*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :) Are you eager to start selling your artwork online but perhaps feel overwhelmed with all the options out there? Wondering if print-on-demand platforms like Society6 and Redbubble are right for you? Do the technical aspects involved in creating on online shop and uploading your artwork effectively keep you from moving forward? In today's blog post I'll be sharing my entire process for creating products to sell on Society6, as well as essential information you should definitely know if you're thinking of opening a shop of your own on this platform. I'll also be providing a list of pros and cons about Society6 to help you make an informed decision on whether opening this type of shop is right or you. Society6 is an online marketplace that allows artists and designers to easily create their own shops and sell their work not only on prints, posters, canvases, and other kinds of wall art, but on a large variety of accessories like phone cases, tote bags, apparel and even furniture! One of the reasons why I decided on Society6 over other platforms is because, in my research phase, I heard great things about the quality of their products from other artists. About a year and a half ago, when I first started learning about different options for selling my work online, I was taken aback by the amount of platforms available and the differences between each. Some of them require artists to go through application processes, others ask for fee payments for each artwork uploaded, others keep a huge percentage of the artist's earnings, etc. Of course, there are marketplaces like Etsy through which the artist assumes all responsibility for customer service, packaging and shipping orders, which you can go for right-off-the bat if you want more control and direct contact with your customers. I decided to create shops on both Society6 and Redbubble, as they are fast to open, easy to use and require no monetary investment. However, since before starting with my online art business journey, I knew that my end goal was to eventually sell my original artwork through Etsy. The way I saw it, these smaller shops would be a great way to start developing a habit for creating new pieces and uploading them on a semi-regular basis. They would also enable me to test out what people liked most and to start marketing my different products through social media. I saw these shops as a stepping stone, as I knew I still had a ton to learn about before opening my shop on Etsy. Also, I'm all for creating a variety of income streams and plan to keep these smaller shops running even after my Etsy shop has gained some traction. Setting up multiple income streams is a total must for artists of all kinds, in my opinion. There are three things that you should do before concluding whether a platform/marketplace is right for you or not: a) Research, research, research (but don't get stuck there) This entails visiting the site yourself and reading the information the company provides. You must know what their terms are, the support they provide, how/when you're getting paid, the quality level of their products, etc. I also recommend listening to reviews from at least three different artists or designers that have been on the platform for a decent amount of time. Also, think about whether the company's overall vibe (the mood and attitudes they transmit through their site, social media channels, advertisements, etc.) meshes with yours. b) Give thought to what goals you have for your artwork There are so many ways an artist could go in. Is your dream to sell paintings for large amounts of money and getting into galleries? Are you primarily a commercial illustrator working with clients? Would you like to venture into surface pattern designing? Would you like to have your own larger shop on Etsy (or on your own website) through which you'll take care of all production and shipping to your customers in the future? You have to know what it is you want to do before investing too much time and energy into something that may or may not be right for you. What does your gut tell you? c) Actually do it and give it a decent amount of time Once you've come to a decision (be careful not to spend such a long time in the research phase that you never actually get to anything), it's essential to put in consistent effort and be patient. You might be doing everything right and still see nothing happening for months. Remember it takes time to see results on any platform and it's essential to stay consistent for a while before arriving at any conclusions. Always continue learning what aspects you can improve about your shop and how you can get your work out there effectively.
If you enjoy this video, I highly recommend subscribing to my YouTube channel. I publish a new one every-single-week sharing art tips, drawing/painting tutorials and encouragement for beginner/intermediate artists! :)
How to Scan, Edit and Upload Artwork Onto Society6 1. Creating Your Artwork
You can upload any kind of artwork onto Society6 and choose any (or all) of the items available to place it on if you so desire. However, it's important to take into account that not all kinds of artwork will look good on all types of products. And, of course, the less amount of items you make available, the less options you will offer to your visitors, which translates into less sales.
With my limited amount of time, I decided to create patterns using the watercolor illustrations I was already creating for the calendars I send out to my newsletter subscribers every month! With one same pattern, I would be covering most of the items offered by Society6 at once and they would look awesome. I know creating patterns might not fit your own artwork but, if you wish to create patterns with your illustrations as I do, I highly recommend creating your artwork with little to no background so that it's easy to "clip out" in Photoshop (or the photo editing software of your choosing). As you upload your first drawings or paintings and start placing them on products, you'll find what types of items suit your work best. As much as it's great to have more products to offer, don't feel obligated to create products that don't make your artwork shine. 
Watercolor food and botanical illustrations by Erika Lancaster. Winsor and Newton watercolors on Canson 140 lb. watercolor paper.
Watercolor food and botanical illustrations by Erika Lancaster. Winsor and Newton watercolors on Canson 140 lb. watercolor paper.
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3. Editing Your Artwork & Creating Your Designs
Once I have a high quality scan of my illustration on my computer, it's time to open Photoshop and move onto the cleaning/editing process, as well as creating any sort of pattern I'd like with it. If you don't currently have Photoshop, and don't want to pay for the software, don't worry! You can download Gimp for free, which is a very popular photo-editing software you can get online for both Mac and PC. This popular alternative is even used by professional illustrators and contains pretty much all the tools that could come in handy for you as an artist.
In Photoshop, I mainly remove the background from my illustration, do any cleaning necessary (to remove hairs, etc.) and perhaps increase the contrast a tiny bit at times. To "clip" the illustration from the background I like using the Pen Tool, which provides me much more control than the Magic Wand selector. You want to be careful when cutting your illustrations out, because any white spots you leave outside of your illustrations will get printed on the products! I always make sure to re-check my work when I'm done.
Every now and then, I also use Photoshop to manipulate colors so that I'm able to create colorful patterns using only one "base" illustration.
Once I've successfully separated my illustration from it's background, it's time to create an appealing pattern with it! I visit Society6's Pixel Dimension Requirement page to make sure I'm creating my file in the right size before working on my pattern. In this page, Society6 lists out the document sizes (in pixels) needed for each of their products. But don't worry, you don't need to create a separate file for each!
What I do is create a new document in Photoshop with their minimum recommended size of 6500 x 6500 pixels and create my pattern there. This size is covers most of the products on the list and the platform will automatically place it on all the products that require this size or smaller, which saves a lot of time. There are currently only 2-3 products that require a larger size than this and you can create separate files for those if you wish. There are also a couple of products like stickers and t-shirts which you'll probably find need a separate design or layout.
Pixel Dimension Requirements for Society6 Products. Click on image to visit site.
Once I'm happy with my pattern, I deactivate the background layer in Photoshop and save the document as a .png, which allows the background to remain transparent. This is the file you'll upload onto Society6.
Because I know I'm most likely going to have to come back to Photoshop to create separate .pngs for stickers and t-shirts, I leave it open.
Click to visit Gimp's website and download the software.
3. Uploading onto Society6
Opening your shop on Society6 is very fast and easy. All you need is a PayPal account. I recommend giving thought to your Username/URL because you won't be able to change it later and filling out your Artist Bio as soon as your able. Upload a banner and an avatar image to make your shop your own.
