Tips for becoming an artist

Here are some tips to become a great artist:

1. Get to know yourself;
2. Be honest with yourself;
3. Become a sensitive observer;
4. Identify your artistic weaknesses and strengths;
5. Study with masters;
6. Be always hungry for information;
7. Read great literature everyday and build a reference library;
8. Explore different mediums;
9. Watch TV and spend time on the internet wisely and selectively (less is more);
10. Exercise your body and spend time in nature every week;
11. Develop an original style and find your own language;
12. Ask for help and critiques from people you admire;
13. Learn to accept failure as a positive thing (No is an enriching path to Yes);
14. Develop your career plan;
15. Set deadlines and goals for your projects;
16. Make a deal with your spouse or partner or family to give you 5 years to focus 100% on your art. (read “The Agony And The Ecstasy” by Irving Stone);
17. Work at least 4 hours daily;
18. Have a stunning online gallery of your work in your language and in English;
19. Attend a major art event every week, speak with at least 10 people, and give each one of them your business card with your website address;
20. Create your own art event (workshop, lecture, happy hour, art walk, exhibition, performance, etc);
21. Answer every request for information, every email, every response to your mailouts, every phonecall to you;
22. Have a stunning online gallery of your work;
23. Learn the value of inspired persistence;
24. Learn the specifics about your segment. Also, you should have at least a basic knowledge of finance, management, and marketing. (reference: "The World’s Wealthy Artists Are Business People"  by Daniel Tardent);
25. Get over your fears. They do nothing, ignore them by trying;
26. Practise, practise, practise;
27. Laugh;
28. Don't masturbate after sex. Enjoy when you make art and allow people to have pleasure with your art afterwards. Don't go praising your own art and elevating it. Let it to others. Be a vouyer;
29. Have a "BIC IN THE ASS" posture. Imagine a pen BIC entering your asshole, instinctively, all parts of your body will get erected and connected. That`s a "ready for anything" or a work posture for actors;
30. Commit;
31. Never surrender!

Do you have anything else to add to this list? Send me your tip and I will add to it!

* This post was based on the "18 tips to be the great artist of your dreams" by Daniel at The Art Marketing Secrets.