of art? Can I be involved in the creative process?

RULE 4: The artist is not an extension of you or your employee.

WHY:  Commissioning an artist doesn’t give you the freedom to dictate anything beyond the size, medium, and subject you want to take on. As you begin the commission process, never forget that the artist does not live in your head and does not do what he does for a living.

If you really want a very specific vision and it’s outside the style of the artist you’re commissioning, consider taking art classes. Who knows, maybe there is an artist struggling to get out of you!

What should I expect when visiting a painting studio?

RULE 5: Never visit unannounced. Always get your appointment confirmed Don’t think you can buy anything from the studio and get the work you see “wholesale”.

WHY:  Studios are sacred places. They are personal and creative, but also professional workplaces. So plan for a great behind-the-scenes opportunity by researching the artist before you go. You will have a knowledge base for immediate use.

TIP:  Keep the judgments to yourself. Art in a studio will be in various stages of completion. Whether the artist is struggling with a work, trying something new, or trying to do something that has struggled with them until now, he has a vision. In general, artists won’t be doing this for you to see, so don’t wander around the painting studio.

Ask questions. Seriously, ask if you don’t know something. If the artist uses a term or refers to an aspect of the work you’ve never heard of, ask for clarification. Artists love to talk about the subject they are experts in, namely their artworks.

Tell the artist what you like and what interests you about the work. This is a great way to learn more about the technique and what inspires it. Alternatively, if there’s a job you’re not interested in, you can ask it without judgment so you can find out why the artist believes it was successful.

As a curator, visiting artist studios is one of the best parts of my job; I always see this as a privilege. If you’re invited to an artist’s studio, schedule at least an hour, do your homework, and don’t be afraid to ask questions, just stay professional. Rules You Should Know When Purchasing Artwork.

Artist Career Planning

by Arthipo | 8 October 2022 | Art Philosophy

Building on experience and discovering how your job can align with who you are, you can transform your creative practice into a career that truly satisfies you. And you can do this in a few actionable steps and by changing your mindset on how you approach your creative work.

Artist Career Planning, How to Create a Successful Art Career by Finding Your Story

As creators, our true sense of freedom and fulfillment is not found sitting in front of a computer in an office room all day. As an artist who started out in the corporate world and transitioned to a creative career, the culture of hustle was not aligned with who I was and what I wanted to do, and the same is true for many of my artist friends and students.

We are surrounded by a kind of hustle culture, and as a result, it’s all too easy to get distracted when it comes to lifestyle and careers from walking our own paths and meeting our own needs.

However, the biggest obstacle you face when starting an art business is often yourself. Fear can take over the reins in your life, your creative practice, and your work… if you let it!

No one is immune to limiting beliefs and mindset barriers, especially when it comes to starting a business. Working with fear is not easy, but what we want to share is not impossible.

For creatives, these fears might sound like this:

*I am not worthy/good enough to make money from my art.

*I don’t deserve to make money from my art.

*Artists don’t make money and I won’t be able to make enough money from art to maintain the lifestyle I truly need and desire.

*I would be ruining the fun of creativity by selling my art – it would destroy my motivation to create.

*I believe that successful artists are seen as a part of this elite society and I will not reach this level of success because I am not in that environment and do not have VIP connections.

*Being rich makes me selfish or greedy.

*The work side of being an artist would be very difficult or boring.

*I don’t know where to start (but I’m also not looking for support from mentors).

*I will wait for customers to find me (rather than posting my content).

*I’m worried about selling art because my income would generally decrease as people wouldn’t be able to afford my art at the price I was pricing it in.

Do you think, say or feel any of these?

We have limiting beliefs, but we don’t always realize we have them. Limiting beliefs can be ruled by fear and can keep us stuck, sometimes for years.

However, when we identify and become aware of certain thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are holding us back, we can begin to work with them and rewrite our future. Just by being aware of your particular limiting beliefs and fears and being compassionate with yourself (especially in difficult times), you can overcome them. How we choose to think about our lives and the actions we choose to do has the power to change them.

