Growing up there are some careers that you simply look at and think ‘no, there’s no way that I could do that’, such as being a professional artist for example. Well, if you have great ability when it comes to creating beautiful pieces of art then don’t be discouraged, the World still needs artists and with a bit of self-belief and smart decision making, you could forge a career for yourself creating the art which you love. One day you could even be on the International stage like John Constable, Damien Hirst or Roy Lichtenstein or even a popular gallery artists like Chicago-born Jon Bunge.
You must master your trade, create daily and dedicate yourself to your passion in order to be the best that you can be. Once you have honed your craft then here are some steps which you can follow to make a living from the art which you make.
Move to a Passionate City
In order to find success you should ideally be living in a city which has a thriving art scene and can present you with plenty of opportunities to get noticed. Most capital cities are actively encouraging artists and some have become hotbeds for artistic ability like Berlin. Living in these places will not only gain you access to lots of museum and exhibition space but you will also be surrounded by like-minded people who can help you to be creative and push you to become original.
Not What You Know But Who
The old adage of it being better to know people than information is very true in the art world and in order to get your feet up the ladder of success then you are going to need a good network of people around you. Making friends with dealers, other artists, gallery owners or any other influential people in the art world will pay you great dividends in your search for success. Use all tools which you have, meet people online, talk to people in cafes, rent studio space and befriend others who are working there.
Surviving
Becoming an artist will not happen overnight and in your early years you must work hard in order to survive. Bearing in mind that you need to be able to dedicate a great deal of your time to creating new pieces, a full-time job makes becoming an artist very difficult. You could pick up a part time job to help you survive and if you do then try to get work in a gallery or a trendy cafe, anything that means you are staying in the world of art. You could also sell you pieces in order to not only make some money but also to get your name out there. In the past artists would sell their work on the streets but the internet has not made it a lot easier for you. Set up a shop online and promote some of your work in order to allow people to see what you can do and make some money to survive at the same time.