What does it mean to be a happy artist, really?
And more importantly, how can we each become one in ways that suit us as individuals?
Since the idea of the #happyartistmovement came to me on the sofa a few months ago, this idea of how to be a happy artist has become an integrated part of how I operate, a yardstick for what I create for you, and a manifesto of sorts.
I talked about my own story with it here, but what’s much more important is what it could mean for you.
I’ve compiled a list, which I imagine might grow as I explore this terrain further, of all the things I experience as contributing to being a truly happy artist.
You’ll notice they’re all internal. While exhibitions, sales and recognition can be a wonderful part of being an artist, I prefer to lay the responsibility of my happiness within myself.
Leaning on something external and uncertain as a source of happiness is precarious at best! This way we maintain autonomy around our experience.
And yes, I am using myself as the gauge here, because I do consider myself an actual happy artist. 😉 However this list is not personal; it’s full of things we can all have and choose. It’s simply a case of finding out what that means and looks like for each of us.
So when I say happy, I mean: fulfilled, joyful, peaceful, curious, resilient, focused, and confident in your own unique mode{s} of creative self expression.
But – and let’s be very clear about this – all of this won’t be true all the time. You can be a happy artist and still have sucky days in the studio, paintings that go wrong, dry spells, self doubt, and all the rest.
Being a happy artist doesn’t exempt you from the shit {just like being enlightened doesn’t mean you don’t experience crappy life things}, it just means you have a solid base that never goes away. Which means quicker bounce back and easier access to trust. It means that your relationship with your art is not affected by outside influence.
Caveat
This isn’t the kind of list you can skim through and think yeah, yeah I know all this {with my brain}. Well, you can, but that’s not going to get you any closer to happy artistville.
Some of these feel reeeeaaaally hard to achieve. Which is not the same as saying they can’t be done. 🙂 I’ve been through all of them at some time or other, and some I’m still not quite done with, so I know this is challenging and I’m right there in the trenches with you.
I find it helps to see it as an ongoing process, just like painting, rather than something you’re supposed to nail with ease or just can’t seem to get past. It’s pretty much always ‘both, and’, not either/or.
But on the other side of the challenges – in fact, on the other side of any one of the following points – is freedom and lightness and ease around your art you haven’t known was possible before.
That’s why it’s worth chipping away at each one until you’ve cleared it, made it your own, or whatever is most appropriate to do with it. And that’s why I’m framing them as actionable and positive, because yes, many of them are hard and take time to unravel or find our way with, so we need doable ways to help that along.
If you can activate just one of these today, you’ll start to gain immediate benefits. Promise!
1. Focus on process
This will SAVE you on every level. No exaggeration.
From dealing with a painting that’s going awry, to going through a painfully long dry patch, to what it will teach you about how to live in the way that’s most aligned with who you actually are, focusing on process is forgiving, ongoing, and where all the rich deliciousness lives.
If you put all the rich deliciousness into the final product, or how your work is received, you’re setting yourself up for a precarious time. This way, you’re always rooted in the how and the why, not the what or the who.
2. Let go of the artist label
Like this. For many of us, particularly in the early days, being able to call ourselves artists feels scary and fraudy, if not downright preposterous.
In my experience, and from my observations over the past eight years or so, the most common route to freedom from this is to get to a point where you do feel able to call yourself an artist, {by making a lot of art and getting a lot of support}, and then drop it and just make your art.
The label is useful for some things, but not for defining who you are. No label can – or should be allowed to – do that.
3. Make it for you, first
If there was ever a time to be ‘selfish’, this would be it. Make the art that makes YOU happy, not the art you think you should be or wish you were making, or that someone else thinks you should make.
When you are satisfied, it radiates from both you and the work, and that’s when we all benefit from your selfishness. 😉
4. Let go of ALL feedback
That means compliments AND criticism. Attaching to either is the road to disappointment, shame, self doubt, and in far too many cases, giving up altogether, sometimes for decades.
We didn’t know any better when we were kids and the teacher was mean, but now we’re adults we can activate numbers 1, 7, 10 and 11 and move past it. And the best way to do that is to keep going, to keep making the art.
5. Follow your fascinations
They are tugging at your attention for a reason, and it’s often not the reason you think, but something much deeper and more interesting. The thing is, you have to keep going to find out.
Brene Brown’s much quoted comment about unused creativity not being benign resonates for pretty much everyone because most of us have been there and know it’s true from experience. So stop ignoring what won’t go away.
6. Expect to make paintings you don’t love/you are horrified by/that make you cry
Go back to 1, because that’s what will get you through these. And try not to let these responses mean something negative about your art, and especially not about you as an artist or person.