Once that's done, all you have to do is click on the button at the top that says "Sell" and you're going to be taken through a very straightforward 3-step process. The platform take a minute to process your artwork when you upload, as it's placing it on all available products that it fits on.
Next, you'll have to fill in a title for your work, as well as tags and a description. A tip here is to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Instead of typing in a subjective title for your artwork, think about what words visitors actually type into Society6's search bar when looking for products. Be descriptive, create a five word title, use up all the available tags, and create a good little paragraph.
Finally, the fun part! You'll be taken to the last section, in which you'll see your design on all sorts of awesome items. You get to decide which to deactivate if you wish. I highly recommend taking time to look over every single product to ensure that your design is at an optimum size in each. All you have to do is click on each item and shift your design's size/location.
As you scroll down the Create Products page, you will see what products require a separate .png file. I usually need to create a separate file for stickers, as a sticker page has to have fewer elements and they have to have a good distance between them (stickers have a white outline around them that shouldn't overlap). I also create separate patterns for t-shirts that are usually more vertical and contain less elements than my initial pattern.
Create whatever .png files you need and upload them separately onto individual products by clicking on those items.
Finally, hit Publish and, in around 15 minutes, your products will be up on your shop!
Once that's done, all you have to do is click on the button at the top that says "Sell" and you're going to be taken through a very straightforward 3-step process. The platform take a minute to process your artwork when you upload, as it's placing it on all available products that it fits on.
Next, you'll have to fill in a title for your work, as well as tags and a description. A tip here is to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Instead of typing in a subjective title for your artwork, think about what words visitors actually type into Society6's search bar when looking for products. Be descriptive, create a five word title, use up all the available tags, and create a good little paragraph.
Finally, the fun part! You'll be taken to the last section, in which you'll see your design on all sorts of awesome items. You get to decide which to deactivate if you wish. I highly recommend taking time to look over every single product to ensure that your design is at an optimum size in each. All you have to do is click on each item and shift your design's size/location.
As you scroll down the Create Products page, you will see what products require a separate .png file. I usually need to create a separate file for stickers, as a sticker page has to have fewer elements and they have to have a good distance between them (stickers have a white outline around them that shouldn't overlap). I also create separate patterns for t-shirts that are usually more vertical and contain less elements than my initial pattern.
Create whatever .png files you need and upload them separately onto individual products by clicking on those items.
Finally, hit Publish and, in around 15 minutes, your products will be up on your shop!
Back-end of Society6 store. Placing artwork on products.
*Next step! Market your artwork!
No matter how amazing your artwork is, if nobody knows about it, you're going to have a hard time making sales. Don't be afraid of putting your work out there!
While Society6 does a great job attracting shoppers to their site, their marketplace is saturated with incredible artists that have been on the platform a very long time and have formed a history/reputation for themselves. All of us need to go through that and have to accept and learn to enjoy the phase we're in.
If you're serious about selling your work online, I suggest optimizing your social media accounts so that you give your audience a clear idea of what you do and offer. Pick one or two and keep them professional. Refrain from sharing personal things and stick to uploading pictures of your creative process, your favorite tools, what you find inspiring, links to useful articles that your target audience would find helpful, and share your new products!
Visit Society6's blog to find great tips for getting your work out there.
While Society6 does a great job attracting shoppers to their site, their marketplace is saturated with incredible artists that have been on the platform a very long time and have formed a history/reputation for themselves. All of us need to go through that and have to accept and learn to enjoy the phase we're in.
If you're serious about selling your work online, I suggest optimizing your social media accounts so that you give your audience a clear idea of what you do and offer. Pick one or two and keep them professional. Refrain from sharing personal things and stick to uploading pictures of your creative process, your favorite tools, what you find inspiring, links to useful articles that your target audience would find helpful, and share your new products!
Visit Society6's blog to find great tips for getting your work out there.
Pros and Cons of Society6 (and other similar online shops)
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*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Are you confused as to how other artists manage to stay in a productive creative flow and can't help but feel jealous when seeing incredible new artworks others are constantly sharing? Do you want to make a living from your art someday, but doubt whether you'll have the courage, character and determination required to succeed? Does criticism and/or lack of support make you feel so low, that you want to stop creating altogether?
If you're set on becoming an artist, and you're constantly feeling any (or all) of these things, it's imperative that you start working on yourself, alongside your artistic skills. This is going to be absolutely essential for you if you ever want to achieve lasting success.
Being an artist is tough. Not only are we entrepreneurs (which means we work a lot, wear a ton of different hats and have to be willing to push ourselves out of our comfort zones every-single-day), but we also have to consistently create quality work that people will want to buy. Work that, in most cases, is created by us and us alone. Work that is pretty much a piece, or extension, of ourselves. All of this makes it necessary to stay strong if we're intending to make a living from our passion.
In today's blog post/YouTube video, I'll be sharing the top five things that I make sure to do on a weekly basis in order to stay healthy both mentally and physically as an artist. Since I started doing these things consistently a few years ago, not only have I been able to make much faster progress, but I'm also able to enjoy what I do much more and have been able to improve my self-confidence to a degree that I'm able to myself out there in ways I never thought possible.
It wasn't always like this though, and I'm getting very personal about my past today, which is something I very rarely do online. I do this with the hope that some of you out there will resonate with my story and really grasp how important prioritizing self-care is if you want to reach your goals.
I want to keep creating art until I'm a little old lady, and I hope that you also intend to keep inspiring and awakening others through your art for as long as possible.
It is my objective with this blog (and my YouTube channel) to help aspiring artists improve their skills and pursue their passions. However, we cannot give our all at any task if we're unwell mentally and/or physically. Not to mention, many of us artists are inherently sensitive, which is even more of a reason to stay aware of our wellbeing and set systems in place to ensure that we're not exhausting ourselves.
Artists have had a bad rap throughout history for living in excess and having erratic personalities. I'll have none of that! Whenever tragedies that artists (from all fields) have partaken in come into my mind, I also remind myself of all the others who have led happy and fulfilling lives.
“An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.”
-Unknown
Before getting into the tips, I'm going to share a bit about my own personal struggles with you. I truly hope that if you feel scared, lost, uncertain or incapable of making it as an artist, this helps you understand that by working on yourself, you'll be creating that solid foundation you need in order to become the artist you've always wanted to be.
If someone had told me five years ago that I would be here, putting myself and my work out there in front of so many people and building my own art business, I would have never believed it. I was there, too, feeling all of those things and doubting whether I was ever going to do anything significant with my life.
For the longest time, I ignored my health and even abused things. I didn't even give thought to how my habits could have repercussions and was completely oblivious about the underlying issues that were causing my negative attitudes and self-harming behaviors.
I ate very poorly (or not at all), drank a lot (alcohol was the only thing that seemed to relax me), and never ever exercised. Mentally, I felt detached from others around me, numb to certain things in life that others considered important, and on edge all the time. I felt simultaneously stressed and exhausted. I went through pretty low points at which I felt completely lost and confused as to what I was supposed to do with my life.
