A Woman’s Guide to Art: The Lifestyle and the Artist

Art is a mood-enhancing companion, whether one is trying to get out of a funk or maintain sanity during stress. What many people don’t know about art, however, is that it can be just as isolating as it delivers comfort. It can also be an arduous and tedious process which may leave one feeling as though they are failing continuously.

This art blog post chronicles the various aspects of the art lifestyle and how happiness should be incorporated into your work to live in harmony with the creative process. The idea of having a full life, while engaging in the arts, is a balancing act. However, if one is willing to explore both sides of their personality with relentless vigor they will be able to achieve their goals.

The first step is to become clear about your goals as an artist. Know that you have a part-time job and you are looking for a career change. Understand that being an artist is not a steady paycheck. Know that there are many other artists who wish to reach the same goal and you will have to compete against them for it. There is a huge advantage with the creative process in that one can make decisions which aren’t governed by monetary concerns. It is safe to say that when an artist works on their art they are solely focusing on their work. This is a time where they are free to experiment and follow their instincts.

Aspects of life

It should be understood by the aspiring artist that there are many aspects of life which need to be left behind when starting out in the arts. It is important to keep this in mind as you look for inspiration and know how your life will change from entering into this career path. Some artists enjoy one or two types of painting, while others may have a wide range of interests and skills throughout their career paths. The one thing that remains constant with all artists is that they are always striving to produce better work than they have ever done before.

As you progress in your art-making, the creation of art becomes a habit and you will feel comfortable creating because of your prior successes. Your artistic brain will be engaged and working on perfecting your craft in times of stress or boredom. Many people in the arts find themselves achieving higher levels of productivity when working on their art instead of when pursuing another career path. In addition to this, as you begin to spend more time in the studio, people who enter it may wonder why you smile so much being around such an unpleasant subject matter.

When you are in the thick of it, working on a piece of art, it can be easy to forget that the process is temporarily unsatisfying. This is especially true when an artist sends a piece into an exhibition and doesn’t get selected or sells any pieces. The exhibiting artist must find the humor in this situation because they will likely have to put together another submission for another show. If the exhibiting artist becomes discouraged there will be no motivation to keep going and perfecting their art.

Isolation of a creative life

It is important for artists to understand that time spent working on their art is time taken away from other interests and activities. Part of this trade-off is a full and compelling experience which will provide the artist with growth. The most skilled artists are those who continue to make art, even when they can’t. Making art should be an act of love; something that can be redone over and over in order to get it right or better than the last time it was done. In fact, so many artists are known for their persistence that one wonders if they ever really have inner peace. Some do, but these are very rare and usually only experienced by those who reach extreme levels of success.