Very interesting article, I'm very curious about what kind of "discipline" you introduced to be more productive in an artistic context. I love to paint and to draw (I'm new in the Steemit community, if you want to you can check my work on my page ^^), but I'm not working as an artist (I'm IT teacher/researcher), so I don't have real "discipline" in art, I do it when I can/want, but I would be glad to learn more on what kind of "discipline" is possible to introduce in an art context.
Btw, nice work on the hand :)
Thank you @apoletter! The discipline required for an art context is the same as your IT work. It requires prioritising, eliminating distractions, preparing your work environment, data/materials and sticking to it. I used to work as programmer. That was no different. I needed to find creative solutions to solve particular problems or assigned tasks. It meant, try and try again until I got it working, think case testing and debugging. Then of course over time, you develop an insight and start to preempt certain issues. You might even end up writing a library of routines that you include at the start of each coding project.
So it is with artwork. Repeated, consistent and persistent experience will teach you your methods and techniques. The quicker you can repeat the process of try, fail, try, fail, the quicker you will arrive at do, succeed.
So think of the discipline, in programming terms as a conditional iterative loop.
The smartest thing I did to speed up this iterative process, was stick to smaller artworks. It meant I was trying out new things more often, which allowed me to see progress more frequently. Progress or success is the best motivator there is. This then feeds your discipline.
Does this make sense to you?
Wow, very interesting approach, I love the idea of the "iterative loop" on smaller artworks, and "The quicker you can repeat the process of try, fail, try, fail, the quicker you will arrive at do, succeed".
I think I need a bit more organization and regularity in my art activity, and maybe more reading and documentation.
I think it's a very common question but, you said you used to work as programmer, and now you are a full time artist? This sounds like a dream! Was it hard to jump from your work as programmer to this? I would love to hear personal stories about that. I think I'm still young (I'm 27) and working as an artist one day in the future is still somewhere (a bit hidden) in my mind. But I think it needs maturity, self-discipline (ahah, this word again), and assurance.
Ha ha, excelent! I knew I'd get through to you with programming speak. ;-)
I do intend to write an article on the very subject you just asked about. How to make the leap. In fact, it was on my todo list for this weekend, however, I have given higher priority to artwork. I have a new drawing on the go.
The article will take me hours to write. So if I engage a cost analysis, creating a new artwork is more profitable than a Steemit article. However, the Steemit article is a long term investment in written material that I can repurpose at a later date. eg. book or workshop.
So you see the way of my thinking. My art is my business. I am a sole proprietor. Being an independent artist, is no different to being a freelance programmer, except, I have product I have created to my own specs and can reproduce as merchandise.
Half or more of my time is taken up with tasks that are not art creation. Correspondence, newsletters, social media, packaging the artwork for shipping, after sales followup, growing the mailing list, studying the works of other artistst, living and dead to learn and improve my work...
I've drawn inspiration from other creatives, as I tried to unravel the mystery of artistic success. Most of this career inspiration comes from musicians. The two things that finally stood out were consistency and persistence.
Stick around, now that you have asked about it, and as it was on my todo list, I will write the article up soon and publish it in the next couple of days. I have to finish of my Van Gogh portrait first. =)
There is something very interesting here "creating a new artwork is more profitable than", I never thought like this (ok it's probably because it's not the case for me ahah), does this way to see your art came when you switched to a full time job as artist or has it here before?
And I look forward for your article (and your Van Gogh portrait ahah).
It's a pleasure to talk with you and to see that experienced people are enough open to share their experiences :)
Well, when you are living from the sales of your artwork, then such thoughts certainly come to the fore. It is just a necessity. Sales translate into being able to pay the rent, the power, buy new materials, feed the artist (you) to keep art production going. It is simply a question of sustainability. Otherwise, you're back to taking other jobs to cover costs and the artwork becomes secondary again.
Most happy to converse with you @apolette. =)
Everything, but from letter to letter you said is what I'm thinking for a long time. Found myself questioning about - time-steemit-painting relation. And yes, we have product, and we are doing all the job. And that job is so complex, and need to be done. So if not painting but doing posting or some other work related to art is also doing art in a way.
Yes, the other tasks are part of the job, but we do have to keep an eye on the balance. This is something I personally have to be constantly mindful of. Do you easily find that balance yourself @junwatercolor?
Not easily, I admit, still learning.. And believe it will last whole life :) Like learning about art, it's somehow conected. As we learn of art, we learn of ourselves and at the same time all thing that are conected.
The School of Life.
Hello again Arnaud! I noticed that you also followed on Instagram. I recognised your logo. Smart branding. ;-)
I've checked your work out and there are a number of your works that rock it for me. So I'm following you back to see what more you post.
Wow, it's a great pleasure to read such a compliment from a professional painter like you! I also look forward to see more of your beautiful paintings :)
More coming. ;-)