Are you one of those who think there is nothing stressful about being an artist? Miles off! There are many difficulties that you might encounter along your artistic path and all artists struggle at some point in their career. What do artists struggle with? Here are 7 common challenges artists face and how to tackle them!
Being an artist is not an easy task because there are many struggles artists may face on a day-to-day basis. Do you create art? Then you know what I’m talking about!
Every artist is different, and every one who decides to follow their calling, embarks on their very unique creative journey. However, during that journey, artists often face the same challenges and obstacles along the way.
I bet that you’ve encountered at one of the struggles on the list at some point in time. I’ve come to understand that it really doesn’t matter what kind of art you create and where you are in your career. I myself am a digital artist for more than ten years now and I’ve experienced all eight struggles at some point in my artistic life.
I’ve thought a lot about the stuff that I’ve been facing and I’ve found ways to deal with it and overcome my struggles. Now I’m here to help.
In this blog post, I’ve put together a list of what artists struggle with and what you can do to tackle your challenges!
Do all artists struggle?
You are not alone, all artists struggle! I guess many of us just can’t help but always tend to apply too much judgment and pressure on ourselves.
There are lots of things that crash in on us on a daily basis, so it’s no wonder that doubt starts to creep into our mind at some point in time. We may feel discouraged and think that we’ll never make it as artists…
Some artists struggle more than others, and not all artists struggle with the same things. But even the most successful artists have their own challenges.
Even though some accomplished artists would never admit it, the truth is that all artists struggle – regardless of their skill level, experience, fame, etc.
Why are artists struggling?
The reasons why artists are struggling can vary a lot: some might face financial challenges, others might experience creative block, yet others might think their art is just not good enough.
In the list below, I’ve put together the challenges that I’ve been facing during my career and that I know many other artists struggle with, too.
But don’t worry, there is a solution to every problem, and I am giving you my best advice how you can get to grips with your troubles!
7 Things artists struggle with & how to tackle them
1. Thinking that your art is not good enough.
Welcome to the club! Every artist has an inner critic that tells them their work is not good enough.
This doesn’t look good. This is bad art. You don’t have enough talent. Your skills are just not cutting it.
Have you caught yourself telling you those or similar things? Well, you are not alone. Sometimes our inner critic simply plays havoc.
It is good to be self-critical, but if your self-criticism keeps you from creating art, then it’s about time to put a stop to your inner critic.
Don’t be too harsh with yourself. You don’t need to be perfect – no one is! Everyone’s creative journey is a huge work in progress. It is never finished and there will always be room for improvement.
Remember there is nothing like ‘good’ or ‘bad’ art. There is just art and artists who are at different stages of their artistic development.
2. Not seeing yourself as a ‘real artist’ (aka Impostor Syndrome).
The Imposter Syndrome is a common struggle among artists (and other creators). The Impostor Syndrome describes the feeling that your success is an accident or a mistake, rather than the merit of your hard work, dedication, and commitment.
Studies found that up to 70% of all people, at some point, feel like they are an impostor. This could explain why we might find it so hard to actually call ourself an artist.
When you look around in the art world, you will find many rigid definitions of what makes a ‘real artist’. Depending on whom you ask, people might tell you that digital art is not real art. Or, that you are only a ‘real artist’, if you have 10 years of practice minimum. Or, that you need to sell at least 200 pieces before you can call yourself an artist. Or, you need to have an art degree, gallery exhibitions, magazine publications, … – you name it.
None of those is true. Fact is, if you make art, you are an artist. I have written an entire post on what makes a real artist. Even though it might not feel as simple in our heads, people who make art are artists, and we don’t need to fit into any specific category in order to qualify as artists.
So if you are passionate about creating art, claim your right and declare yourself an artist, because no one else will do it for you!
3. Comparing yourself to other artists.
No matter how amazing your art is, there will always be someone better than you. There are thousands and thousands of artists in this world, and every day it’s becoming more. You see how senseless it is to compare yourself to other artists.
Objectively speaking, there will always be artists who stand above you on the ladder of hierarchy that you create in your own mind. Because at the same time, there are also hundreds of artists who may look up to your work.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how you compare to other artists. Every one is on their own creative journey, but in the end we are all in the same boat. We can learn from each other and get inspired from each other. Every artist needs to find their own voice and develop their own unique art style.
If another artist uses a technique or style that speaks to you, you can learn from them and grow as an artist. But don’t let the other artist’s work discourage you!
