With endless art tutorials available on the internet and a constant stream of inspiration coming from apps like Pinterest, it's now easier than ever to pick up art as a new hobby. With the COVID-19 pandemic leaving us all searching for ways to fill the mindless hours at home, more and more people are flexing their creative muscles and diving into the wonderful world of art. Being a (relatively) new painter myself, I feel like it's my duty to share some of the things that I learned along the way that will make your artist journey less stressful and more enjoyable, so you can focus on creating more masterpieces for the world to enjoy.
1. You are not going to become Picasso overnight.
If you're reading this post thinking that I'm about to drop some life-changing artist tip in your lap that will transform your work overnight, allow me to very swiftly burst your bubble. There is no such thing as an overnight artist. Sure, some people are naturally talented and take to art more quickly than others. But art is about practice. It's about refining your skills. It's about nurturing that natural talent. And it takes time. I recall feeling frustrated and demotivated when I first started painting because no matter how hard I tried my work just did not look like what I saw other people post online. I wish I had someone back then to explain to me what I'm explaining to you now- the paintings you see people post online are usually the results of lots of hard work and practice and years of building up their skills. It's impractical to think that you will achieve what took them years in a matter of weeks. Instead, focus on seeing tangible improvements in your own work over a period of time.
2. Creativity is important...but practice is important-er
Before the grammar police come for me, I'm well aware that "important-er" is not really a word. It just seemed the most fitting to capture my point. Creativity is an integral part of the creative process. But it's really just one small ingredient when it comes to making artwork. Think of creativity as a light switch. If you flip a switch that isn't connected to any wires, or electricity, or even a bulb, then you don't get light. It's the same thing with art. If you have a really creative idea, but you're not using the right materials, your technique is underdeveloped, and your composition is way off, then you simply wont be able to execute your ideas as effectively as you'd like. I remember being able to sail through art classes in the first couple years of high school because I was creative. But creativity doesn't equate to consistency, and eventually I found that ideas would somehow get lost when I tried to translate them to paper because I lacked the discipline to really practice my skills and fine-tune my vision. Moral of the story- set aside as much time to practice the basics of art as you do to cultivate your creative energy.
3. People aren't always going to like your work. Don't take it personally.
From the moment you post a picture of your artwork online, or display it in your home or a gallery, or any public space, you are giving people the opportunity to judge your artwork. For some reason a lot of new artists get very uncomfortable around that word- judge. I remember saying "don't judge too harshly" anytime I would show someone my artwork. Until I realized that this statement was unfair to the person viewing it (because they'd sometimes feel like they needed to lie or sugar coat their opinion so as not to offend me) and it put me at a disadvantage (because I wasn't allowing myself to receive constructive criticisms that could help me improve). Don't get me wrong, I know a lot of us put our heart and souls into our paintings, and it can be a really discouraging experience when someone has a negative reaction to it. But that's their business. Your job as an artist is to create, not to manage the emotional response of everyone you show your art to. People aren't always gonna like it, and that's okay.
4. You are not any less of an artist if you don't paint realistic landscapes or portraits.
There are a million different things in this world that you can create. Animals, flowers, random dots, aliens, purple elephants...What. Ever. You. Want. Do not let anyone belittle your art by telling you that it isn't "really art" or you're not a "real artist" because of the subject matter that you choose. Paint what makes you happy. Find things that inspire you, and that make you feel good when you paint it, and dive into that subject matter. Study it, work at it, perfect it, and then move on to something else. The possibilities are infinite. The world needs YOUR unique perspective, not a carbon copy of someone else's. Paint what you see, and what you feel. Do it often. Do it well. And do it unapologetically.