Diversify

If you discover in the beginning that you are not getting the financial results you want from your art…

Or if nobody is buying from your niche…

Then diversify.

Listen… if you are happy to get along with NOT selling what you love to create, then that’s great.

After all you got into this game for the self-fulfilment huh.

Yeah

But…

If you are looking to receive a few cookies for your efforts (of course you are), then put what you do to the side NOW AND THEN and do this…

Create What People Want

“Egad! What is you saying man? Isn’t that like…SELLING OUT? OH MY… I think I hear the “purist” stampede approaching!”

But seriously…

I have received many emails from artists who have struggled to sell art in their niche.

If it is your desire to make some sales in the beginning, then one factor you may want to consider is being prepared to be a little flexible.

During some of my very first exhibits I had people approach me and tell me they loved my subject matter and texture, but didn’t really desire my use of colour.

How could I take their dislike for my use of colour personally when one particular lady was wearing a lime midriff jumper, purple corduroy pants and blue thongs (flip-flops). “What the…?”

But I digress…

So I then asked them questions about what colours they do like… or what kind of themes they like etc.

Through this type of conversation we often managed to meet somewhere in the middle.

And a result I often produced some work for them that didn’t go too much out of my creative category and yet suited what the buyer was looking for.

This is kind of like doing commission work.

Remember the key is not to go TOO far outside of your creative ward and into an area that doesn’t stimulate you.

But try to be flexible.

At the end of the day you are looking for your bread and butter…

The “cash flow” to get you moving.

So be a little diverse with your work to accommodate more people. The same goes with your pricing. Have some low cost entry pieces available. Make your art accessible to everyone without making it free (wink).

Later as you develop your craft, develop a following and build a reputation you can concentrate solely on your chosen niche.

But until then “diversify” a little.

For example…

If you only use charcoal to draw birds…try using some oil colours instead.

If you only do abstract textural paintings…try incorporating a subject theme.

If you paint water colour on board seascapes…try using oil colours on canvas and incorporating people (activity) on the beach.

If you paint portraits of celebrities…try painting everyday people who can actually sit for you.

Whatever you do, try to be diverse.

It’s worth exploring anyway.

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Breath

There always seems like we have a million and a half things we need to do. So rather than get all flustered and overwhelmed, simply stop, take 5 minutes out and just… Breath.

Sounds stupid right?

But try it. Give yourself permission to stop whatever it is you are doing and think of nothing for 5 minutes. And concentrate on breathing.

It is a great way to super-hydrate your brain… so to speak.

Try it, and see if you don’t fall back in love with the day again (wink)

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How To Stay Motivated

Determination + Desire = Motivated!

Back when I first started working with oils, I didn’t produce anything that was really impressive.

Some folk may have thought so, but I knew deep down that my work wasn’t that good.

In other words, I didn’t feel like I was showing much talent with my oil paintings – and knowing this could well have been enough to lose complete motivation as an artist.

But I had a real determination to one day produce work that I could look at and appreciate. I also had a desire to make art that could one day be sold.

I achieved both.

If you have a true hunger to be good at what you do, then you’ll discover that you’ll never really suffer from a lack of motivation.

If you have a real desire… a real fire in your stomach, then you’ll always be ready to move ahead.

The idea is to try and remove some of the unnecessary crap we tend to think about too much and simplify what we actually want.

Here are a few simple concepts I plant in my head and things I do to stay motivated with each new project:

1. Define the result I want
2. If I am a little apprehensive about how to go about it I have a couple of other pieces of work (physical or photo) on hand to refer to in order to maintain those “Ah-ha” moments I require now and then.
3. Have a working schedule. I have a set time for doing certain tasks. I sometimes almost yawn my head off when it comes to this kind of organising. But I really tend to slack off if I don’t have a system for doing things.
4. The whole time I am working I keep thinking about how good it will look when it is finished. Confident? Arrogant? Perhaps, but it sure as heck helps me to stay motivated (wink).
5. Play loud music that I really love.
6. Keep my studio modestly clean. Some artists are not fussed with messy studios. The problem I have is that if I walk into my studio and it is messy, I have tendency to walk right back out again and no work gets done.

All you really need to do in order to get or stay motivated is to define what it is you want. Then put a basic plan together to achieve it. Create a deadline and then simply go for it. It need not be any more complicated than that.

When I first started out I lacked motivation because I kept comparing what I was doing with other artists who had become quite successful. All this does is make you jaded. So what I recommend is work with your own purpose – it’s a great source of motivation.

Nobody can do what you do the way you do it.

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An Artists Adventure

I have always believed you need to incorporate a sense of adventure when creating art. I discovered right from the beginning; if you don’t adapt some adventure to your work, you can often get caught up with all sorts of obstacles like doubt, frustration and procrastination.

An artist should be adventurous in order to discover new concepts – to discover new ground.

I know from my own experience, when I adapt the right attitude and look at each painting as a new adventure, I experience that “flow” and get a lot of work done.

When you adapt an adventurous attitude to your work, you quickly discover some really great ideas pop up, and you can quickly incorporate them without hesitation.

If you really want to discover your “best” then get adventurous. You will discover things about yourself as an artist that you didn’t think you were capable of.

Dare yourself to break some new ground. Forget trying to “get competent” as an artist. Why not “get challenged” instead. Say “goodbye” to preconceptions for a little while and work with an open mind.

In other words, learn to trust your own instincts; that way you’ll begin to develop your “working flow”.

Do everything you can with regard to being adventurous to genuinely “amuse yourself” while you work.

Are you going to make mistakes? Well yeah, I can pretty much guarantee that you will. But that is where the whole concept of “gaining experience” comes into the game of being an artist.