They are part of the process – an important part. It never feels like it at the time, but later it often becomes apparent.
7. Invest in some effective blinkers
Because even though we all know this already, comparison is one of the best ways to kill confidence, and dying confidence leads to other fun things like procrastination, envy, overwhelm, and not doing what we really want to do. It also stops us being able to uncover and develop the art that’s truly our own.
8. Be in it for the long haul
If you want to be ‘good’, where good means greater understanding and depth in the work, it’s going to take practice, and that means repeatedly doing it, even when you hate it and think it’s shit and you’ve had to say no to people who weren’t pleased about it and what the hell were you thinking and now look you’ve wasted time, money, and materials and guiltfrustrationsadness.
Things that come from the deepest parts of who we are are not hobbies, they’re callings. They’re messages from your soul guiding you to your truest self expression in this life, and that means we feel magnetized to them, irrespective of whether we feel capable or up to the task.
{Tip: If you’re magnetized, then you are capable. And you’ll almost certainly not feel up to the task, at least initially, as a lovely signing on bonus. 😉 See Joseph Campbell for more on this.}
9. Carve out a space for your art
Whether that’s a basket of supplies you keep under the coffee table or a whole room dedicated to your creativity, you and your art need a place to hang out together and work on your relationship. 🙂
And don’t forget time and mindset are spaces too. If you don’t have a studio you can create a container for making your art by bracketing it with intention and a candle, or making a cup of tea, or putting on an apron and taking it off when you’re done, or whatever feels right to you.
10. Learn to be kinder to yourself than you think is possible
Art will teach you this incredibly important life lesson, if you let it. It will offer you endless opportunities to NOT beat yourself up about being shit, being inconsistent, being a procrastinator, being derivative, being slow to learn, or failing in some other perceived way.
Kindness creates a space around things, a little breathing room, and we can fill that space with creating. Which makes it easier to be kind. 🙂 #deliciouscycle
11. Learn to share
Because although it’s not compulsory – and if you’re not already – sharing {some of} what you make will enrich your creative life more than you can possibly imagine right now, in the form of friends, encouragement, support, confidence and growth, perhaps even sales and recognition, if you want those things.
It doesn’t matter whether it’s online or off, but find a supportive environment and participate in it. Give and receive. {You’ll find that one doesn’t come without the other.} I offer just such a thing when you sign up for any of my courses or Artnotes by the way. 🙂
12. Honour your bandwidth
There will be times when you feel so dried up and unmotivated you are Absolutely Certain you’ll never make art again. This will happen repeatedly. Let it, so you can start to see the pattern and understand your own cycles of creativity.
Resistance is painful and prolongs it. So just walk away and do something else entirely and really immerse in that, even if it takes longer than you thought/hoped/expected to return. It feels hard to do but it works, because as soon as you let go, space is created for new inspiration to come in.
Nature abhors a vacuum and so does the muse. Give her space to show up and she will. But don’t try and force her because she really doesn’t like it. {Does anyone?!}
13. Use the supplies!
Even if they were expensive and you’re afraid to waste them. {And in my experience, most things last much longer than you think they will.} Ask for advice from other artists, look them up on YouTube for people using them in ways that spark you, be brave and experiment, and Use Them!
If you’ve bought something that turns out not to be for you, swap it with a friend, sell it on Ebay, give it away, and/or activate number 10. Or wait; I’ve often found that I come back to supplies sometimes years later with a sudden idea and excitement for them.
14. Explore everything.
Think of it as feeding the kid in you – she/he’s still there and needs nurturing as much as all your other parts.
Think of it as filling all parts of you so you’re complete.
Think of it however will stop the guilts, and take that workshop, try those pastels, ask that person for advice, Google that technique, borrow all those books from the library about the thing that keeps tugging at your attention.
Play until you’re done playing, {and you’ll know when – you’ll just feel done, or full}, and then move on. No drama.
***
This list is not exhaustive, but every single point has been something I’ve experienced to be profoundly necessary and true on my own path to becoming – and remaining – a happy artist.
Is there anything you would add? Anything you’re stuck on? Please share in the comments!
And if you’d like to dig into all this more with some guided questions and prompts, I created a 46 page workbook for you! You’ll find it inside the Happy Artist Studio. I’ve gathered over 20 courses and learning materials I’ve created over the years in one place, with monthly or annual options for membership.
We have a lovely private community where you can get personalised support and feedback, and monthly themes to explore. It’s a great option if you’re ready to take your art to the next level, whether that means deepening and clarifying your process, or making work with a view to selling it, or both.
Click here or on the image for all the info and join today!
