What Should I Learn First As An Artist

So what should you learn first as an artist??

With many voices, there are tons of opinions, however, pay attention to whom you are speaking to and who truly has the ability to elevate your art career.?

1. Master the Basics:?The cornerstone of your entire career is your art. Once you become rich and famous, yes you can outsource and employ?studio assistance. The "MEGA" artists have their assistants paint pictures, sometimes in rare cases 100% of their artwork, but in majority, it's not the case, however, there certainly is a large volume of helping hand.

In this instance artists are running a mini business empire, but before you get there, the fastest way is to develop your own unique visual language.

?WARNING: If you are making art that looks like someone else's, you are only building up their brand. If you take inspiration from an artist Jonas Wood for example, and you aren't able to make it your own, wherever you will display?it, it is his name that will resonate...

Art professionals that look at 4 to 7 openings a week, will know, therefor, focus! This is the most important?step of them all. Have your own VISUAL IDENTITY.

2. Explore Different Mediums: Dabble in various artistic mediums to discover where your strengths and interests lie. Many artists can not simply decide what medium to choose early on, as talent can sometimes live in form of painting, 3D sculpture or musical composition. Phenomenal. Can you blend all three elements and create a painting of sculpture that depicts sound waves? Explore how you can push your work further, however at the beginning it’s a good idea to focus on one work and one avatar to begin. Later on, your position will change, and once you are known, you can introduce blue kittens and everyone will love you for it, as they already know who you are.

3. Study Art History: In my humble opinion art history is crucial. Not only will you discover the richness of all creativity and shoulders of giants you are already standing on, but also, you will be able to dive deeper on how art careers were build then, what were the power moves from other artists and most importantly, some of the art historical figures can directly influence your current cultural production. PS: To gain visibility and authority, artists painted in honour or in other words homage to masters. (my personal favorite is work by Tom Wesselmann in homage to Matisse) Use some of the Pre-Instagram business strategies.

4. Develop Technical Skills:?As technology continues to shape the artistic landscape, proficiency in digital tools and software has become increasingly important?and no, I am not referring to turning every canvas into NFT. Learn basic AI tools that will help you with search, or keywords or any advancement you can gain to push your social media channels further. I personally am a huge library lover, however, did you know about INTERNET ARCHIVE? It is a digital library providing free access to researchers, historians, scholars and people with print disabilities + general public.?

5. Cultivate Observation Skills:?And as I have just shared with you a huge digital resource, nurture the basics. Sit down with pencil and paper. There is magic that happens when you draw from a life model. PS: Have you noticed that you cannot pick up the phone and draw at the same time? How special is that??

6. Seek Guidance and Feedback:?Don't hesitate to seek guidance from experienced artists or mentors who can offer valuable advice and feedback. Join art communities, attend workshops, and participate in critiques to engage with fellow artists and learn from their experiences. Constructive criticism is an essential part of growth as an artist.

7. Embrace Experimentation and Risk-Taking: Art is a journey of exploration and discovery, and innovation often stems from taking risks and stepping outside your comfort zone. Please eliminate fear. Do not be afraid to make mistakes, and view failures as opportunities for learning and growth. There is no such thing as perfect, it is opinion with focus group of one that is, you, and actually, perfect is fear in disguise.

8. Develop a Strong Work Ethic:?Like any craft, mastery in art requires dedication, perseverance, and discipline. Cultivate a strong work ethic by setting aside dedicated time for artistic practice. If you aren’t currently making money from your art that is ok, but what is not is to visit your art studio for less than 20 hours a week and being surprised you have no progress. Twenty hours a week is the minimum to consider yourself a professional artist, rather than someone who has a creative hobby.?

Remember, the artist's journey is as much about the process as it is about the destination. Enjoy the ride, as being an artist is as difficult as it is equally satisfying.

Thank you , MH.