If you want to pursue your passion and dreams every day, have more freedom and fulfillment, and work on your own terms to do something creative, this is a real opportunity. However, if you’re not quite there yet, it may require you to step outside of your comfort zone and change your mindset.

The point is: by not sharing your art with the world, what you’re doing is keeping others and yourself from inspiring, fulfilling, and achieving your goals and dreams!

Artist Career Planning, How to Create a Successful Art Career by Finding Your Story

Know Yourself

Step #1: Meet yourself where you are.
Simple. Identify what you need and want from your creative practice and business.

When you have creative content inside you that needs to be shared, you may need to stop for a second and think about what it really is. Maybe something deep within you seems to be pulling you towards a greater purpose. When you’re motivated by purpose, vision, and passion rather than money, you’ll be intrinsically motivated, the most lasting motivation—and in doing so, you’ll begin to notice others who align with your values.

Instead of thinking of your art work as ‘sales’, think of it this way: building meaningful connections and relationships with audiences. Because when you do this, you develop a trust factor that naturally leads to increased profitability and customer loyalty in your business.

Also, remind yourself that your work has a greater purpose, as art can be extremely influential in the lives of both your audience and you. Your art is useful when:

Connecting viewers to themselves and others.

Introducing new perspectives.

Improving well-being and mental health—art becomes a fun creative coping mechanism that you can turn into a satisfying and profitable business that keeps you going.

Addressing a variety of meaningful themes, stories, valuable life lessons, and issues.

Making an impact or contribution or supporting an important cause.

To inspire and motivate viewers to take action for change.

Here are some things you can ask yourself to meet yourself where you are right now:
What makes you feel most alive in your creative practice?

What will get you through tough times?

What gives you the most joy, satisfaction, and inspiration?

What tangible and emotional benefits do you bring through your art content or offerings?

Create Your Artist Identity

Step #2: Try to create your identity.

It’s about making connections on a deeper level. Part of taking advantage of what satisfies you is about implementing strategies that align with who you are and who your customers are.

When you present yourself with content that allows you to share your values ​​and morals, you will naturally attract audiences and customers with whom you want to work and who want to work with you. They are your “target audience” and will be happy to pay for what you offer.

To educate customers on what values ​​you bring, you must know the values ​​you have to offer.

You can answer this by asking yourself:

What is the most important thing you want to know and why?

How would you like to make others feel?

A great way to start is to get your business in front of where these customers will hang out! Learn more about what they need, desire and struggle with and connect with them that way.

Step #3: Be intentional by setting clear goals you can pursue.
When you see money as a tool to sustain and enrich the lives of yourself, your family, and others, you allow yourself to have a life tool that brings abundance. With this mindset, the possibilities are endless. There is no inherent moral value in money. Instead, set clear, smart goals for money.

Once you’ve nailed that bountiful mindset, you can decide what creative business income streams you want to have to bring your vision to life.

How do you sell your art? Are you running commissions, selling online, printing on demand, securing license agreements, NFTs, selling in stores, displaying at exhibitions, working with galleries, selling in markets, art fairs or trade shows? do you build circuits or spend your time teaching? Or is it coaching?

To discover which paths you want to follow (you can’t do them all at once), ask yourself:

What are you trying to achieve with your work?
How much extra income do you need to recover from financial hardship or stress?
How much do you need to earn to break it?
How often do I want to work directly with people?
How often do I want to travel?
Do I want more passive income that previously required more work (like licensing)? Or am I more satisfied with creating originals or different works?
What do you hope to achieve at the end of the month, year, two years or five years?
Plan your business goals and make a series of decisions by understanding what you are doing, how you are doing it, why you are doing it and for whom! By doing this you will feel more in control of your future and have a say in your art work.

A final note on finding satisfaction by sharing your story
Start before you feel ready.

The sooner you start sharing your offer, the sooner people who are happy to work with you and share similar values ​​will find their way! Then, the better their life will be when they do, and as a result, the sooner you will be satisfied with your work!

When you promise to take deliberate action, there is a goldmine waiting to be dug up.