This is a great list Tara! I found #9 especially intriguing: I have a dedicated art space though I share the room with my partner’s desk and household storage. Despite having the space, I find it hard sometimes to get into a 100% art based focus when I’m in there. I’ve been mulling ideas for bringing more intention to the time and space that I’ve set aside so that I can work on art without thinking about everything else that’s going on in my life. It’s an interesting challenge!
Yeah I can really understand how just having other things in the space would be distracting. I think that’s where the idea of a metaphorical container can come in handy. There are all sorts of ways we can sort of slide sideways into making art – sometimes we have to be a bit sneaky about it and try lots of ways and combinations before the best ones reveal themselves!
sometimes, just hanging a curtain, or using furniture as a barrier could help you “feel” differently about your creation space.
Such a good point! It doesn’t have to be a total new build. 😉
🙂 I too am in various stages of progress on all 14
I think we probably all always are! 🙂
Thank you so much for this. It helped me a lot to find out who I am and what I want to do as an artist. Being an artist is a journey and we’re not always sure where the journey takes us but we keep going…
So glad to hear that you found something helpful here Tanja. 🙂
Thanks! I often feel like my art falls short. I will continue to explore new techniques and materials until it feels right!
Yes! Perseverance is the way. 🙂
After following your lovely wise writing about art for ages, I thank you! I’ m reasonably competent with inks, paint etc but have little confidence in my ability. Since the Covid crisis hit, I have achieved nothing ‘arty’ I go to my lovely studio and start tidying!! I love to experiment, mixing media is what I love. But even that is beyond me I feel helpless, hopeless. Does anyone else have the same problem?
Hi Hilary – sorry I didn’t see this before. You are very much not alone! I’ve actually been cruising around that space for a while myself recently! It is extremely common. I find it helpful to think of creativity as cyclical, like nature, or waves. Sometimes we are in the winter or ‘pulling back’ phase, which most of us find pretty uncomfortable, preferring the more dynamic, exciting ‘summer’ phase where we’re endlessly inspired and in a state of momentum! I think we can’t discount not just personal situations and their effect on us, but global ones too. The pandemic has had its effects in many ways, and creative fatigue or blocks has definitely been one of them. I’d do what you can to be kind to yourself about it, keep getting in the studio as you’re already doing, look for inspiration, get into nature as much as you can, and maybe take a look at this post: https://taraleaver.com/2014/05/art-tips-for-procrastinators/ And maybe this one too: https://taraleaver.com/2019/09/how-to-stop-procrastinating-and-make-your-art/
Thank you for this. Just what I needed.
Always happy to hear when a post is useful! {And loved yours about converting your garage into a studio!}
So very helpful and WISE! I wonder if you could present your wisdom as a TED talk. SO many of us need to hear what you have to offer, Tara.
Thank you so much Jean! Don’t see that ever happening 😉 but appreciate the thought!
Thank you for this article. I’m a painter and I just discovered your website today through Pinterest. I love your positive attitude about creating art.
So glad you enjoyed your visit Claire! Welcome any time. 🙂
You do not learn how to paint. You teach yourself how to paint. Everything that distracts from the urge to stay committed to exploring possibilities slows down the gift of discovery and completion. What you end up with isn’t as important as what you gain in Soul Sauce from doing it????✌????????????????????????⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️❤️‼️
A MASSIVE THANK YOU Tara for this article. For me many of/all of the points hit the nail on the head. The main one’s I needed to focus on was creating the space and having my supplies (or at least a small amount of them) readily available. I’ve just moved and don’t have studio space or anything like that and I’m a renter so can’t change spaces as such such.
So, thanks to your advice, I have made kits in small plastic containers that I’ve put in my coffee table drawers. I’m undecided on a specific type of art/creative style so have drawing/painting things in one, embroidery in another, collage stuff in another etc. and am finally coming out of a long slump, if you can call half my life at least a “slump”. I’m 56 and since the last time I got creative (21) I’ve gotten the urge a few times but had no motivation. I got out of a 2+ decades abusive marriage in 2002. Since then I’ve had 3 accidents that have effected me such that I now have to live on a disability pension so very short on $ and my mental health is not great. In fact, I’ll admit it here, I have anxiety, depression and (recently diagnosed) CPTSD starting with childhood traumas.
I’ve ALWAYS LOVED ART and have, inside my mind, though that I had the, creativity. I’ve thought of it as a kind of escapism from the not so nice world’s I’ve lived in. However, not since childhood have I had any tools to work with. Funnily enough, once I became a single mum (of 4) I somehow found the $ to buy my creative daughters the supplies they needed. Now, since reading this article, I’ve decided to “borrow” some of those supplies and create my kits. I’ve signed up for your emails and I hope this is the start, albeit on a very small scale, of some fun “me and art” discovery time.
