Being an artist is taxing enough, being a self-taught artist, well I'd say that's one for the books. As someone who has been on both sides of the coin, I have racked up a bit of knowledge when it comes to being an art student and self-taught artist. In this blog post, I will be sharing a few pieces of advice for self-taught artists.
01. Share your Journey As An Artist
What's a good art journey if you don't share it with others? Yes, it may be long and hard; and yes, you may have some pieces that are questionable but as Magnus Carlsen stated, it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. 10,000 hours is about 417 days and if you can dedicate 3 hours or so a day to honing that skill, you can become a master in a matter of 9-10 years. Yes, this is a long time and results are not always typical but, the idea is that this is a long journey, so you might as well share it. It doesn't take everyone 10,000 hours to master a skill this is just to show that practice makes perfect and that skill takes time to develop.
02. Embrace The Creative Process
"What creative process?" you may be wondering. Yours of course! Of course, this too will come with time, but as an artist, you have nothing but time... in most cases (deadlines do exist after all). Now, you will need to take some time and come up with your own ways of doing things, essentially developing your own art style, but once you do you will be that much more appreciative of the creative process.
03. Find An Art Community
You are not in this alone so don't act like it. There are thousands of other artists out there who are on the same journey as you with similar goals looking to make their own mark in the world. So, why not get out there and find a few fellow artists to link up and create with. The more time you spend building your support system, the easier it will be for you to remain consistent and to improve as an artist.
04. Keep An Art Journal
If sharing your work with the world is too much for you, maintaining an Art Journal is another great way to be consistent as an artist. Keeping an art journal while sharing your work with the world is also a good idea. When you keep an art journal you can track your goals and your accomplishments. You can maintain a record of your work (for better or for worse) as well as your ideas and dreams. As you maintain your art journal, remember the focus of this journal is to document your creative journey. Essentially, it is your story as an artist.
An art journal can be maintained in a sketchbook, a binder, or a journal. Currently, I maintain my art journal in a binder. You can keep yours in whatever form makes you feel the most comfortable or most creative.
05. Be Consistent
I know that it can be hard trying to be consistent, especially with a busy schedule. However, if this is something that you truly want, you will make room for it. As far as the consistency goes, try taking small increments out of your day to work on art and then slowly increase it as you find more time in your schedule.
06. Take A Note From The Old Masters
The old masters can teach us all a thing or two when it comes to drawing. They truly have put the 10,000-hour rule to work. Many of the old masters spent their lives aiming to find their style. A few of my favorites consist of Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and Raphael just to name a few. Studying their work, mainly their sketches and developing an understanding of how they blend the physical and metaphysical realms into a tangible work of art. This is a skill that takes time to hone, but once you have it, it is yours for life.
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