I was jealous of people around me that seemed to function so well and didn't understand how they could do that when trivial things affected me so much. I wanted nothing more than to be able to relax and enjoy life like others seemed to be able to do. There were some days that were easier than others, but for the most part, I felt like there was something wrong with me. I won't even start getting into the disgusting, pesky little habits that I started developing to due nervousness.
This went on all throughout my teenage years to my mid-twenties.
It all changed when I had to go to the E.R. for the first time in my life due to a severe abdominal pain that wouldn't allow me to stand up straight. I'll spare you the details, but I was in bed and unable to move for about two weeks, in a pain unlike anything I'd ever felt before. It got to a point at which I was unable to breathe properly because it hurt under my ribs when I did.
Needless to say, the whole experience scared me a lot and I decided to make life changes.
I realized I was pushing myself way too much and that the stress level that my current job was causing in me was just unsustainable. With all this in combination with my total and utter lack of self-care, something was bound to happen sooner or later.
Self-portrait by Erika Lancaster (2018). Oils on canvasboard. *Find links to art supplies I used in the "My Art Tools" section of this website.
I started doing tons of research and learning all I could about everything health related. In small increments, my life habits started changing. I began eating a lot more healthily, exercising several times a week, drinking more water, limiting alcohol and junk food, etc. I also started reading self-help books and actively sought information from psychologists who helped me understand more about anxiety disorders.
A lot of things became clear to me at this point in regards to past physical ailments, nervous habits and my mental processes. Once I knew what was happening and why, everything changed. My monster now had a name and I started learning strategies to implement so that I could live my life without letting it affect me to such a degree.
I still have a lot of work to do and realize that some of these things are going to ride along with me throughout my life. However, I've embraced my weaknesses as parts that make me myself. What matters most is doing what I can to continue moving the needle forward every-single-day and working on becoming a better version of myself.
Today, at 33, I can honestly say that I've never been in better shape, I've never been happier or more productive, and my life goals have never been clearer to me. If I hadn't made the firm decision to take better care of myself, and made mental and physical health a priority, I would have never gained the courage and confidence to be here now.
Self-Care Tips for Artists and Creatives:
1. Take care of your body. It does a ton for you and it's the only one you've got.
As artists, we tend to sit and hunch over a lot. Not only this, but a lot of us tend to get into our work to such a degree that we can work for hours on end. Some of us start to develop back pain or even carpal tunnel or tendonitis due to the amount of hours spent working.
It's absolutely imperative to set daily working hours and take breaks throughout your day to move and stretch. If you're anything like me, and get so into your work that you forget to even drink water, I recommend setting an alarm once every hour. Prioritize movement, no matter what.
Schedule in specific days to exercise every week. It doesn't really matter what kind of workouts you choose to do, just make sure that you do them. If exercise isn't something that you currently do, start slowly and incrementally. I'm a total fan of fitnessblender.com and have been working out to their videos for years now. I highly recommend you check them out if you want to exercise in the privacy of your own home, for free and with minimal equipment. They provide all sorts of workouts for every fitness level so there's really no excuse!
*Disclaimer: I'm not being sponsored in any way. I really do love FitnessBlender and use the website every-single-week.
I'm now at a point at which I work out intensely at least five days a week doing HIIT workouts, kickboxing and strength training. As an artist, I focus on keeping my posture strong and staying limber.
I'm not going to tell you how to eat, but please be aware that what you put into your body has an effect on you at all levels. If you eat poorly, your brain and your body aren't going to work the way they should be, which leads to lower levels of productivity. I limit my intake of junk food and am always aware of whether what I'm eating/drinking is something that will nourish my body and make me feel good.
Finally, make sure you're sleeping enough. Sometimes we may fall into thinking we'll be able to make more progress if we stay up late burning the midnight oil, but the fact of the matter is that once we're tired, our work is going to be mediocre at best. Unless you can get away with waking up very late and/or you can ONLY get creative at night, you'll be much better off going to bed at a good hour and getting back to work once your rested and refreshed.
FitnessBlender website. Click on image to go there!
2. Take care of your mind. Do whatever you have to do to stay sane in this crazy, crazy world.
Just as important as taking care of your body, you should also make time to stay as balanced as possible mentally. For me, this means writing out my feelings and thoughts every single morning, and making sure I'm doing "brain-dumps" throughout the day in list-form, especially if these ideas could be useful for my work. It's hard for me to shut my brain off, and these two exercises are absolutely essential for me to do on a daily basis.
I highly recommend writing, as it's a great way to declutter your creative mind, organize thoughts that could be useful and let out the ones that could be bothering you.
Taking care of your mind could also mean starting your days with 10 minutes of meditation, taking a walk mid-afternoon to clear your mind, or sitting down for dinner with your partner to talk about your day.
I love waking up early and being able to take my time getting ready for the crazy day I know I'll be having. If I don't have that quiet time for myself at the beginning of the day, my entire day will suffer. I have adopted the habit of writing morning pages after waking up and I also do my best to have another quiet moment to myself before going to bed to be thankful for everything I have.
As an introvert, having time to myself is absolutely essential for me to recharge. I don't feel guilty about missing social gatherings if I don't feel up for it. I tell others about this and am completely unapologetic about it!
The alone time each of us needs varies, but I really think that even the most extroverted people should make time for introspection and self-analysis. And wherever you're at in the spectrum, if you feel that you need help, never hesitate reaching out to others. Sometimes even doing research on your own is very helpful, as it allows you to understand that there are others out there feeling the same way you are. Reading self-help books is something that has helped me understand anxiety and I no longer feel broken or alone.
Here are three great books that I read this year:
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3. Review short term/long term goals (personal, work and interpersonal). All of them are important!
Most people go through life without really giving thought to what they truly want. They settle for what's expected and let life happen to them instead of fighting for their dreams to come true. This is a surefire way of feeling unfulfilled and unhappy.
With introspection comes getting to know yourself, and with getting to know yourself comes discovering what you truly want in life. This alone will bring you a ton of clarity. Once you're there, it's important to give thought to your specific short-term and long-term goals in order to set the necessary steps to get there. No matter where you're currently at, prioritize those goals.
A while back I wrote a blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive, which I highly recommend you check out if you feel like you're wandering aimlessly through life. I provide a free workbook to help you set your personal, work and interpersonal goals, as well as ideas for scheduling your week to ensure you're making progress each and every week.
For me, it was imperative to learn to say no to the things that didn't align with my goals once I had set them. I realized time is the most valuable resource I have and I don't want to waste it on activities or people that aren't going to help me get closer to them. It may sound harsh, but we absorb the negativity and positivity from those around us. As creatives, we should strive to be around people that are positive, have big ideas like we do, and lift us up.
As you work towards your dreams to come true, please don't forget to celebrate each and every small victory that comes your way!
