First step: Overcoming Career Blocks/ Myths
Here are points I highlighted from first chapter of Caroll Michels’ book “How to survive and Prosper as an Artist”:
1. The myth of the artist.
The myth tells us that struggle, complexity and suffering are necessary components of creativity, and without these key elements an artist will stagnate. The myth tells us that the desire for comfortable lives and financial success will ultimately poison and distort art. Many of the basic problems of artists are created by their feelings of insecurity and helplessness. It suggests that artists are like herds of animals that used to be contained in an environment where their master can control their lives.
2. Denying “Fine Artist” as a valid profession.
The myth casts great doubts on whether being an artist is a valid profession. The implication is that an artist can seriously dabble in art but shouldn’t take it seriously as a profession.
3. Dual careers and low-income expectations.
Low expectations of artists’ earning power have given rise to the practice of dual careers. But anyone engaged in a dual career understands that it creates a life-style of frustration, confusion, stress and guilt.
4. Insufficient training of fine artists
Artists are set up for a difficult career by the omissions from art education of business management and competence in it.
5. Confronting money issues.
There are artists who attach stigmas to the concept of prosperity such that they undervalue their work. Money martyrs think it is morally superior to ignore their financial needs and often become the victims. The most common money related mistake artists make is a reluctance to invest in their own careers.
6. Intimidation of visual art.
We have come to believe that good art can only be determined by the judgments and decision of art dealers, critics, curators, academics. Unfortunately many people within the art world believe this myth, including artists.
7. Validation and artists’ insecurity.
Emphasis on gaining approval from the art world has become so commonplace that few artist question the negative implications of looking for validation from external sources
8. Awe of vanity galleries.
Some artists will do and sacrifice anything to have a show in a vanity gallery.
9. Adolescent career goals.
Some artists equate success with being featured on a publications front cover, having their works included in the right private collections. Whereas a successful artist can simply be one who earns a living doing what he loves doing best – creating fine art.
10. Denying art is also a legit business.
