By Anna King
In this post, I’m going to let you in on the three most important secrets to being an artist.
Number 1: Make Time to Create.
To be an artist, you must create art. It’s that simple.
“But I just don’t have time! I’m a student. I’m a parent. I have a full time job. What’s the real answer?”
My friends. You will never make art if you don’t make time.
For those of you who are discouraged, don’t worry. You don’t have to turn your life inside out in order to make time for art.
Start by writing down exactly how you spend your time. You might discover that you have to spend less time on Netflix or making TikTok videos. You might even have to tell your friends you can’t hang out sometimes.
Making time for your art is a signal to yourself that it is important to you. You’re giving yourself the mindset that you are an artist. And you get to create what you love! Start small. For instance, you might start with one sketch a week, then grow to sketching an hour every day. Do what works for you consistently.
The more you create, the better you will get. You won’t be able to help but get better.
So create!
Number 2: Talk Back to Self-Doubt and Criticism.
You’re never going to be rid of that voice in your head that points out everything wrong with your art. And at the end of the day, that voice can help you get better if you learn how to deal with it.
Whenever you’re on social media or with a group of other artists, there is always going to be someone better than you. You’re going to see people that are worlds away from where you’re at, and that can be discouraging.
But it doesn’t have to be.
When that voice compares your art to theirs, you have to talk back to it. Here are some ways you can:
- Yes, they may be better than you, but use that to inspire you to become better. It does not mean you aren’t a great artist.
- Take some time away from social media and make art for you.
- Reach out to that person who is amazing and let them know. Connecting with others can help you remember that they are just people too! Complimenting others also helps you turn that voice away and allows you to focus on the good.
- Do some master copies. Copy what you see, and you’ll be amazed at what you find.
Number 3: Be Clear About Your Goals.
Once you’ve finished reading this, write down a “success statement.”
What does success look like to you? Is it to have hundreds of Instagram followers? Is it to illustrate a book? Or is it to put some part of you into your art? Look up some examples of other’s success statements and then write your own. Knowing what you want from and for your art will help you ignore things that don’t matter.
Be patient with yourself, put in the work, and love the journey.
Anna King graduated from BYU in 2019 with a BA in Illustration and minors in creative writing and editing. She’s currently working as a freelance illustrator in Utah. She’s been the illustrator for two self-published books and is currently the illustrator for a superhero webcomic. When she’s not drawing, she’s writing novels or watching movies—unless it’s a perfect day outside, in which case you’ll find her dancing in the rain.
Instagram: @aoking_draws
Current Project: Webcomic – Variant Heroes
A very inspiring post! Thank you! While not an artist, I’m a fantasy writer, and each of your tips applies equally well to writing!
I particularly appreciated the advice to define what success means to you. If we do not define success, how will we work toward it, and how will we know when we reach it?
Jeremy (Provo, Utah)
Thanks for sharing! We all need a little encouragement from time to time to stretch our creative “legs” and be brave enough to share our talents with the world.
I’m 70 years old with a lifetime of teaching, public speaking and creating art and that negative voice in the back of my mind has never gone away. I still get butterflies in my stomach before a presentation. You gave good advice about dealing with that insecure negative voice.