When you start your journey as an artist, it’s a whirlwind experience! Not only is it easy to get caught up in all these new experiences and whether or not you have prior knowledge of running a business, you’re bound to make mistakes. That’s just the way it works! If you can learn from your mistakes the first time around, you can really build your brand and lead yourself in the right direction!
I wanted to share with you some lessons I've learned as an artist this past year so you don't make the same mistakes - and trust me, I've made some mistakes, but I certainly haven't let them stop me from pursuing my passion.
ALWAYS GET A SIGNED CONTRACT
This is something I had to learn the hard way, it was not only discouraging but also really foolish of me. A professor at my university always told us: "Don't start working until you have a signed contract and a deposit", he said this for interior designers but so true for artists too. It's so foolish to start a project that will never come to anything.
So this lesson is: DON'T START WORKING UNTIL YOU HAVE A CONTRACT AND A DEPOSIT!!!
There's no point wasting your time or energy on a project that's just going to get squashed because they don't want to pay you for your efforts. Having something that legally binds you is great, it means security for both of you!
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF
So there will come a time when you need to assess the value of your work, whether it’s an online shop, a market stall, an exhibition or a project. It’s hard at first to know what price to put on something, so I say start higher than you think and see if you can negotiate from there with the client.
If a friend asks you to do some work for them, you can of course give them a discount but never feel like you have to! It’s your job, it’s your livelihood (well for some people)! You want to value your time and energy as efficiently as you have to pay the bills. If you can cover your monthly expenses with two or three commissions a month and a few side sales, great!
In saying that, don't go too high because people simply won't want to work with you. Find a good middle ground to start with and if there is an opportunity for negotiations to take place, go for it!
Now I will say this... I do work for free, gasp, I know!! But that's only because I know I want to take the opportunity and I think it might be a fun thing to do in the meantime. Plus, it builds relationships with the client and my wallet. So if I believe in a small business that's just starting out and they're going to use me all the time, I make it known that at some point in the future I will expect to be paid! If they decide to let me go once the pressure is on and they continue to use artists for free, good for them. However, I still own the rights to the artwork and can sell it as something else in the future!
THE HATERS WILL CONTINUE TO HATE
This is something I haven't had to deal with much directly or online, but I have heard what people in my friendship groups have said about me becoming an artist. To be honest, I don't care what other people have to say and neither should you!
Most people are negative. These people are just jealous and insecure. We all know the school bullies who had their own problems and were just projecting themselves to make themselves feel better.
So don't worry about the haters because they will always be there, but just know that deep down they wish they were you!
SOMETIMES THINGS DON'T WORK OUT
If you didn't learn this by the mid-twenties of your life, then you seriously need to mature! Honestly, it comes with life and everything you do in the world... whether it's riding the bus, going out with your boyfriend, or planning an exhibition. Sometimes, nothing goes as planned and it's usually for a very good reason!
However, don't give up because when this happens in your career as an artist. Remember that you have much more time to do what you think you should do and it will only work with perseverance.
SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY
(Even if you don't know what you're doing)
Sometimes a client can come to you with something you've never done before, which is fantastic and also very stressful at the same time. I already started working on the project in question which I've never done before and I felt very stressed, but I said yes because I wanted to seize the opportunity.
My best advice to you here is: give them a chance! You may find that you've learned a lot about yourself as an artist and where you can take your art form.
DON'T PUT PRESSURE ON YOURSELF
(Or your career)
I feel like this is obvious, but often overlooked - if you feel like you're doing too much or putting too much pressure on yourself to do a lot of things, take a step back. Easy! This is usually because as an artist you might feel like you have to please others by doing a bunch of work for no other reason than to please them and that's really not healthy! You should be trying to please yourself and achieve your own goals.
On the other hand, if you don't have much work and things aren't going as planned, don't worry! Take this time to work on yourself as an artist and stay human. Things will eventually happen!
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