4. Losing confidence and giving up.
It is normal that we lose our creative confidence sometimes and want to give up. Making art isn’t always fun and easy, and there can be quite a few things that can stress us out.
To an outsider, being an artist might seem to be a piece of cake, but we know that making art can be stressful at times – and even more so, if you are a little perfectionist like me!
I would want everything in my work to be ‘perfect’, and even when I look again at some piece that I created a while back, I find so many things that I could change… I’ve tackled my inner perfectionist by promising myself that once a piece is finished, I don’t touch it anymore. Even if I find things that could be improved.
That works well almost all of the time – with a few exceptions. ‘Pastime’ is a piece where I made such an exception. When I first published it, I thought that the head of the lady might be a little bit too big. But then I discarded the thought and told myself: no, it’s alright. Everything looks pretty fine. This is just your perfectionist talking…
But when I revisited the piece after some time, I still thought: damn, the head should be a bit smaller. So against my habit, I opened up the file in Photoshop again and made the head a little bit smaller. Looks so much better to me now, while every one else might hardly notice the difference!
But these are the things artists struggle with. I’ve found that perfectionism can be an addiction. It is better to get back into your life and create new art.
But one thing you should never do is lose confidence and give up. Keep pushing. If you need a break, take a break. But then go on creating again.
Creating ‘Pastime‘ from my Surreal Stories Collection was quite a ride. First of all, my computer crashed and I lost the file completely. So I had to create it all over again. And as if that wasn’t enough, I later on felt that I had to make the lady’s head smaller… Well, shit happens and that’s the life of an artist, too!
5. Worrying that you cannot make money with your art.
You will face financial challenges as an artist (just like almost any other person in this world!), but this is nothing you cannot overcome.
The cliché of the ‘starving artist’ should long belong to the past, but many artists still worry that they cannot make money with art when they think about starting their own art business.
Another stereotype that you will be confronted with as an artist is that others assume artists cannot be successful. Art is often looked at as a hobby rather than a profession (or a passion). When you tell people that you are an artist, chances are someone will sneer at you and ask you whether you can make a living from art.
But nowadays, there are plenty of artists who make huge profits selling their art through social media, their own artist website, and other channels.
There are lots of ways to make money with art skills. Some concrete examples are selling art prints, selling digital art on Etsy, offering digital art commissions, creating digital printables, …
Some people just don’t understand what a professional artist does, but that shouldn’t deter you from following your dream!
6. Not feeling inspired to create.
Finding inspiration is one of the most common artist struggles. We all know the feeling of being stuck in a creative rut. Sometimes our creative juices just seem to not want to flow.
That’s totally normal. We have all been at a stage in our career where we found it difficult to get inspiration. Not knowing what to create next is not a pleasant feeling, but there are plenty of ways to get out of a creative rut.
With all the technology around, it is actually pretty easy. One thing you can do is scroll down your Instagram feed and look at all the inspirational artists you follow. You can also type in a key phrase relating to your favorite art into the Pinterest search bar and see what comes up. Social media networks can be a huge source of inspiration because the feature thousands and thousands of art posts.
Other possibilities include visiting art galleries, attending concerts, joining art sharing sites, or simply taking a walk in nature. If you are willing to look, inspiration can be found in everything!
7. Not knowing how to get your art noticed.
Another thing many artists struggle with is not knowing how to get their artwork out there seen.
Promoting yourself as an artist and marketing your work can be one of the biggest challenges, especially if you are the introvert type (like myself)!
It’s almost impossible not to get discouraged when seeing other artists’ social media followings, while your work doesn’t get much attention.
But no reason to despair. There are many things you can do when you feel that your art gets ignored. If you are rather shy and introverted like me, it can be difficult at the beginning. But I’ve found ways to embrace my inner artist introvert.
You can find lots of helpful articles on my website. For example, I’ve written an entire artist guide to posting art online. I’ve also put together 12 sure-fire ways to get your artwork seen and the best places to display digital art.
Moreover, you can upload your art to Instagram, post your art on Facebook, and use Pinterest as an artist.
If you don’t see results immediately, don’t worry. That’s a normal circumstance all big marketers are familiar with. There is something called the Rule of Seven that you can use to your advantage!
At the end of the day, getting your name known as an artist is as important as your actual work. So don’t be too humble!
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So am I right? Have you struggled with one or more of these things during your artist life, too? What do you find stressful about being an artist?
Please leave questions and comments below or reach out to me directly. I’d love to hear from you! Make sure to sign up for my email list below so you don’t miss out on new blog posts and other cool stuff. ♥