4. Schedule time for organization and adulting. Keep your working area as safe and inspiring as you can.
Unless you're a clean freak, have people that help you with homely chores, or don't have very much going on in life, I'm willing to bet that your home and/or working area tends to get cluttered and messy pretty fast. Most of us are directly or indirectly affected by the environment we're in, which leads to being more stressed and less productive.
It also leads to more accidents, wasting time when we're unable to find things we need, and it can also lead to more serious health problems depending on the type of artwork we create. So make sure you're staying as organized as you can, and always follow safety instructions when using materials that are toxic.
If you paint like I do, always work in well-ventilated areas and use gloves so that potentially harmful substances don't come into contact with your skin. If you can, check out brands of art products that are doing their best to provide non-toxic paints and mediums like Gamblin!
I like scheduling in at least a bit of time each week to take care of cleaning, organizing and other administrative tasks so that things don't pile up (literally and in my head). It may initially seem like a waste of precious time but I assure you you'll be saving time in the long run.
As artists, we do what we love for a living, and keeping our studio organized and inspiring to work in really helps keep things as enjoyable as possible.
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5. Schedule time to disconnect from your work. Make time to socialize and set aside time for activities that relax you.
As artists, we spend a lot of time alone. It's important to make sure we're nurturing the relationships we have with people that are important to us. We can't let the connections we have with amazing people fizzle out OR keep ourselves locked up to the point that we miss opportunities to meet other great humans.
No matter how introverted we may be, we need some degree of connection with others in order to feel happy and fulfilled. Treasure the relationships you have with those amazing people in your life.
Finally, make sure you're doing things that relax you and bring you joy. As an artist, I'm sure creating art was initially something that brought you a great amount of pleasure. However, if it is now work for you, I would suggest looking for activities that allow you to disconnect for a while. I enjoy going to the movies, planning a dinner with friends or reading a good book.
Remember that the best ideas come when we're actually living our lives and not stuck in our studios!
Photo by Zachary Nelson at unsplash.com. Click on image to go to original source.
That's it for today, everyone! I hope you found this blog post helpful and that you start making your mental and physical health a top priority. I promise you that your work, as well as every other aspect of your life will greatly improve if you stick with it.
*This post contains affiliate links. I receive small commissions for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you.
These commissions help me keep this site up and running, in order for me to keep providing helpful and inspiring art content. :)
Frustrated with having to spend so many hours of your day at a 9-5 job when all you want to be doing is working on your art? Confused about how to make the jump from working a full-time job into creative entrepreneurship? Wondering if making a living from your creative gifts is even possible to begin with?
Becoming a full-time artist or artistpreneur is definitely possible, provided you establish clear goals for yourself, set up a realistic plan of action depending on your current life situation, and keep working towards your objective, no matter what. It's possible, and there are LOTS of people doing it. Is it easy? NOT AT ALL. Will the first few years be tough? ABSOLUTELY. But as long as you stay motivated and focused on your end-goal you WILL get there.
In today's blog post and YouTube video, I'll be answering three of the most recurrent questions that I was asked during my recent Ask Me Anything event over at www.amafeed.com, which was much more focused on the business side of becoming an artist and how I transitioned from being a full-time employee into creative entrepreneurship. This blog post and YouTube video are probably the most personal ones to-date and I will be sharing lots of tips and secrets that have allowed me to set the foundations for a successful art business.
It's hard for me to believe that it's been a year since I left my last full-time job! I had been working as an employee for almost ten years after having graduated from university, and it wasn't until around three years ago that the idea of becoming a solopreneur started looking like something I could pursue. Even though the idea made me extremely nervous and I was very uncertain about what would happen, I decided to take the leap and have been working extra-hard on my art business ever since.
Though I am not making an income I can live off from yet, I have learned A TON throughout this year and I have confidence that I'm slowly (but surely) building a business that will allow me to live life on my own terms. Aside from finally having time to devote to my personal artistic growth, this year has been full of new and interesting experiences, including meeting people from all over the world whom I share my passion for art with and would have otherwise never met!
Transitioning into Creative Entrepreneurship Questions
1. What arrangements and preparations did you go through before leaving your full-time job? How did you know you were ready?
Firstly, I saved up as much money as I possibly could, especially during that last year. I've never been a very big spender, so I already had quite a bit of money saved up. This was hugely important because I knew I wanted to treat this as a business right away and that I was going to have initial business investments to make on top of my regular living expenses!
Investments I would have to make right away included: Hiring an accountant, paying for a website/domain name, social media schedulers, business courses, quality art supplies so I could start producing work I could sell with confidence, etc.
Also, well before leaving my job, I was doing my absolute best to invest as much of my time out of work as possible into continuing to develop my artistic skills so that, as soon as I was able to, I would have quality products/services to offer. It didn't matter if I had worked overtime (which I did several days a week) or if I had to give up being social on weekends, I made sure to schedule in time to work on my art.
Here are, quite literally, some of the supplies I had by my side as I was working hard on building those initial skills. I even took these to work with me to draw or paint whenever I had a few extra minutes!
*Click on the images to learn more about the product over at www.consumercrafts.com.
Investments I would have to make right away included: Hiring an accountant, paying for a website/domain name, social media schedulers, business courses, quality art supplies so I could start producing work I could sell with confidence, etc.
Also, well before leaving my job, I was doing my absolute best to invest as much of my time out of work as possible into continuing to develop my artistic skills so that, as soon as I was able to, I would have quality products/services to offer. It didn't matter if I had worked overtime (which I did several days a week) or if I had to give up being social on weekends, I made sure to schedule in time to work on my art.
Here are, quite literally, some of the supplies I had by my side as I was working hard on building those initial skills. I even took these to work with me to draw or paint whenever I had a few extra minutes!
*Click on the images to learn more about the product over at www.consumercrafts.com.
Canson XL Mixed Media Sketchpad 7x10 $5.40
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Royal & Langnickel Sketching 21 Piece Set $4.31
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Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box 24 Colors $37.97
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During every free minute I had (even during work hours at this point!-woops!), I continued reading articles and watching videos to learn as much as possible from artists that were already successful. I took mental notes of everything they had to do and how long it actually took them to make a living from their art, as well as many other things.
In regards to the second part of this question, I would say (as cliché as this sounds) I just felt it. I don't think the time is EVER going to be 100% perfect, and you're ALWAYS going to be nervous and feel uncertain when it comes to any big decision in life. However, I knew I had prepared as much as I possibly could and felt that my time to take action was running out. If I didn't do it then, I would probably be stuck teaching art in a school environment for the rest of my life.
I spent the majority of that last year before leaving my job thinking about all of these ideas I wanted to make happen and anxiously waiting to get home to draw and paint and continue to develop myself artistically. Even whilst at my job, my mind was already elsewhere!
Grayscale oil portrait study by Erika Lancaster
2. What were the most challenging aspects of transitioning from a 9 to 5 job to a full-time artist? What were the first steps you took when you became your own boss?
I would say that, aside from all the financial preparations I had to make sure to make, it was difficult for me to accept in the beginning that artists ARE business owners. As a business owner, I would only be actually creating art a certain amount of time and I would have to spend time doing activities that are tedious, boring and downright scary. For an introvert like me, this meant accepting that I would have to constantly push myself out of my comfort zone.
