Photo courtesy of Jessica Watts Fine art

We asked 14 accomplished artists: "What do you wish you would take known at the get-go of your fine art career?"

Some of their advice is very applied (keep adept records!) and some is broad, sweeping and existential, simply all of it can be applied to make your journeying as an artist a little smoother and a little happier.

These artists accost bug that all emerging artists face at some point in their career.

From finding your conviction, subject, and voice, to understanding entrepreneurship, money problems, and business organization tips, and dealing with success, rejection, and bruised egos, these artists take been through information technology all and are hither to share what they learned along the fashion.

Here is what they would tell their younger selves:

Untitled Study (Fahan), Julia Ibbini, Hand and Lasercut Paper over Ink on Mylar

It's a marathon, not a sprint

The road is very, very long. Information technology takes a lifetime to develop your craft and anyone who tells you otherwise is merely lying. In that location will be many tears and non much appreciation (at first).

People can (and will) be cruel or unconstructive towards you and your work. Grow a very thick skin.

Middle fingers are useful when gallerists, teachers, critics, or other artists are beingness unnecessarily awful. Keep making the work anyway.

There are no lightbulb or grand inspiration moments (ok maybe one time in awhile, but hardly ever); information technology'southward about chipping abroad each day. Learn to feel the joy in that.

Acquire as much as you can about marketing yourself and your work as soon every bit possible. Don't rely on anyone else to assist you with it.

Become to know the people who collect your work, and keep in bear on with them. They are a role of what makes it all worthwhile.

Enjoy the ride. I become a lot of people telling me that they used to be really into art when they were children just had to requite it upwards because of a multifariousness of reasons (and dearly wish they could brand art again). If you've got the guts to exist making work and putting it out there, be proud of yourself and take fun with it.

Julia Ibbini

@JuliaIbbini , @JuliaIbbiniart
I Call back She Winked at Me by Jessica Watts, Oil, acrylic, and paper on canvas

In that location is no right or incorrect, there is no win or lose

When I was kickoff starting out I thought there was a "correct" way to arroyo my art and my art business. I felt similar all artists knew the way ... except for me. If I could become back in time, I would tell myself there is no right or wrong way.

Rather, it's about doing things your style. Had I known this earlier I would have been less troubled almost how my work was received and more confident in my vision for my business.

The art business can be very competitive: whose work is ameliorate (fine art prizes) whose piece of work is selling more. Information technology took me a while to disassemble myself from the noise.

So, I would also tell my fledgling self that competition is the enemy. It'southward a much amend use of time to monopolize the space in which you create value.

Jessica Watts

@jessowatts, @JessicaWattsArt
LGBTQ Rights past Melanie Reese, Acrylic and spray paint on canvas

Being an artist likewise means existence a business concern owner

I wish I would have known how much being a working artist today requires you to exist a small business professional with an understanding of art market trends.

With the ascension of the cyberspace and social media came a new moving ridge of art world–creative person interaction. Artists of all mediums, practices, genres, and talent have exposure in ways that those who came earlier us could merely dream of, but with that exposure comes more than of a responsibility for the artist.

A website is a requirement, social media presence is a necessity, keeping an inventory is crucial, and an ability to sell artwork direct is non only possible simply desirable and with that comes the responsibility of understanding the intricacies of the art market.

Melanie Reese

@Melaniereese
Screen_Shot_2016-01-16_at_5.53.18_PM_f1vggw Shangrilah, Jill Sanders, Metallic photograph

B.L.E.N.D

Beastward overnice. Always exist nice to people fifty-fifty if they critique you or just exercise non respond to your images.

Learn everything you lot tin about marketing and develop organizational skills. You can have 4,000 brilliant images on your difficult drive, simply they slowly go insignificant without exposure.

Educate yourself.  Never terminate learning. Intelligence is the foundation of great art. In order to stir an emotion in others, one must exist able to make a viewer question their previous ideas and claiming their established thoughts.

Northwardetwork. Anybody needs a tribe for support.

Don't give up … just attempt harder.

Jill Sanders

@jillsandersphotographer
Awakening Mt. Susitna, Karen Whitworth, Oil On Panel

Minimize authoritative tasks and maximize making time

Paint (or create) more.

I spent so much time doing busy piece of work early on that my time at the easel was affected. In hindsight, I should have devised a way to consul or outsource my busywork sooner so that my painting time could have been preserved or even increased.

For that reason, I recommend that you hire an assistant before yous call up information technology's necessary. If you expect likewise long, things are already hectic and the transition of delegating will be unnecessarily cumbersome. Some other symptom of waiting too long is that things start to fall through the cracks every bit your time to attain them becomes more and more than scarce. This can be dangerous. The expense and time to hire and train an assistant is worth information technology. Brand plans and start budgeting for it now.

Karen Whitworth

@karenwhitworth
Cavity of Boundless Heartbeats, Caitlin G McCollom, Acrylic on yupo

Develop the business concern side of things early on

When I was just getting started I actually didn't empathize the entrepreneurial side of being an artist. It was quite the learning process to become established as a business alongside developing my studio exercise and personal vision as an artist.

I highly recommend finding a mentor who can prove y'all the road ahead while y'all're getting where you lot're going.

Equally, I wish I would have known how important it is to have authentic athenaeum and records.

