Thoughts on becoming a full-time artist

This is literally my first abstract painted when I was about 7

My husband and I were just talking about how things have changed since I have become a full-time artist. It's a question I get asked a lot in many ways; how do you take your art "to the next level", get into galleries, or sell enough work to do it full-time.

I thought I'd broadly answer that question here.

The first thing is that brings most of us to art is the joy and passion we have for the process. As a child I wanted nothing more than to be an artist. Somewhere along the way I decided that I could not do it and did not pursue it but the happiness my painting has brought me is immeasurable. Deciding that this was my path a few years ago meant that I would not reopen my design business that I closed when my daughter was born and we moved to Virginia. So it was a big change of focus for me.

It is odd that I think being a professional artist means that you sometimes have to step away from the need to always be joyful about your work. That doesn't mean that it should suck, just that once it is a business, there are deadlines and requests that mean painting is no longer just a free-for-all of your own desires.

 Developing a regular (or as regular as life will allow) studio practice has been a great thing for me. "Going to work" at 8:30 each weekday has been liberating rather than stifling. It has helped me because having my studio in my home means most people think it's OK to impose on me because "I'm home". I tell people now that I have to go to work even though it's in the other room.  I also know that I work best with a little bit of structure, not too much and not too little. Knowing that I am supposed to work between 8:30 and 4 every weekday plus the freedom to decide that I am not going to work at any given time works for me well. This discipline is a big part of being able to do this as a career and I love this aspect.

After self-discipline I would add that being prepared is most important. Artists need to ask themselves if they are prepared for the workload. After painting you must photograph the work, edit  and organize the images and upload them to a website. Emails need to be answered in a timely manner. Paperwork must be current and the list goes on. This all must be done over and over so that you are prepared when a client or gallery needs images, prices or other information. It is a good idea to put these systems in place before you approach a gallery or decide to make a business of being an artist.

One thing a person needs to "take it to the next level" is a healthy level of confidence. Am I always confident of each thing I paint? No, but it doesn't stop me in my tracks to hear criticism. You need to be able to hear criticism (even if it's mean spirited) and take what you can use from it and keep working.

That brings me to my last bit of advice for those who asked. The criticism that we dish out on ourselves can be the hardest to work through. I can't count how many times I had a painting that was looking promising and one little area took it to a really awful place and then the effort to correct it went even worse. Meanwhile, three days go by and it feels like I have been spinning my wheels with little progress.

Luckily, there are plenty of days when things just fall into place on a canvas exactly how I imagined.

Another aspect that I really love is all of the fascinating, kind and generous people I have met along the way and the friendships that have formed. This was the most surprising benefit to to my work. I doubt many traditional office jobs offer the culture of support and generosity that I enjoy every day.

The freedom to be creative and manage my time as I like really can't be beat. I would not discourage someone who is really passionate about their artwork to continue pursing a career, but rather share what I have experienced so they can consider all of the aspects that it involves.

5 things I wish I had known on day one of being a business owner

I have always created but it was more recently that my art sales warranted a " for real" business setup and I wish I had known these things beforehand. Its not that I was so naive that I had never heard these things, but rather the lesson learned by choosing to heed the words or not heed them and then deal with the consequences is something different.

Having figured out these things makes me wonder what I will wish I knew about business 5 and 10 years from now.

1. Boundaries. Boundaries are so difficult for a non-confrontational person like me but so very necessary.

Last year, there was a minor upset when we told a family member not to come and stay for a few days. We were so very busy and the thoughts of remaking a bed and cooking just about put me over the edge. I am glad we were firm about that. 

That was my first lesson on setting boundaries. Working from home does not mean that you are available for other things even though others may think that you are.

2. Bookkeeping. Oh how I wish that sort of thing had been easier for me. It was something that I over complicated in my mind and found frustrating and even tear-producing. I now have a simple paper form that I complete each month. I am tech-savvy enough to do something else but find comfort in having things on paper. If I had a nickel for the number of people that recommended an accounting program...

My lesson here was: do what works for you and you business. It is such an important thing that a business owner know their monthly sales, expenses and profit margin and I always do by using the method that is a good fit for me.

3. Details affect your image. Thankfully it took me a very short period of time to be horrified at the thought of packaging my artwork in a leftover makeshift cardboard box for shipping. Its a small thing but a customer who spends hundreds on a handmade item deserves a new box that is packed up in a tidy professional way. This philosophy comes up in many ways like using the best quality materials I can afford at my price point and responding even the smallest questions in a timely, respectful and friendly manner.

4. Building relationships is key.  I am the artist so I do everything, right? Wrong.Yep, my husband builds wood crates for the biggies so I need to be nice to him but I need more help than that. I have a relationship with the owner and employees of my local UPS store that is invaluable to me. I could use another shipper but I value the relationship enough to stick with them. Artist friends are great to bounce ideas off of and a small art supply store is my best source for custom stretcher bars. Everything I do would be drastically more difficult without these cultivated relationships.

5. Ride the dips. Seth Godin devoted an entire book to knowing when to quit.  A dip can make you feel like quitting. A dip is a lull in business, creativity, or both and it is scary as hell. Like the biggest rollercoaster ever scary. I found that dips are good. In my case, a creative dip allowed my subconscious time to do problem solving about creativity. It ended in a series of "Eureka" moments and it was only in hindsight that I saw that thing I viewed as a slump was rather a regrouping of energy.

 My daughter at age four said it best while painting one evening, "I am a real artist because I never give up."

In business, things are not always linear, rarely exactly as you expected and mostly tougher than you thought it would be but the rewards are immeasurable and I never want to do anything else.

Like Kerry Steele Art on Facebook to see my latest artwork

Follow me on Instagram to see paintings in progress

Why do you use Pinterest?

my Pinterest boards

I found a really useful article about which pins on Pinterest get repinned the most.

I found it a bit surprising on some counts and obvious in other ways, like a very saturated image gets more attention that a dull one. Things I rarely consider, like the aspect ratio of the image having an affect, were mentioned too.

art wishlist board

Pinterest has been very helpful to me from an art sales standpoint but that is not the sole reason I use it. Its so yesterday, but I use it mostly to save and categorize images and ideas.

The article is a good read but it made me wonder, why do you use Pinterest?

Has it helped you business or blog?