The Best Art Career Advice I’ve Heard This Year | Making it as an Artist - Episode #10
A Peaceful & Productive Week in My Life as an Artist
There’s a lot more to being a full-time artist than painting.
This week’s artist diary is a fairly realistic look at what running my art business actually looks like — a mixture of creative work, admin, packing orders, meeting people and, occasionally, remembering to stop and reset.
Behind the scenes of my art business
I started the week with a much-needed studio reset and some of the less glamorous jobs that come with working for yourself. There’s always an email to answer, an order to pack or something that needs organising before I can properly settle at the easel.
I also spent time working on my latest commission — a large nocturnal painting inspired by Japan. It’s been a brilliant piece to work on, particularly as I build up the layers of light, colour and atmosphere.
Later in the week, I’m packing print orders, working on new pieces and taking you along for a networking day in Knutsford. These are the parts of an art career that don’t necessarily make it into the finished paintings, but increasingly I’ve realised just how important they are.
Comparison is the thief of joy
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about comparison — particularly how easy it is as an artist to look at someone further along in their career and feel as though you should be there already.
Social media makes it incredibly easy to compare your beginning with somebody else’s middle.
I talked more about this in my previous artist diary, but it’s something I’m consciously trying to step away from. There will always be someone selling more work, getting bigger opportunities or growing faster. None of that changes what you’re building yourself.
The one thing that could improve your art career
Towards the end of the vlog, I share a piece of advice from Delphian Gallery that really stayed with me.
In this episode:
Studio reset, admin and commission work
Thoughts on comparison as an artist
A networking day in Knutsford
Progress on my Japan commission
New prints and packing orders
Starting a new painting
A slower weekend reset
The art-career advice that really stuck with me
If you’d like to follow along with more of the journey, you can find me on Instagram @amandamulquineyart, or explore my latest original paintings and prints here on my website.