I know this comment is very long but I felt I wanted to tell you, briefly ????, a small part of my story so you will, hopefully, understand the depth of my gratitude for your sharing of your wisdom. So, as I said at the top of this comment, a VERY HEARTFELT THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WISDOM. Many Blessings to you and your’s, Tara ???? ❤
So glad you found support and encouragement here Angela! Always love to hear when people get {take!} their art back. 🙂
Hi Angela! Just have to share a similar story…I was divorced and recovering from cancer when I was your age, and having been depressed like you, going through some bad times, decided to explore the arts. It really helped me realize my potential and got me through some emotionally rough times. I signed up for ceramics classes and ended up making and selling my work for a few years through art shops. Then I pursued watercolors and even writing short stories for kids. I had some great ideas for starting some art-related businesses but got sidetracked with a new marriage…I wish I had stuck to my plans but I can’t say I made a bad choice of second husband. Now, at age 72, I’m still enjoying being creative with whatever inspires me. So, stick with your art, no matter how small your space is…it will help you realize how special you are and how much you have to give!!
Hi Tara, thanks for another sweet blog post!
I have a question: What do you mean by “Invest in some effective blinkers”. I don’t quite understand that sentence and the paragraph that follows doesn’t seem to be clarifying its meaning. Could you elaborate?
I was referring {metaphorically} to blinkers like those you see on horses when they’re in parades – a way to shut out unnecessary distraction that might throw you off or upset you! 🙂
A whole hearted thank you! It’s good to hear from from others that have been down these same paths. Much love and appreciation!
So glad it spoke to you Lisa!
What a delight this article is ! I will use all the ideas offered and be tuned into more… Thank you so much
Thank you so much Nancy! Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m working the steps every day
Thank you Tara . I’ve written notes in my journal to remind me. It all rings so true to me. I’m 57 and still finding my way in my art practice after studying art when I was young. I have been feeling disappointed in myself for not focusing properly on my creative practice as I know it is an integral part of who I am. Your wisdom has really reassured me to keep going and not worry too much . I recognise the truth in what you say from my own experience. Your work reminds me of swimming and happy childhood summers spent at the beach. Wonderful and inspiring.
I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful Claire! And thank you for the kind words about my work!
I really appreciate you putting together this post. I know you wrote it a while ago, but; I just found you! It speaks to many feelings I’ve had about myself and my art. I remember being on the verge of tears when I was throwing out dried up paints that I spent a fortune on and thinking of all the wasted time I spent not doing my art. Thanks for lifting me up!
Hi Matt, thanks so much for stopping by and I’m so glad it was helpful to you!
Hi Tara, I saw your blurb on pinentrest. I am a 70 yr woman, that is disabled. I used to do a with acrylics and watercolors. But my hands are’nt as steady as I would like them. I have so many ideas but I am having trouble getting it down on canvas. I have room, I have supplies, I have time, but I just can’t seem to get started. Any ideas? Love your website by the way
JJ n Texas
Hi JJ, thanks for the kind words! I totally get that sometimes just starting can feel like the hardest part! For me, getting past that sticky point often involves spending some time thinking about and developing an idea that I find exciting and want to explore in paint, and maybe looking at some other artists for inspiration {IF I’m not going to end up in a comparison spiral!}. I know lots of artists find a more structured approach helpful too, like having set times or days for painting, or deciding ahead of time to go in and do a certain amount of time. I find that just going into the studio and doing a bit of tidying and moving things around can be enough to get me started. I’ll tell myself I’ll just do 15 minutes and go from there! Often I end up staying much longer. Also making the environment conducive with inspiration and notes to myself on the walls, and music or podcasts to listen to. Hope that helps!
Hi Tara, I took up art(contemporary and abstract) two years ago during Covid, (not having done anything since I left school 50 years ago!! And now have a small studio in the garden! I came across your Pinterest article ‘16 Ways to make Painting more Abstract’ and find you so inspiring. This list ‘How to be a Happy Artist” is so encouraging and will spur me on! Thank you so much!
I loved reading your comment Kath, thank you for taking the time! How wonderful to have brought art back into your life with a garden studio, and I’m so glad you found the blog posts helpful. 😊
I was “trying” to paint a portrait of my dog and at first it was coming together and then it went awry. It frustrates me so much that I painted over it. I felt defeated and even weepy over it. Those feelings of “I’m not a very good artist” started over taking me so I put it all away and started painting my house. I’m loving how it’s coming out and the colors chosen.
My next plan is to just observe nature, notice colors, shades, lights etc to get my juices flowing again.
Ah I know that frustration well Kris! Love that you let it go and took it in a new direction and found something you’re loving now! 🙌