6 Tips To Help You Succeed As An Artist Exclusive with Marco Derhy

Wouldn’t it be nice to be an artist, express your creative side, and still make a ton of money? Sadly though, the stereotype of the struggling artist is still all too real. How does one turn their art into a successful and fulfilling career? Artist Karin Brauns shared with us her top 6 tips to succeed as an artist.

1. A helping hand

Probably the most important thing I ever learned from starting a small business is that everyone needs help. Even if it’s a family member, a friend or anyone who has a lot of success and experience in their life who can guide you on the right path. At first, I thought it was easy for me to want to keep control and to want to do everything myself, but oftentimes that would slow down the progress.Find a good team or having someone around to help and mentor is always golden, (as long as they don’t paint on my artwork of course)

2. Know what kinds of art supplies are and are not worth your money

Time is too precious to use cheap or low quality. And I think this involves many types of businesses! Quality before quantity is my keyword! Even though as an artist using a lot of paint, the quality stuff has always paid off. I have done the mistake in the past of buying colors, brushes, canvases, etc that I thought was a good deal and purchasing them, but ended up not lasting for long or it made me redo things and take more time and waste my money. Investments are at the end worth it.

3. First priority, Financial Stability

Financial stability and success is to live and breathe your passion. Always put financial stability it as your first priority and set up goals. It will come from expertly running your business at the same time as doing what you love. Working on your craft but also focusing on time marketing, selling, strategizing.

4. Grow a thick skin

People always have things to say and any feedback is great. Even though most is positive people like to be negative naturally. There will be cruel or nonconstructive towards you and your work. Everyone has different tastes and styles what they like, I learned not to take anything personally. I think constructive criticism is one of the most useful forms of feedback. It will give you a glimpse into the minds of others and see what people like and what sells.

5. Have fun

It has never really been on my weak side, but when you do something you enjoy naturally and do not think about it things will come to you. I learned to stop worrying and just go for it. Trying different things, being out there, networking, and just simply enjoying life and being who you are, that’s the key to success.

6. Find what you love and let it kill you

I’ve met a lot of interesting people along the way who has taught me a lot of things in life. Things I do want in life and things I don’t want. Good and bad lessons. I decided to ignore the things I don’t want and live by the quote’’ Find what you love and let it kill you’’ That has guided me to move towards my goals and the way of living. Life is short and everyone wants to enjoy most of it, you don’t know when it will end. One of my dearest friends became very successful at a young age starting his company from scratch. He has a fire in him and till this day never stops working and being engaged. He taught me to “Get things done’’ and believe that nothing is possible if you constantly work hard for it.