Another thing that was challenging was to create, and stick to, a weekly work schedule. As a solopreneur, there is nobody setting a schedule for me and I don't have to abide by anyone's timeframes (unless I'm working on a specific client project or commission-but even in these cases I have a say in the matter). This may sound like a dream, but anyone that has been doing it for a while can tell you that it requires a HUGE amount of discipline and commitment. If you don't get up and check off those things you have to get done that day to move your business forward, you're backpedalling (at least this is the case in the beginning).
Throughout the months, my daily schedules have shifted around a bit as my priorities change and I discover at what points in the day I'm most creative. Nonetheless, I make sure to set my alarm to get up early, and stay as focused as possible throughout the working hours I have set for myself, every-single-day.
Another essential thing I did once I left my job was give serious thought to what I wanted my life to look like in five years and what kind of business I wanted to work towards. There are SO many directions that an art business can go in, and it's very important to think about what YOU want, so that you can then set those strategies and commit to them. If we don't know what we want, we're never going to get anywhere. And yes, goals shift and new ideas pop up, but you have to MOVE in order for things to happen!
Check out my blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive to learn more about my short-term and long-term goal setting method, as well as how I schedule my days to keep my business moving forward consistently. This blog post has a free goal planner and time-blocking worksheets so you can make sure you're moving forward yourself!
Lastly, but just as important as the previous points, I made sure to make self-care a priority. As a solopreneur, if I'm not well, my business is going to suffer. Especially in the beginning, it's essential to show up and be ready and able to put in the work.
Another thing that was challenging was to create, and stick to, a weekly work schedule. As a solopreneur, there is nobody setting a schedule for me and I don't have to abide by anyone's timeframes (unless I'm working on a specific client project or commission-but even in these cases I have a say in the matter). This may sound like a dream, but anyone that has been doing it for a while can tell you that it requires a HUGE amount of discipline and commitment. If you don't get up and check off those things you have to get done that day to move your business forward, you're backpedalling (at least this is the case in the beginning).
Throughout the months, my daily schedules have shifted around a bit as my priorities change and I discover at what points in the day I'm most creative. Nonetheless, I make sure to set my alarm to get up early, and stay as focused as possible throughout the working hours I have set for myself, every-single-day.
Another essential thing I did once I left my job was give serious thought to what I wanted my life to look like in five years and what kind of business I wanted to work towards. There are SO many directions that an art business can go in, and it's very important to think about what YOU want, so that you can then set those strategies and commit to them. If we don't know what we want, we're never going to get anywhere. And yes, goals shift and new ideas pop up, but you have to MOVE in order for things to happen!
Check out my blog post titled Time Management for Artists: My Secrets for Staying Consistently Productive to learn more about my short-term and long-term goal setting method, as well as how I schedule my days to keep my business moving forward consistently. This blog post has a free goal planner and time-blocking worksheets so you can make sure you're moving forward yourself!
Lastly, but just as important as the previous points, I made sure to make self-care a priority. As a solopreneur, if I'm not well, my business is going to suffer. Especially in the beginning, it's essential to show up and be ready and able to put in the work.
Grayscale oil portrait study by Erika Lancaster
3. Do you have any regrets? Do you wish you had left your full-time earlier?
In the beginning I kind of did. Especially because I was already over thirty and I felt drowned in a sea of amazingly talented artists that were a lot younger than I was. I felt that I would have to push myself to the max on top of everything I already had to do to start building a business just to catch up.
However, over time, I have come to accept and enjoy the phase I'm in. I also came to the realization that everything happens for a reason and I was exactly where I had to be. Also, I think I had to go through those job experiences and the growth they provided so I would be able to do what I'm doing now.
I don't see those years as wasted time, by any means, and am incredibly thankful for those experiences that allowed me to grow at both personal and professional levels. They allowed me to prepare financially and mentally to be able to do what I'm doing now, building up my dream career.
However, over time, I have come to accept and enjoy the phase I'm in. I also came to the realization that everything happens for a reason and I was exactly where I had to be. Also, I think I had to go through those job experiences and the growth they provided so I would be able to do what I'm doing now.
I don't see those years as wasted time, by any means, and am incredibly thankful for those experiences that allowed me to grow at both personal and professional levels. They allowed me to prepare financially and mentally to be able to do what I'm doing now, building up my dream career.
Grayscale oil portrait study by Erika Lancaster
5 Tips to Achieve Success as an Artist
1. Set up multiple streams of income for yourself.
Do not put all of your eggs in one basket. Stay open and think of different products and services you can offer using your talents and skills. As a creative being, there is a TON that you can do to bring light to people's lives. Stay generous and never underestimate the connections you can make with people that are either directly or indirectly related to your end goal.
2. Continuously learn from other artists that are already successful.
Research who's currently successful at doing what YOU want to be doing, and learn all you can from them so that you can do that as well, in your own way. Remember they started from zero, too and that, if they could make it, you could too. Learn from what's already working and keep paying attention.
3. Stay adaptable and flexible.
As an entrepreneur, there are a lot of learning to be done along the way before finding true success. As time goes by you're going to start finding out what works and what doesn't. Try to find a middle ground between what you like doing and what your audience actually wants. Adapt to do more of what's working.
4. Accept that you are a business.
A lot of artists (perhaps even MOST of us) are introverts. However, if we want to achieve sustainable success, we need to be open and willing to step out of our comfort zones. Learn about marketing, accounting, inventory, and do not be afraid to put yourself and your work out there. Remember that it's as much about your artwork as it is about yourself. Always stay professional and courteous, both online and off.
5. Stay inspired and motivated, no matter what.
This CAN totally happen for you but you have to remain patient and keep going, but it's going to take effort and it's going to take time. It's highly likely that you're going to have to work a full-time job, but stay thankful and take these experiences as learning opportunities to grow at both personal and professional levels so that you can use these skills to set up a successful art business later on.
I hope this was helpful and inspiring for some of you out there hoping to make it with your art one day. I 100% believe that we're all here for a reason and, if art is your passion, you shouldn't set it aside. It's by developing yourself in that passion that you'll make the most positive impact on those around you.
Have you ever gotten more and more disappointed with yourself as you see days, weeks, even months being consumed by daily obligations, and not having the necessary time to move forward artistically? Do you go through your days feeling completely scattered and oblivious as to how you're supposed to make any significant artistic progress with everything you have going on in life?
``Time is the single most important resource that we have.
Every single minute we lose is never coming back.´´
-Tarun Sharma
I'd like to start this post off by saying that I TOTALLY, 100%, feel your pain. Even though today I can call myself a creative entrepreneur, I worked as full-time employee at extremely demanding office jobs and teaching jobs for YEARS before even considering this move. So, even though this article is primarily oriented towards the working artist and you may still be working a day job, most of the tips in this article will be useful for you as you plan for your end-goal.
