Already I want to clarify that this article is absolutely a collection of advice to become an artist, but just an overview of the function of which I live my job as a painter today. Because we can have a distorted or romanticized image of this profession and it can be interesting to look at things in a pragmatic way, especially if it is a path that attracts you.
What differentiates a contemporary painter from his predecessors is above all competition. We are still on a marginal activity, practiced by a small number of people, but with the development of the Internet, the availability of painting equipment on the market, more and more people are getting into painting. I consider this to be very good news, creativity being a guarantee of good health for the people who practice it but also for society in general. But I must not lose sight of the fact that as a professional, I must earn money with my works. I would love not to need it, but unfortunately I have bills to pay. And so I have to take that competition into account.
In 2023, painters must live up to public expectations, while standing out from the competition. It's a question of survival. Here are some tasks that I do on a daily basis.
I use social networks to make myself known and observe the competition.I manage an account on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and TikTok, I'm not saying that I do it perfectly but I try to stay active as much as possible, and it's very time consuming.I have to produce photos of my works, as well as videos showing my creative processes.
I try to participate in exhibitions and art fairs.I know that exhibitions and art fairs are a great way to get noticed by art lovers and collectors.Well in real life I do less than I should but participating in social events is a real difficulty for me.
I manage the website and its shop, I update product sheets, I feed the blog.Ditto for the shop on ETSY.
I keep up to date with current trends.I observe the most influential contemporary artists, I study their techniques and their styles.Sometimes a technique or a style will give me an idea for a work.It is very hard to create without feeding your imagination, so this step is essential.
I manage the administration, the sales, the taxes, the marketing aspect, my presence on the internet, in short everything that I hate but that must be done anyway!
I create.And yes, it's the main task of my day, but not the most important in time.In fact there are even days when I don't have time to paint.Painting, creating, preparing works represents only 10 to 20% of my time in the end.I would like it to represent all my time, I dream of having a person who could manage everything for me, but until this dream becomes reality, I have to work!
That was a little glimpse of my life as a painter in 2023. Every day I have to remind myself that perseverance and determination are my biggest assets to survive in this field. I hope this article has taught you something.
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