Years after when I was established, I had to practice months of data entry to get caught up. Artwork Archive was a life saver for this process, but it was still a ton of work to do all at one time.

I would as well tell myself to stay positive and know that information technology IS possible to be a professional person artist. I got so many discouraging messages saying my dream was incommunicable, making it took much longer than I wanted to get a full-time artist. But, it'south totally possible. Information technology but takes a piffling ingenuity and hard work.

Caitlin McCollom

@cgmccollom
Echoes & Silence, Gillian Buckley, Graphite and Acrylic

Only compare yourself to former self

I began in a identify of very little understanding of the art world and other artists around me. I think that had if I had known the amount of talent that was already out there, I probably wouldn't accept fifty-fifty started!

Back then, I compared my work only to my earlier work, which is a safety place to build confidence.

Gillian Buckley

@GillianBuckleyArtist
Hybrid Vigor, Julie Thou. Anderson,Ceramic

Don't rely on money from your art ... at kickoff

Having multiple sources of income other than just selling your artwork is very important when you are first starting off and possibly throughout your career equally an artist.

A diversified stream of income has allowed me to experiment and brand the work I truly want to make, rather than just making work that I know will sell. I learned that trying to please everyone with the type of art I make is a recipe for making pieces that are not then great.

It besides made me detest making art; I was bored by information technology.

Create the work that yous truly dearest and the right buyers will come along eventually.

This way, you lot tin can stay your own personal creative path, but in the meantime, yous can feed yourself and keep a roof over your head with your alternating source of income.

Julie Anderson

@JulieAndersonCeramics
Fringe V2, Beth Kamhi, Brass chaplet, aluminum, wood

Trust your instincts and your abilities

Your sincere commitment to your practice is the path to becoming a successful artist. That, and trusting your instincts.

Those two things plus a electric current arroyo to marketing = success.

A degree in Fine Arts is not the terminal respond. I know many highly talented artists who feel unqualified to call themselves artists because they don't have an MFA.  I also know many MFA Artists whose work is sub-par.

You have it or y'all don't. Believing in yourself is paramount to artistic success and artistic happiness

Beth Kamhi

@bethkamhi
Luminous Blue Variable, Sawyer Rose, silvery solder, copper, ultramarine powdered pigment

Brand more piece of work

The standard logic behind this advice is that working in greater quantity loosens you up and you end up making more adept piece of work.

And this is true, but as well I find that when I speed upwardly my workflow I'chiliad not every bit emotionally married to the final product. Each gallery submission or residency application doesn't feel like a personal referendum on me as an artist. When, inevitably, rejection comes my way, it'due south easier to acquit on when I can say to myself, "Oh, but that was one-time work anyway."

Sawyer Rose

@Ksawyerrose
Arctic Tumbleweed past Kathleen Elliot, Drinking glass

Go on going in the face of rejection

Afterwards nearly ii decades every bit an artist, there is much I am still learning, and a lot I don't even know I don't know yet. Perhaps the most important, though, is the ability to keep going in the face of declines or people not responding to and liking my work.

After pouring everything I am into my piece of work, I assume others volition connect with that and want it, whether that's gallerists or collectors or curators.

Competition is fierce, the number of declines is exponentially greater, and we accept to be ok and not knocked downwards by that. Or, at least be able to choice ourselves upwardly from disappointments and go along going.

Kathleen Elliot

@Kathleenelliot
Bird on Grenade (iii mad Swallow attached to pivot) Steven Spazuk, Soot and acrylic on panel

Delivery is everything

I would tell myself to really devote all my fourth dimension to my art; to work towards my goals full-time, stay on track, and stay focused.

When I was a young teenager, I was a large Dali fan, and ane of his citations was, "No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist." That always stuck in my mind.

Steven Spazuk

@steven_spazuk
Daydream Luminescence, Laura Guese, Oil On Canvass

Put in the hours and persevere

What I wish I had known as an artist merely starting out is that rejection is simply function of the profession. You have to be willing to accept a lot of "no'south" to finally get a "aye." Perseverance is key, and it'southward of import not to take those rejections likewise seriously or personally. Keep moving forward!

Your work will proceed to improve if you lot keep practicing your fine art and putting in the hours. I received advice from an fine art professor in college that has stayed with me to this 24-hour interval.  He encouraged me to just prove up at the studio even if I wasn't feeling particularly inspired to piece of work.

Usually, after beingness in the studio for an hour or so, I would find myself getting engrossed in my fine art.

Laura Guese

@Lauraguese
Moody Blues Ii by Annie Wildey, Oil On Linen

Don't wait to go serious about art.

Don't exist fearful. Be more willing to take risks. Be confident and believe in yourself. Nurture and explore your creativity and master your skills.

I put off seriously pursuing my fine art for eighteen years. After fine art school, I was a little lost and unsure of who I was. I traveled and fell into a career in business, working for an organization in New York City. Though I gained a lot of skills and matured,  the terminal few years of my business organization career I desperately wanted to make more time for my fine art. I didn't know how to navigate that journey lonely and then I sought the help of a creative and life coach and somewhen decided to pursue an MFA at xl.

I would tell my younger self to find a mentor or a artistic bus whom you tin larn from. And, put money aside when you have it! Lastly, and perhaps virtually importantly, identify your goals, and approach your art career with a business concern mindset.

Annie Wildey

@anniewildey

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