GETTING STARTED

How to get your art career started. I’ve thought up pages of ideas for these art threads, so let's start at the beginning - Getting Started.

Do you want to start as an artist, or maybe you are an artist but need help getting things moving? My two-part answer to changing that is strikingly simple. However, that doesn’t mean it's easy.

Part 1: Draw. That's it. It's that simple. Just draw—the end. See? I told you it would be simple. Now, the hard part. Many obstacles will get in your way—life, family, jobs, kids, etc. but here is the trick to getting started. You don’t need much time or good ideas. Say whaaaaa 😮

Think of it like digging in the couch cushions for change, but you find little bits of time instead of money. A little here and a little there. You don’t need to worry about what you're drawing or how it looks.

Just draw.

When you're done, you don’t even need to look at it. Chuck it if you want. How it looks is not important. What is important is that you are drawing.

Why not think about what you're drawing or even care how it turns out? 🤔

Here’s the truth. In the beginning, all of your drawings and ideas will suck. I know it stings, but it's a hard truth. In fact, if your old drawings don’t suck after a while, then that means you are not pushing yourself, but don’t worry about that just yet.

Think of your art skill as a baby. You are just learning the mechanics of crawling, and we need to log some hours of falling over to learn to stand.

Okay, now that we have Step 1 covered, it's time for Step 2: No Excuses. It's imperative to consider why we haven’t started drawing before now.

If you take a hard look at why you haven’t started and list the reasons, you may see some good and bad excuses.

☑ Work and family are in the good excuse column.
🚫 Doom scrolling socials or watching Netflix might appear in the lousy excuse column.

To get things started, you will have to get rid of all excuses and the excuse mentality. Sure, unavoidable things will pop up, but for things beyond those rare cases, you have to make time and draw.

As the saying goes, "Where there is a will, there is a way."

This “excuses mentality” may be the biggest and most impossible hurdle in your potential art career, essentially killing it before it begins. I am a married, full-time freelance artist with a 4-year-old, a dog, two guinea pigs, a social life, and side projects, with very little help with child care. I don’t let these things become excuses for why I can’t finish my work.

I have little patience for excuses and hold myself to this standard. I own up to wasting time, not keeping an eye on my calendar, or whatever it may be. It is tough to be honest and hold yourself accountable, but it is the most critical part.

Being an artist is a long, difficult road full of sacrifices and self-reflection. It's not for everyone. Whether you have little time, are tired, or are not motivated, take comfort in knowing you only need to - just draw.

HOW TO SUPPORT ARTISTS

Wednesday, September 27th, 2023, I was asked to speak in Salamander’s (@AngelaEm12) X Spaces on “How to Support Artists.” Many people voiced their love for artists and why supporting them is excellent. It was a space with very positive vibes. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to share my thoughts, so here’s a thread.

Like many artists, I went to a VERY expensive art school and was taught how to be a machine and make art, but never taught how to apply that skill set in the real world. Over my nearly 20-year career, I had to learn how to protect myself the hard way.

The best way to support artists is through education, not just positive vibes.
I’ve been a full-time professional artist for almost 20 years (yep, I’m old), and this issue of supporting artists is far older than me. Positive vibes are great, BUT they will not protect artists. Education will.

When I say education, I’m not talking about learning to draw or expressing yourself better in paint. I am talking about learning artist/client etiquette, What is appropriate to be asked of you, what is appropriate for you to ask for, learning how to price your work and time, creating a process that protects your pay, and more.

Sadly, becoming a successful artist has less to do with your ability to draw and more with things rarely taught. Things most artists learn by trial and error, if at all.

In web3, I hear a lot of talk about education for keeping your wallet safe or noticing red flags of a potential rug. This is an excellent step in the right direction, but education is lacking IN ALL AREAs. Many people coming to web3 have never been founders, led teams, or worked as artists.

That is one of the things that makes this space incredibly unique. Many people are getting a shot at their dream job, which may have never come their way outside of web3, and this is causing adverse effects on artists due to a lack of education.

This also makes for a dangerous landscape for all parties involved. Joe Schmo Everyman doesn’t want to give his hard-earned money to a bunch of untrained degens. Education is the answer to supporting artists and making the space smoother, more professional, and appealing to the outside world.

Artists need to understand the arena they are stepping into. And Founders/Art Directors need to understand their full role as well. Learning these things will have the desired side effect of giving artists the support they need.

But how do we get there? I would start with some homework.

Some very kind, experienced, and professional people are in the space. First, I would reach out to those I admire. The great thing about this space is many people are approachable and willing to share information.

I take immense joy in being a mentor figure to several young artists, in which we have had many conversations about how to budget cost vs. time, whether a contract is reasonable, how to approach a counteroffer, etc.

If you don’t know something, ask. If you want to learn something, ask.

I am eager to do more Spaces and share my experience so I can help artists avoid learning things the hard way. So, if you are an artist or someone who wants to work with artists and have questions on how to do that, comment below or reach out via DMs.

Ignorance is destructive. I want to help you build the armor needed to go into battle, change the world with your creativity, and expand the tools available to you.