Sometimes, to become successful and get closer to the person we want to become, we don’t need to add more things — we need to give up on some of them. An artist/creative job might seem very interesting and dreamy but actually, it does not comes the easy way, so in order to be a successful artist it will require you to give up on some of your habits. An artist/creative life could be fleeting. An artist needs to be consistent in his creative life in order to build the dream life he/she wants and as we all know that consistency and hard work go hand in hand. We need to understand that Underlying success are numerous hardships, countless sacrifices, and most importantly, hours and hours of perseverance. So if you are a beginner or even a master in the creative field then this could definitely help you pursue a career as an artist, but then you first need to know to what extent are you willing to pursue it and are you even willing to give up on some of your habits?

So, Here are 5 things that artists need to give up to in order to be successful:

1. Act and not just Procrastinate

Procrastination is a trap that many of us fall into. In the same way, every artist procrastinates at some time. And It is perfectly normal. But Procrastination only becomes a real problem when it drags on and starts to become a habit. If an artist decides to work on their piece tomorrow or tomorrow or tomorrow, chances are that they might never actually end up creating their art. An artist cannot afford to procrastinate. If you want to avoid failure in your creative career and life, you simply need to avoid procrastination. If you are planning to start a project you have to start working on it, you have to take action as just sitting and thinking about stuff will not work. So stand up and start what you aimed for.

2. Overcome Artist Block

Even the most successful people have imperfections so if you are waiting to be perfect or just waiting around for inspiration to strike, you may be wasting your time. Some or the other times in your life it has happened to you that you postponed starting a project just because you did not feel inspired!! Inspiration can be a tricky thing. We wait on it to strike every time we create. We might even believe its presence governs how successful we are as creatives, artists, or industry professionals. They aren’t dependent on how inspired they feel in order to produce work. In many cases, they instead produce work in order to feel more inspired. If you’re serious about creation or working on a consistent basis, you will need to get to work and forget about needing to be inspired. Instead, focus on following schedules or routines. Also, don’t always expect perfection from yourself as there could be times when your artwork will not make you feel the best but it’s at least better than not creating.

3. Letting go of Perfection

Almost every artist has gone through bouts of insecurity. Do not frame things around “not enough!! The subjectivity of art is one of the reasons it’s so great. There are absolutely no rule books that tell you that your art is good or bad. Within all the creative genres of painting, there can be ideals or standards that we can use to improve ourselves, but definitely, there is no hard and fast rule to be successful every time. Even the greatest creatives of all times have some imperfections and it’s absolutely alright. You can create whatever you want to create and that will undoubtedly have scope for improvement. Don’t just expect your piece to be perfect in the first go, but you can eventually improvise it. An artist should not wait to keep trying to make one artwork perfect, as there are possibilities that it will end up being a never-ending process and will eventually hinder all the other pieces that the artist has to work on. So, now all you have to do is create and create and perfectionism will eventually come with time.

4. Practice gratitude

It is normal to compare our life and work with other people. Comparison is how we learn. It only becomes a problem when it makes us feel bad about our own work. We should always embrace imperfections as the norm. But sometimes we often define our own success by how well others think we are doing or creating. Do not compare yourself to others, there is absolutely no need to and you should always acknowledge the fact that nobody is perfect and there is always scope for improvements. In the art world, one should always be good to other artists/creatives and celebrate them in order to be a successful artist/creative. You should always be grateful to other artists/creatives as they can give you knowledge and learning that will work wonders for you. Celebrate your wins and strengths with your fellow artists/creatives to feel motivated and more powerful and like this, you can make your mark in the world.

5. Work smarter & not harder

At the end of the day, what matters most may not be how many hours you put in, but what you have to show for your efforts. So make sure you take good care of yourself, your health, your mental health, and more. In the case of artists/creatives, this is one of the most important step to take as you can’t create your best piece if you are not putting your heart and soul into it for artists creating is something very personal and thus it needs your mind and body to be stable and relaxed. Also putting long hours into your work will not help you but working lesser and smarter will do as it will reduces the level of stress in your create life and career.

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Written By: Akanksha Verma

ATH Artists Meet Up’s are a great way to begin networking with women creatives from around the world.