When you hear someone looking at your art say, “Hey, this looks like you had a lot of fun putting it together” or something along those lines; you know that you are on the right track. I mention this point because these are the very types or remarks I receive quite a lot from people viewing and buying my art.

I once smartly remarked, “Thankyou, I appreciate your comments – and yes, I do know how to entertain myself (wink)“.

An artist needs to get inquisitive about what they are doing, or at least what they are trying to do. It’s kind of like being a kid again. A child has this genuine wonder about almost everything. They are free from cynicism, opinion, “the known” and preconceptions. They are free to explore – to be adventurous.

So in many respects, if you ever feel you are getting a bit stale standing in front of the canvas, then adapt a sense of wonder when working.

It’s kind of like taking on this attitude that says, “I wonder what would happen if I did this…”

Getting adventurous is all about fighting that fear of the unknown, and discovering the adventure of the unknown.

So get some adventure into your creative diet!

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How To Create a Vision as an Artist

To put it in real simple terms, having a vision helps you to see another 20 to 1000 paintings ahead of the one you are currently working on.

Having a vision is what will ultimately inspire you to keep painting, keep drawing, keep working and believe in your ability as an artist.

Try To Avoid The Money Goal

One thing you should try to avoid is incorporating an economic barometer or some kind of financial goal into your vision for becoming a good artist. The problem with aligning your vision as an artist with monetary goals is that you will eventually become somewhat of a production line artist with not a lot to say in terms of what your art represents.

Another problem with incorporating the goal for money from your art into your vision is that you become less prone to take risks and explore avenues as an artist.

In other words, if you base your goals aspirations around money you will essentially be moving in the opposite direction to where you should be going in terms of becoming a good artist.

Branding and Marketing

Branding and marketing your work is nothing more than a process you need to become familiar with to make sales, but it should not be the purpose or the foundation of your vision as an artist.

The purpose of having a vision as an artist is so that you can see your journey working out step by step without any doubt or lack of confidence. It is also important because essentially a vision is what will keep your focused and motivated.

A vision evokes the whole adventure of being an artist. Just wanting to paint or create is really only paper thin in terms of commitment. A vision on the other hand is what moves and motivates you beyond just theories and good intentions; it moves you to take lots of action.

And when you begin to get this type of momentum as an artist, your spirit will soar and any issues you may have had in regards to doubting yourself and worrying about your ability to actually create good art will simply disappear.

The Challenge Of Creating a Vision

Now I know through my own experiences it can be a bit of a challenge to create a vision when you are just starting out. What you find yourself doing is referencing your work with other artists works that you admire.

We tend to look for familiarity or some kind rhythm that is close to our own. It’s only natural that we do that to develop as the beginner. But eventually we have to break away from seeking that type of creative guidance through other artists work and begin our search to discover our own voice.

You see… what gives you that clear idea, and that clarity on the canvas is directly influenced by the intensity of your creative vision.

Accessing Your Creative Rhythm

Let’s look at this equation:

Inner vision + ultimate expression = Creative Rhythm

Your inner vision is things like imaginative images, or images from your memory or images you have of the future, intense hallucinations, free flowing ideas,

Your inner vision is much like your sensitive eye, or your emotional sight if that makes sense. It’s that ability to see beyond what our physical eyes don’t see.

Now don’t worry too much if this doesn’t resinate with you straight away. Creating a vision can take time.

So don’t fret because you can’t see what you think you need to see in order to start creating good art. I am merely exposing you to the concept and not expecting you to be able to have a clear vision of what you want to create as an artist in the next 48 hours.

It could take you week’s, months or years to really embrace your vision. It is a journey; so don’t feel intimidated because you are operating without a clear vision. The purpose of this lesson is to explain to you how motivated and focused you can become as an artist when you have a vision to pursue.

Essentially it is what will give you a true purpose to keep working beyond your expectations.

Ultimate Expression

Now the second part of that equation is “Ultimate expression”

Well, I guess this part is probably best understood if you think of how much you love your partner or your son or daughter, or even a friend or a pet, and then think of how you express that love. It’s a very natural thing to do. It doesn’t require much thought or real effort to apply. And that ultimate expression is generated from the vision you have of that person or pet.

And so the same goes with art, if you have a solid vision then you will discover that breeds a sense of ultimate expression, which lead to the last part of the equation, Creative rhythm.

If you have seen any videos of me producing my own work, you might often see me moving about, as if I am working in time with the beat of the music, or may look like I am dancing a bit.

Well essentially I am giving myself completely to that creative rhythm. I have the inner vision of what I want to produce which lead to the freedom of being able to express it clearly on the canvas and that of course provides the creative rhythm or to put it another way, the power to fully charge the engine and keep in running in order to produce the piece without hesitation, accidents or doubts.

Vision: The Art Of Being…

Vision is the art of being able to see things that are not visible to the human eye.

Essentially, what people will be buying from you is not just a nice canvas painting, but also a part of your vision. Many people like the idea of being able to associate with an artist’s motivation and passion, because it helps to dispel their own doubts in life and add a sense of value to their life through the inspiration they receive from looking at and owning your artwork.

Sure, there are lots of people who just art to match the sofa – and that’s great, art is decor. But in many respects they are buying for the same reason as the person who sees a lot of depth in your work  – to feel good and have something they love to look at.

Personal Commitment

Having a vision authenticates your personal commitment to your journey as an artist.

Having a vision makes it easier to break down your goals into bight size pieces and give you the ability to create strategies that will ultimately generate results in regards to creating art beyond your greatest expectations.

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