Infected by Creativty

“Infectious Creativity: The Key to a Successful Art Career”

To begin, I will give you this premise to consider: “Love your art until it becomes infectious!” This concept came out of a conversation I had with a friend and fellow artist early last month, but has stuck with me in principle. This concept of an infectious form of creativity is what I believe to be the driving force of what makes an artist successful or not.

The more I thought about it the more it seemed to ring true for my work, and the work of those artists that I admire. Creating your art should always start as a passion for something you love. For most artists that is what creating art is. However, in the process of being self-taught or taught in a rigorous program, it can be very easy to lose your passion for creation in the pursuit of perfection. While it is vitally important to your success to refine your skills and pursue mastery of the fundamentals, if you forget why you love creating in the process, then you will have lost the most important part of being an artist.

This idea of loving to create, and loving what you do, is what makes all successful artists stand out to us. While yes, the beautiful images they create are also important, ask yourself how many grumpy artists you follow? Would you want to learn from an artist who is indifferent about their work? Or how about an artist that hates everything they do? Ok, there is a certain sense of creative humility and realization that every artist has, in knowing that their work needs improvement. However, if they continue to say “I suck, I suck, I suck,” then you as the fan will also start to think they suck as well. If you the artist are not passionate about the work you create, then what hope do your fans have to love the work that you do?

This is really the idea I want to drive home for all of you. Love what you do. Painting, drawing, writing, composing, whatever your creative outlet is do it because you love it FIRST, then worry about marketing and making money. Forget about client work. Forget what kind of art your friends and family like. Make art for yourself, because you love to! Maybe that sounds a bit selfish, but when you become crazy passionate about your work and your process, then other people will be excited to see, read, or hear your next great masterpiece! Yes, the first impression of a great piece of art brings people in, but what keeps them coming back is that they know you are an artist in love with creating.

It is only when we love to create that our passions infect others with creativity to create something of their own. Success isn’t a dollar amount. It’s not a number of shows or a single great piece of art. No, success is about community! It’s about sharing your creative love with the world, and having of the world answer back with their own unique creations. So in case you forgot along the way, “Love your art until it becomes infectious,” and then you will truly be successful.