A great guy that I met on Alan Lee’s Illustration course in 2008 emailed me back along saying that he really wanted to focus on his art and was unsure where to start. Even though I was ridiculously busy I made the time to reply because his uncertainty was very familiar to me. This is what I emailed him…
I suggest you write down your goals/ where you want to be in two years and five years time. Make them specific. Break them into achievable objectives. Do something towards it every single day. Just start. Take the line of least resistance at first. Stick to something you are pretty good at and go for it. I know that’s vague but I don’t know your work well enough.
Here’s an example.
I know a lady who paints cats well. Actually she started using only coloured pencils. She showed friends and relatives and local art society members her efforts, someone asked what she’d charge for one, she kept it modest, and accepted her first commission. She took the photos and produced her best cat ever, encouraged and more confident because others seemed to have faith in her- more than she had in herself. After this she realised that technically she was now professional because she had been commissioned and paid. From there she put some ads in cat magazines, cat and dog shows and got better and better. By the time she emigrated to Canada with her husband she saw herself as an artist, a professional with exhibitions and a client list.
The point is, to get going asap. Dont wait for your website to be created, all facebooked and twittered up. Get some decent business cards made and create some form of image every single day. Even if it’s small. Stop looking at a mountain veiled in mist. Establish a little base camp first- grab a machete and start hacking the trail toward the foothills!
Most people have to do other work as well to help pay the bills but make sure you do something toward [ name ]Professional Artist, EVERY DAY (INC. WEEKENDS). As soon as you stop for a day or two, all your self doubt will begin creeping in again!!
At the moment it sounds like your uncertainty is your biggest obstacle.
Action always conquers fear.
Don’t wait for certainty. Do something tangible today!
I need to listen to that kind of advice myself at times, and I know there are others out there too! Let me know if this works for you by replying below.
This is brilliant advice, I am just starting out and have sold a few paintings mostly to friends, it is difficult to know where to go from here, and how to keep the confidance going. You should write a straight talking booklet on advice for starting out. Thank you.