How to Succeed As an Artist

Co-authored by Kelly Medford

Last Updated: July 28, 2022

Skill Building

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Business Advice

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Personal Development

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Expert Q&A

For many artists, art is a pastime that helps them unwind and gives them an opportunity to be creative. For some though, art is a way of life. If your dream is to become a successful artist, it may come as no surprise that you will need to hone your craft and strive to become the best artist you can be, but you will also need to approach your art like a business. Like any business venture, there's risk involved, but if you can strike a chord with the public through you work you may find yourself making a great living through your passion.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Skill Building

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Practice your craft. The first step to becoming a successful artist is to practice your craft often. It may take years to develop the skills you need to become a successful artist. Even if you are already extremely talented, practice will still improve your skills.^{[1]
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- Practice is truly the only way to become better at your art.
- Try new things as a part of your practice sessions to expand your artistic portfolio.
2
Study the work of the masters. In order to become a better rounded artist, you may want to study the work of those who have succeeded in the past doing what you do. Being aware of the work of masters can help you increase the quality of your own work.
- Painters may want to seek out the work of historically significant painters. Even if you don't paint in the same style, an awareness of the methodologies used by great painters can inform your method choices.
- Writers should read classic literature to have a better appreciation of the craft as an art form as well as a mode of communication.
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3
Be aware of the work of your contemporaries. Successfully marketing your work will mean selling it against the work of others. Art, like many things, goes through phases of what is currently considered marketable or even fashionable.
- By being aware of what other artists are currently doing you can make your work unique so it stands out amidst its competition.
- If a particular kind of art is selling right now, you may want to pursue that style to start getting paid for your work or to increase the prices that you charge.
4
Find a unique perspective. Art is an expression of something you feel or want to convey, and each artist has a unique way of delivering that message. Find your unique perspective on the world to create something new and interesting.^{[2]
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- Often, successful artists are those who can look at the same thing others have before, but see it in a different way. Let your experiences, passions and preferences inform your style of creating art.
- Setting yourself apart from other artists may increase the value of your work.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Business Advice

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Establish both short and long term goals. Like any business venture, a successful artist must be goal driven. Set attainable goals and then strive to accomplish them. Some goals should be short term and easily attainable while others may be larger ones that could require significant spans of time.^{[3]
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- An example of a short term goal could be to complete one piece per week, to sell your first painting, or to read a book that could help you improve.
- Long term goals could include getting your own exhibition, finding professional work as an artist, or getting a piece added to a museum exhibit.
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Devote yourself to your art. In order to be successful you will need to take your art seriously. If you intend to make a living as an artist, you will need to devote yourself to it like one would when starting any small business.^{[4]
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- Constantly strive to better yourself and your work.
- Look for opportunities to market your work or expand the reach it has with the public.
- Take your work seriously and spend as much time as possible working to improve its quality as well as to make it more marketable.
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Be professional when dealing with business contacts. Selling your art is not that unlike selling any other product; it requires dealing with professionals that are not necessarily artists but instead specialize in the buying and selling of art pieces.^{[5]
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- Be on time for meetings you schedule and treat people courteously and with respect.
- Follow through on your commitments to buyers so they may be inclined to return for future purchases.
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Capitalize on opportunities when they present themselves. When opportunity knocks, make sure to answer the door. Depending on the kind of art you make, different situations may present themselves that offer you a great opportunity to show more people your work, be featured in a gallery or exhibition or even transition into another realm of the artistic world such as working as a staff artist for large companies.^{[6]
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- Weigh your options carefully, but when a good opportunity arises, go after it with your full focus and devotion.
- Don't allow good opportunities to pass you by because of fear, insecurity or anxiety about what may happen. Believe in yourself and seize the day!

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Personal Development

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Cultivate a strong work ethic. Being an artist requires being self-driven. The benefit of working on your art is that you do not have to work on anyone else's schedule and you have full control of how you go about your day. The downside to that is that you will need to make yourself work even on the days you don't want to.^{[7]
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- Success will require long hours and hard work, so you will need to be able to drive yourself to do the things you don't want to do but need to do in order to become successful in the long run.
- Try giving yourself a set schedule like you might have with any other job. Eventually it can become habit, which will make it easier to stick to.
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Be resilient. Art is all about perspective, and sometimes the perspective of others will not match your own. You can be certain that if you create a piece of art that seems wonderful to one person, there will be another that simply does not appreciate it. Learn to accept constructive criticism, but also to let un-constructive criticism roll of off your back.^{[8]
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- Don't expect everyone to be fans of your work. Some may voice their displeasure with what you create, and they may even do so in a very rude way, but that just means your art simply wasn't made for them.
- Remember that everyone has different taste and you can't possible make something that will be universally loved. Instead, make things that you love and others will appreciate it too.
3
Seek supportive relationships. Being an artist can sometimes mean odd schedules, frustrating lows and extremely exciting highs. Having relationships that don't support your passion can be very stressful, especially if you feel you have to defend your work or your devotion to it.^{[9]
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- Don't allow people to remain in your life if they are constantly critical of you or your passion for art.
- Having the support of your friends and family can make working as an artist even more fulfilling, so cultivate good relationships while doing away with bad ones.
4
Don't give up. Every artist faces a situation where they feel as though they should just give up, or their schedule just doesn't seem to permit as much time for their art as they wish it could. Don't give up when the going gets tough.^{[10]
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- Remember why you love to create art and the way you feel when you complete a piece.
- It's okay to devote time and energy to other facets of your life, but stay involved in your art, even if for just a few minutes here or there.
- You never know when your luck could change, but if you stop creating your art, it never can. The piece that makes you world famous could be your next one.

Expert Q&A

Question

What makes an artist successful?

Kelly Medford
Professional Artist
Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art.

Kelly Medford

Professional Artist

Expert Answer

Success is an internal and personal metric. There are many superficial interpretations of what success means. Most artists won't define success by how much money they earn, what their work's market value is, or whose collection they are in. In the end, success is personal. It's about how much you are able to express, what you have to say, think and feel, and how it connects with others.