That said, if you're still transitioning (or looking to start), it's important that you understand what it truly means to be a "full-time artist". In reality, making a living from one's art and artistic skills, entails a HUGE list of tasks that take away a lot of time from actually creating art. At least this is the case for us artists who have no assistance and do everything ourselves.
And this is why it's so, incredibly important to be smart about how we're using our time! Whether you're someone still working a "normal" full-time job and dreaming of becoming an artist, someone working part-time building up the platform (and courage) to finally take the leap, or even if you're already making a living from your art. It's essential for all of us to think about our specific goals, so that we can plan and put our strategies to use.
Effective time-management is an invaluable skill that will allow us consistent progress and, today, I'll be sharing the philosophies and specific methods I live by to stay productive and moving the needle forward every-single-day. By applying these tips and techniques, you'll be able to go to sleep each night knowing that you've made progress towards becoming the person you want to be.
Read my blog post titled Art Business: The Importance of Building Local Relationships and Where to Start to learn more about specific actions I started taking to build my art-business.
10 Tips to Master the Art of Time Management
1. Define your personal, professional and interpersonal goals
“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
–Yogi Berra
I like to set general yearly goals that I then break up into monthly goals. I then use these monthly goals to plan out my objectives week by week. By having a weekly objective, it's easier to know what you should be working on any given day.
Think of where you want to be twelve months from now in ALL key areas of life. It's helpful to think about what daily habits you have now that require changing, as well as what things you must prioritize from now on in order to make those goals happen.
It's ESSENTIAL that you set goals for all of the following areas:
a) Personal level:
What changes can you make to be healthier mentally and physically in a year from now?
b) Professional level:
What skills do you feel you should improve to become more successful? Think of both cold AND soft skills.
c) Interpersonal level:
Who are those people you value most in life and what actions do you have to take daily/weekly to ensure that those relationships are kept strong and healthy? And, on that note, what people are not adding anything positive to your life?
Though we are talking about being productive artistically, I ASSURE you, that all of these life aspects are equally important and bleed into each other. If you neglect your health and family, your work will undoubtably suffer as well.
It's important that the goals you set for yourself are measurable, attainable and realistic depending on your current life situation.
Here's an example of my long-term goals for the following twelve months:
*These worksheets can be downloaded for free at the end of this post (in both letter and tabloid size)!
Other examples of long term goals in the "Professional" area could be:
-Complete an online drawing course
-Learn how to draw hands
-Fill an entire sketchbook
-Improve acrylic painting skills and produce ten canvas paintings
You get the picture! :)
My long-term goals
Once you've decided where you want to be in a year, it's time to break up goals into smaller, sequential chunks! Think about what specific things have to happen month-to-month so that you can reach that end goal twelve months from now.
In number 2, I'll be explaining what time-blocking is and how to create your weekly schedules using this method.
Monthly and weekly planning for artists
2. Schedule your weeks using time-blocking
“Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once,
whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.”
–Napoleon Hill
Time-blocking is a scheduling method in which you break up your day into...well... blocks of time. Within each block, similar tasks are grouped together so that you can focus on that specific type of activity in that specific period of the day. For time-blocking to happen effectively, it's important to know yourself and what times throughout the day would work for YOU in order to best fulfill THAT particular kind of activity.
As artists, it's important to experiment until we have a good idea of when we're most creatively productive throughout the day. Once we figure this out, we can plan the rest of our daily activities around these times. Leave the tasks you can do on autopilot (like clearing your inbox or organizing your studio) for moments of the day in which you find it difficult to focus or are generally mentally exhausted.
Personally, I don't follow the time-blocking method super strictly, as I combine it with daily to-do lists. I like creating my general weekly schedules so that I have a sense of what kind of tasks I should be doing at what times of the day. These schedules allow me to have a routine/consistency in the chaotic world of creative entrepreneurship! However, when it comes to specifics, I like creating daily bullet lists that I can check off and write on as things pop up.
Though the time-blocking method DOES require you to spend time doing initial thinking/planning, once you have your schedule set, it's all a matter of sticking to it and being as consistent as possible. By investing some time in this initial planning phase, you'll end up wasting A LOT less time in the long run!
So, make it happen! Take the goals you have set for each month, think of what you have to achieve by the end of each week to reach those goals, and break your days up into specific tasks.
Set your weekly schedule and do your very best to stick to it for, at least, a month.
All this said, keep in mind that life is unpredictable. Though planning IS super important, things will pop up that you haven't accounted for and we constantly have to deal with situations that are simply beyond our control.
Stay calm! Just remain flexible, be kind to yourself, and keep moving forward.
Here's an example of how my ideal weekly schedule looks like currently.
My ideal weekly schedule using the time-blocking method.
3. Assess and improve your time management strategies every now and then
“Practice without improvement is meaningless."
-Chuck Knox
As working artists, we generally have to keep up with several different ways of making an income. As opposed to having only one "main" job, we have several smaller jobs that can fluctuate from month to month. It's impossible to know when a new event, commission or opportunity for collaboration will pop up, amongst many other items that may require more attention one month than the next.
3. Assess and improve your time management strategies every now and then
“Practice without improvement is meaningless."
-Chuck Knox
As working artists, we generally have to keep up with several different ways of making an income. As opposed to having only one "main" job, we have several smaller jobs that can fluctuate from month to month. It's impossible to know when a new event, commission or opportunity for collaboration will pop up, amongst many other items that may require more attention one month than the next.
Nonetheless, it's important to assess our strategies every now and then in order to pinpoint any improvements we can make. I usually like doing this at the end of each month, especially now that my business is growing and more responsibilities/opportunities are popping up. It's imperative to create at least some level of routine to stay sane and healthy! We must avoid burnout at all costs.
I recommend doing a general weekly schedule assessment every month to two months, so you can create any changes and improve your productivity even more. Think about tasks that would perhaps work better in different time blocks, or maybe activities that need longer blocks than initially planned. I know I personally tend to underestimate the amount of time I need to complete certain tasks, especially when it comes to creating art and planning new projects!
Assessing your systems regularly will allow you to keep improving your productivity levels over time. Improvement is the name of the game when you are building a business!
4. Identify personal time-wasters and cut down on distractions
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks."
-Winston Churchill
In this world of constant distraction, it's imperative to think about whether those activities that take up so much of our time are actually helping us move closer to our goals or not. Don't get me wrong, it's very important to have time for fun and relaxation, and I think these times should be scheduled in as well so that we MAKE SURE we're enjoying our lives to the max!
However, we should be honest with ourselves! If you find you're wasting hours on end stalking people on social media, constantly engaging in negative small-talk with others, or spending valuable time on activities that bring nothing positive to your life, cut them out!
I'm personally completely unapologetic about cutting activities and even negative people out of my life at this point. I'd much rather be resting in order to be as productive as possible the following day, instead of staying up late and partying constantly. If you find this too hard, at least avoid doing these things at all costs during times that you should be productive. And also protect the time you should be resting because this will affect your productivity levels the following day!
