What It Takes to Become an Artist

Becoming an artist is a process, and the first step is to get yourself out into the world so that you can see it. You don’t have to be a genius to do that. If you pay attention and keep your eyes open, you will start noticing things you didn’t see before.

Asking questions is another part of getting out into the world. Instead of just looking at things, start thinking about them. And then look at them again, this time asking yourself what you’re seeing, or maybe think about how they feel, or maybe imagine what they would look like if they were different than they are.

It is a common idea that some people are born with artistic talent, and others are not. That idea is almost certainly wrong. Each and every individual is an artist if they work hard enough.

What You Need to Become an Artist?

To some extent, it takes talent to become an artist, but the kind of talent involved is probably not what you think. It does not take great manual skill, the ability to produce beautiful objects, or even the ability to produce beautiful music or poetry. Those talents are useful, and they may lead you in the direction of art, but they are not themselves sufficient to make you into an artist. Real talent is the ability to see things from a new and unusual perspective, to notice patterns that others don’t.

Steps of Becoming an Artist

Here are the steps of becoming an artist

1. Know that you want to be an artist.
2. Learn the basics of art.
3. Find a place where you can be around other artists (friends, classes, events, clubs) and observe how they work.
4. Figure out what medium you want to work in (paint, clay, wood, etc.).
5. Figure out what style you want to create (realism, impressionism, cubism).
6. Work on your art every day until it is as good as possible.
7. Get your work into local art shows and contests so that other people can see it and give you feedback on your artwork.
8. Take classes with an established master artist so that you can learn more about how to improve your skills and refine your techniques and get tips on marketing yourself to galleries and collectors.
9. Use social media to promote yourself and your artwork online. This way, others can see how awesome it is and potentially buy it from you or at least find you a gallery show or a job working for someone else who appreciates your talent and wants to pay money for it (or both).

Finally, work hard to get good at that art form until you are as good as or better than most other people who do that kind of art. You have to put in many hours of practice. If you’re smart, you will learn from any teachers who are available and willing to help you.