Artists, filmmakers and creative entrepreneurs:
Here are five tips to help you get started as a professional artist or filmmaker.
If you are a new artist, filmmaker or creative entrepreneur, chances are that you are going to need some time to get your bearings. If this is the case, I have four words of advice for you; read on!
Being an artist, filmmaker or creative entrepreneur takes time, patience and hard work. It is important to remember that although this path may be difficult, it will also be rewarding. You will learn things in your journey that you may not have learned otherwise and you will create art or media that can touch the lives of others in ways you never imagined.
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Tone:casual and playful
I am an artist and a writer. I have been a professional artist for over 10 years and have sold my art in galleries, shops and online. I also teach art.
I am always asked how to get started as an artist. There are no easy answers to this question but here are some tips to help you on your way.
Is being a professional artist your life long dream? What is stopping you? Make a budget and set aside $5 or $10 every week until you have enough to cover the cost of your first show. There is no point waiting around for someone else to give you permission to be an artist, permission that you only grant yourself.
If you really want to be an artist then act like one and make it happen, don’t wait around hoping it will just fall into your lap. And don’t complain if it doesn’t work out because you didn’t make the effort.*
Art is one of the most underrated means of escaping the rat race, so if you want to make it as a professional artist, you’d better know what you’re doing. Here are some tips from an expert.
TIP 1: Figure out what kind of artist you want to be.
You don’t get to choose where you excel, but you can choose what kind of art to create. If you’re going for art that sells well, then do something that people want to buy, like portraits or landscape paintings. If you want to be a niche artist, then focus on a subject that other artists aren’t focusing on enough and create work that stands out from the crowd.
TIP 2: Get good at your craft.
Learning how to paint or draw is not as easy as it sounds and takes a long time before you start seeing results that are even vaguely impressive. You’ll have to practice every day for several years before your talent starts showing through.
TIP 3: Meet people in the industry who can help you succeed.
If you’re serious about making it big as an artist, then find someone who’s already made it big and ask them for advice. Or if they’re not willing to give advice just yet, then at least befriend
1. Take art courses from professionals, not amateurs or hobbyists.*
If you’re serious about your art and want to be a professional artist, don’t waste your time taking art courses from people who are not professional artists. You can learn a lot from hobbyists and amateurs, but you’ll get further faster by taking courses with people whose careers depend on their skills.
Art classes taught by professionals can be found in the community college system. Even if you don’t go to a 4-year school right away, you can still take advantage of this resource after high school. These classes are often overlooked by high school students because they think only the “best” students get into college, but community college is open to anyone who can pass the admissions test.
In case you’re not sure whether someone is a professional artist, just ask them. If they are an amateur artist (i.e. not a professional), ask them why they took up amateur art instead of trying to become a professional artist. They might have another very good reason besides being too lazy to try or having no talent or being afraid to fail at it, but this will give you some insight into how serious they are about their art and how much effort they put into it._
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These tips are aimed at new artists and entrepreneurs trying to get into the industry. As a new artist myself, I hope that this article will help you, especially if you are beginning in this field for the first time. I have been creating art for about two years now, and I’ve had some interesting experiences in terms of self-promotion and selling my artwork.
First and foremost, an artist is someone who has an innate urge to express himself. If you don’t have that, there’s no point in wasting your time with the rest of this article. There are plenty of other professions you can pursue which will pay better and be much easier.
Caveat emptor: this guide is intended for artists who want to make a living from their work. It is not for hobbyists. I am not trying to discourage you from pursuing art for its own sake – quite the opposite – but if you’re doing it for a lark or because it’s something “you’ve always wanted to do” then you should stop reading right now, because the following advice won’t help you.
Any effort you put into making your art better will pay off in terms of sales. But only if it makes people like what they see more than they did before they saw your work. Dull art will never sell, however technically proficient it is. Art which fails to address an audience is a bad investment whichever way you look at it; even if it sells, all the money will probably just go on booze anyway so why bother?
To avoid getting stuck in a rut, try drawing every day before you get down to serious painting or sculpt
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