I find it very important to be able to focus and diminish distractions at all costs when I'm in creative mode. Personally, I like shutting off my phone or leaving it in another room when I'm drawing or painting. I also try to diminish multitasking throughout the day as much as I can (studies have found that what we do when we multitask is mediocre at best).
I really recommend giving some thought to what YOUR personal time-wasters are and try to identify when it is that you find yourself getting sucked into them. If there's anything you REALLY enjoy or NEED to do, schedule it!
Photo by Isaiah Rustad at www.unsplash.com. Click on the picture to go to original source.
5. Learn to say NO
“We must say "no" to what, in our heart, we don't want. We must say "no"
to doing things out of obligation, thereby cheating those important to us
of the purest expression of our love. We must say "no" to treating ourselves,
our health, our needs as not as important as someone else's. We must say “no.”
-Suzette R. Hinton
Remember, time is finite resource and every single minute that goes by is a minute you will not get back. Life is short and we have to make sure we're spending our valuable time doing activities that will get us closer to our goals and overall happiness.
Set your non-negotiables from the start and account for that time EVERY day/week. For me, non-negotiables include time to work out, enjoy home cooked meals, and to get decent rest every-single-day. I also like having time to spend with my husband at the end of each work day. If an "urgent" project pops up from out of nowhere, it has to REALLY be something that will get me closer to my goals in order for me to take it. I rarely say yes to projects brought up by people that give me the impression of not respecting my time. I respect other peoples' time immensely, and expect them to do the same for me.
Similarly, I avoid saying 'yes' to every single social gathering I'm invited to. Needs for social time vary from person to person, and as an introvert, I know that I have a limit. Though it's important to have social time, I also need to rest and take care of myself. Any true friend will understand and respect that.
Another thing I like to do, is letting my loved ones know what I'm currently up to and how my schedule is looking. This way, they are aware of when you'll be available and there's less of a chance you'll have to say 'no' to those you really care about.
6. Make time for organization
“For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned."
-Benjamin Franklin
A lot of time is wasted when we have to look for things. By keeping your work area, supplies and artwork organized you'll not only be able to find whatever you need faster, but you'll also avoid lost/damaged work, accidents and a lot of anxiety. At the end of each workday, I like to spend a few minutes organizing my studio/office so that the next morning I am inspired to start right away.
As artists, our computers, phones and other devices collect a lot of reference image files, scanned artwork, etc. I recommend keeping these digital files organized and labelled appropriately. Create back-ups every now and then!
Being organized is especially important because, being self-employed, you will have to stay on top of client projects, inventory, and accounting! Set systems in place for each of these that will allow you to waste less time doing admin work and more time actually creating.
7. Consider delegating tasks or investing in time-saving tools
“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what to do."
-Jessica Jackley
Like a lot of other work-a-holics, I'm guilty of burning myself out after thinking I'm perfectly capable of doing everything on my own. The fact of the matter is that there are only 24 hours in a day and there's a lot going on that we have no control over. The sooner we accept that nothing will ever be perfect and that we're not superheroes capable of doing everything by ourselves, the better.
Whether it's house chores or business tasks, think of people that may be able to help you out. What do you REALLY have to do yourself, and what can be done by someone else in your current life situation? Is it possible for you to invest in hiring an assistant or in tools that can automize tasks that are taking away time you could be spending creating art?
Once your business takes off and/or you have the resources to get help, I suggest you do it. You can delegate the tasks that don't excite you as much like maintaining your website, cleaning your studio/office, scanning and organizing artwork, etc. This will allow you more time and energy to focus on producing artwork and improving your skills.
Do your best when you can, and learn to let go of what you can't control.
Photo by Allef Vinicius at www.unsplash.com. Click on the picture to go to original source.
8. Keep pushing and DON'T FORGET to celebrate your accomplishments
“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best."
-Theodore Isaac Rubin
We usually tend to focus on everything that we have yet to do and don't ever take a moment to realize how far we have come since we started. Just like it's essential to keep moving forward, it's important to look back and take note of everything we've been able to accomplish.
Milestones, no matter how small, are important and acknowledging them will encourage us to keep working hard towards achieving our goals. Do your best daily and stay focused on what is important to you. Be proud of yourself for acknowledging your passions and working towards them!
“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best."
-Theodore Isaac Rubin
We usually tend to focus on everything that we have yet to do and don't ever take a moment to realize how far we have come since we started. Just like it's essential to keep moving forward, it's important to look back and take note of everything we've been able to accomplish.
Milestones, no matter how small, are important and acknowledging them will encourage us to keep working hard towards achieving our goals. Do your best daily and stay focused on what is important to you. Be proud of yourself for acknowledging your passions and working towards them!
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``It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one.´´
-Chuck Palahniuk
Have other people's comments ever made you want to stop creating art? Have you ever wished you were more like those magical individuals who seem to exude self-confidence 24/7 and never let anyone rain on their parade? Ever wondered how much more productive and successful you'd be if you didn't allow other people's opinions to interfere with what you want to achieve in life?
``Haters don't really hate you! They hate themselves!´´ they say. ``Just ignore them and keep at it!´´ they say. These suggestions are all well and good, but do they help, really? Are you able to simply forget about what that rude person just said to you or do you let it sour the rest of your day, maybe even allowing the negativity to carry over until tomorrow?
Most of us creative beings are sensitive by nature and, at times, it may take only one negative remark to make us forget about all we have done right. Over time I have realized that life is too short and I cannot waste precious time and energy on negative people that will bring me no growth whatsoever.
Criticism, constructive or not, will be a recurring element in any artist's career. No matter how talented or well-intentioned someone is, there will ALWAYS be people that do not agree with him/her. We need to practice effectively reacting to criticism until it becomes second nature to us.
Whether we are sharing our work online or in person, we need to be prepared to react in a way that transmits professionalism. Remember, in order to receive respect, we need to give respect. You never want to do or say something that you'll regret later!
Accept the fact that ALL people who put themselves out there and/or dedicate their lives to activities that may be perceived as uncommon will be judged and that these things are beyond your control. What you CAN control, however, is how you react in these situations. And what you CAN be sure of, is that with time, it will become easier and easier to react favorably. I
n the first few years it's going to be challenging. However, in time you will gain more experience both in terms of artistic skill and verbal communication. You will get to know yourself as an artist and your self-confidence will grow without you even realizing it.
Next, I will explain why art criticism is an important part of any artist's career. I will also share some tips to apply when receiving criticism that will allow you to gain respect from others. To finish up, I will clarify how to properly critique a work of art.
What is Art Criticism and Why is it Important in an Artist's Life?
The term art criticism refers to the analysis, evaluation and discussion of an artwork. It requires the participant to reflect about a particular work of art and make a personal, substantiated interpretation of the piece. The term was first used in 1719 by English painter Jonathan Richardson in his publication An Essay on the Whole Art of Criticism.
In his book, Richardson attempted to create a system to rank works of art based on drawing, composition, invention and use of color. Aside from analyzing the piece itself, professional art critics also question whether an artwork has importance within its historical context and how it relates to works before it.
