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Why artists & illustrators should get a job

The romantic notion of a starving artist isn’t something that I’m buying into, and I think it’s a myth that is dangerous to those out there who believe that living in poverty because of your art is a noble (or even necessary) thing to do.

I believe that those who can’t live off their art (for now) should take on something else that can provide a sense of financial security while they invest in their work. There is never harm in being a waitress, or a magazine writer (!), or even a part-time gardener to keep a roof over your head so that you may continue to create.

I’m still writing for magazines and newspapers four years on, and take on copywriting projects to keep food on the table while I run Pikaland. It’s not something I let on about often (and I rarely complain), but I think it’s something that should be talked about more. When I’m running from one interview to the next, and when I’m tearing out my hair from an impending writing deadline – that’s when I am able to synthesize ideas and my thoughts better, crazy as it may seem.

Being busy and mingling around new acquaintances has allowed my own creativity to flourish. And knowing that I have bread on the table means that I can say no to offers from shady parties who want to place junk advertising and targeted links on the blog (I’ve heard they pay well, HA!) I think of it as a means to an end – not the end of my goals.

So throw away that ego, keep your hands busy and get out there while you scale your creative heights. Find a job if you have to – so you won’t have to sacrifice your artistic integrity. You’ll be able to stay true to your voice and your goals.

Share with us: What jobs have you taken on to supplement your income?

Image by Joana Rosa Bragança via Pikaland’s Flickr group

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Happy Monday folks, and I hope you had a lovely rest over the weekend! 🙂

How to challenge yourself

I’m always up for a challenge.

I didn’t know anything about coding and programming 5 years ago, but I picked it up so that I can build Pikaland and many other projects since. I’ve found that the black and white world of programming (albeit I was merely doing it as an amateur) was an experience that was almost the opposite of creating art – it wasn’t subjective, it either worked, or it didn’t. Learning HTML, CSS and PHP among many other things was a challenge.

But it’s through challenging ourselves that we grow. We change as a result of stretching our capabilities beyond our comfort zone – I knew that I could learn so many new things if I tried hard enough, and if I was determined enough.

So how do you challenge yourself? Here’s how I did it, and how you can too:

Challenge yourself mentally.

How can you be better mentally? You need to do daily creative exercises. Things like drawing a bird 100 ways (or see here for a list of 100 things to draw). Or a face a day. Or list out 10 ways to market yourself better. Things that stretch the mind a little bit each day.

Creativity is a muscle that needs to be stretched constantly – otherwise it withers up and die.

Challenge yourself emotionally.

What are you afraid of? Take small steps that will help you get over the fear. Afraid of that blank piece of paper staring back at you? Make a mark – any mark at all. Just start.

To create great art, you need to be brave – throw out those emotions in your work and let your passion show. Find out what makes you tick. Explore themes in depth and bring your personality to the table.

Own your emotions.

Challenge yourself physically.

When I was in high school, I was juggling taekwondo, gymrama practice, and volleyball. I played hockey, and netball too. I ran, skipped and hopped my way around. In short, I love being active. In fact, when I don’t get to skip or exercise for a week, I’ll be feeling a little antsy. And then the mood swings begin. Which leads to frustration, and a vicious cycle of snacking.

The point is – make a point to exercise. I do it almost everyday. I try to do it once in the morning and another session in the evening. I skip rope, practice mat pilates and walk my four dogs. I follow the Nike Training Club app on my iPhone (I’m now on 1350 minutes!). I swear just a wee bit when I follow the routines, but I do so because it’s my way of venting and pushing my way past the pain. I feel stronger when I’m in control of my body.

So have you challenged yourself lately?

{Illustration by Lydia Nichols }

Why artists & illustrators should blog

I see a lot of portfolios online and I get a lot of portfolios forwarded to me as well.

But here’s the thing. Anyone can just post up their work online and hope for the best. Some of them have work that isn’t even theirs. Hundreds, if not thousands of artists and illustrators have works that are literally on a virtual shelf just waiting to be perused. So what makes me (or anyone for that matter) want to take a closer look at yours? What will separate you from the rest? How can we separate the copycats from the true artists?

It’s simple – start a blog.

I don’t mean telling people how you go about making your artwork (not if you don’t want to!) I’m talking about sharing with people why you made it. It’s not surprising that when I am at your portfolio page, I search for links to your blog next. Why?

Because I want to hear your voice.

I see artwork and portfolios all the time. Sure – it’s pretty and all that. But I’m not looking for pretty. I’m looking for meaning. A story. Something that I can connect to. Isn’t it ironic though that sometimes artists choose to draw so that they can avoid talking (or writing for that matter?)

I want to read your opinions. I want to hear about the process of discovery and the thought processes that went into an artwork. I want to see how your brain and hands connect and work. I treasure being able understand what it is that you want us to see. I want to be able to see that you aren’t afraid to dig deep to create.

Because let’s face it – I’m not a mind reader. On a very basic level I seek to connect and to identify – and while having work that will make me understand at once what I’m looking at is great, a lot of the time interpretation of the piece, together with an artist statement (or in the case of illustration – reading the article that went with the illustration) will shine a light on the subject matter better than any standalone image.

A picture is worth a thousand words, yes. But a short paragraph will open up a bridge to those thousand words.

So start a blog with Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr or whatever blogging platform you’re drawn to.

Draw. Write.

Rinse and repeat.

Creativity is a muscle that needs to be flexed everyday. Much like drawing has become a habit, so will writing be when you put in small doses of effort over a long period.

Just be genuine, sincere and keep an open mind.
Who knows who will be reading?