Criticism (the constructive kind) is necessary in an artist's life because it is quite simply one of the best ways to improve our work. We should actively seek ways to better our skills, not only in terms of technique, but in how well we are able to engage and connect with the public. Even though most of us create in solitude, we do it with the purpose of eventually sharing our art with the world.
Not everyone will react favorably, of course, but we should keep creating for those people that do find themselves in our work.
Photo by Vincent Tantardini on Unsplash. To go to original image source in the Unsplash website click on the image!
How to Take Criticism Like a Champ
Taking criticism is hard for anybody. However, as artists, we most frequently create in solitude and do not share responsibilities with anyone other but ourselves. This can make the experience a lot more personal and harder to deal with. Here are 10 tips that will help you receive and digest other people's comments in an effective way.
Tips to take criticism like a pro.
How to Critique Artwork Intelligently
In his essay The Psychology of the Critic and Psychological Criticism (1962), author Philip Weissman argues that an art critic needs to have knowledge in the field in order to make a judgement. I'm including this final section because I want to encourage people to share their opinions about art in an intelligent, substantiated way that shows appreciation and leads to positive growth. Constructive criticism is based on facts, and only after proper analysis can judgement be made. Negative opinions void of any objective reasoning should be ignored.
I will be using Edmund Feldman's method of critiquing for the purpose of this explanation. His proposed system involves four steps: description, analysis, interpretation and judgement. You will notice how the first two steps of the process are the study of objective facts found within an artwork and the second half is more subjective in the sense that they require the participant to make connections, reflect and finally share a personal opinion.
Edmund Feldman's 4 step art critiquing process.
As an example, I will apply Feldman's method of critiquing to the following masterpiece by the great Edward Hopper:
Edward Hopper. Nighthawks. Oil on canvas. 1942.
1. Description:
-This piece is titled Nighthawks and it was created by American painter Edward Hopper in 1942, amidst the socio-political turmoil caused by the ongoing World War 2. It is also important to note that Hopper lived through the Great Depression, which was an extremely hard economic time for many countries.
-The scene is very American and set within Hopper's time judging by architectural design and the dressing style of the subjects. It portrays a sense of everyday life in an American city.
-Hopper has mentioned that he was inspired by a particular diner in Greenwich Village, where he lived and worked from the time he was 31 until his death. However, it is not meant to be a direct representation and, by the lack of detail, one gets the sense that it could be any diner in any city.
-The medium used was oil paint and the style is quite realistic but not heavily detailed.
-In terms of Elements of Art, what strike out most are use of color, shape, space, form and line.
-One could say that the subject of the piece is the diner itself. However, inside it we can see four different characters. Our eyes gravitate towards the only woman included in the piece, due to the bright color of her clothes and hair. Hers is the only face we can see almost completely.
-The composition in itself is quite simple but is visually very engaging.
2. Analysis:
-The composition is divided into thirds and the diner takes up approximately two thirds of the entire area.
-The use of color in this piece is quite striking. The bright yellow hue used inside the diner, which creates the effect of fluorescent lighting, contrasts with the colors outside of it and provides emphasis on this area of the painting, where the subjects are located.
-There is a sense of illumination created by the diner's unnatural light. It spills onto the concrete outside and creates a few stark shadows. We can easily tell that it is nighttime, but we understand this from the moment we read the title of the piece.
-Muted, dark colors are used on the facades of the buildings and street elements outside of the diner. Very few details are included in this area, which further draws the viewer's focus to the inside of the diner.
-There is almost no sense of movement perceived, even within the diner.
-There is an asymmetrical balance achieved in the arrangement of forms within the composition. There is just the right amount of form and detail within the small area outside the diner to balance it with the enclosed area of interest.
-There are various lines included within the composition. The vertical lines used to create the windows of the diner and the buildings behind it ground the piece. At the same time, strong diagonals create the form of the diner and lead to a vanishing point somewhere outside the piece, to the left (linear perspective).
-These lines also create a triangular shape containing the subjects, making it look like the front part of a ship.
-Windows, architectural elements, and bar stools, create patterns and repetition in certain areas of the piece, transmitting a certain sense of order.
-Hopper creates very smooth paintings, leaving out texture (probably deliberately). We are only able to tell that there is glass separating us from the people inside the diner because of the edge painted at the end of the building. There is no door to be seen.
Edward Hopper. Nighthawks. Oil on canvas. 1942. Zoom in A.
3. Interpretation:
-Even though a lot of people consider Nighthawks an expression of Americans' feelings during the WW2 period, Hopper's wife once said that he deliberately chose to ignore the chaos going on around him, immersing himself in his work. The Pearl Harbor bombing occurred only a few days after this painting was completed.
-It is important to note that Hopper also lived through the Great Depression and did struggle economically for quite some time. Isolation and disconnect are present in many of Hopper's paintings even before WW2 started.
-This great artist was once quoted saying: "I don't think I ever tried to paint the American scene. I'm trying to paint myself." This tells us that Hopper used his work as a means of self-discovery and personal reflection.
-The emptiness in the piece, combined with lack of movement/expression, as well as the fact that these people seem close and yet apart (both amongst themselves and from the viewer), transmits feelings of loneliness and isolation. Even the couple sitting together seems detached. They could be married or they could be total strangers that just met.
-The stillness and silence make me feel like something is about to happen.
Edward Hopper. Nighthawks. Oil on canvas. 1942. Zoom in B.
4. Judgement
-I believe this piece is extremely effective in both technique and narrative. For me, both are essential in an artwork and Hopper's painting definitely shows both.
-I really admire Hopper's painting style as he creates a specific level of realism but retains visible brushstrokes, leaving out high amounts of detail.
-He was also immensely talented in terms of being able to transmit specific feelings and ideas to the viewer. His work is simple, displays common scenes, and yet is extremely psychological, making the viewer think whether there is another layer to everyday life.
-With every piece, the artist incites us to connect the dots and come up with stories. His work is compelling, even today.
-Hopper is known for taking a long time to complete his works, and the effectiveness of his paintings really show a deliberate study and planning on his part.
_Personally, I feel like a lot of Hopper's work (Nighthawks included) is able to resonate with people even today. I think the modern world is so fast-paced and immersed in technology (especially larger cities), that we lack deep communication with one another. We can be surrounded by large amounts of people and yet feel incredibly alone. Also, the lack of expression in Hopper's subjects reminds me of how we are becoming more and more desensitized by violence and, at times, lack the humanity to connect with others. We are together in this world and yet, almost everyday, we ignore there are others beside us that may need help. Everyone is their own island!
Because you will likely by receiving both positive and negative criticism on a regular basis, it is vital for you to start training yourself to respond in a professional manner and, more importantly, to not let it stop you from moving forward in your artistic journey. It is extremely unfortunate when artists never show their work out of fear of failure or criticism. Please remember that being brave enough to share work you have worked hard on is an accomplishment in and of itself!
``To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.´´
-Elbert Hubbard
-Elbert Hubbard
Have you ever had any particularly bad experiences receiving criticism? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
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