Where to Begin an Art Career

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6U4A5162In previous posts I argue the importance for artists to develop their career based on their values and not based on comparisons with other artists and quantitative measures. The values that define you as a person will define you as an artist. You can’t separate those two. That is a start. If you know who you are and what is important to you, then your work and your choices will show it too.

The business of art is full of alternatives and suggestions to consider and choose from. There are so many books and articles on the subject that is overwhelming to consolidate into one cohesive strategy. Even more so when you have two books offering you two completely opposite suggestions and both are the most effective way of doing it. That is choosing only two books randomly. If you add a third book you would have three completely different options of the most effective way of doing it. Getting confused is very easy when so many voices are dictating us what to do and how to do it.

I began my art career four years ago. I like to use the date of my first exhibit as the starting date: September 2010. Everything began moving very fast after that but it began by showing the artwork. The last thing in my mind was to sell the work. Showing it comes first. Sales would come in due time when you show the work. I’m no expert. I keep trying to figure things out and trying new ways to get the artwork in front of people’s eyes. When the artwork is out, the name is out.

The artist and his artMany new and aspiring artists ask where to begin an art career. To answer the question I have to wear my instructional designer’s hat. I can’t offer you an informed suggestion without performing an analysis. It bothers me when someone offers a solution to a problem without knowing the situation, the context, the art, or the artist. Every context is different and every artist is different. What works in one town might not work in the next. Art is subjective. There would be people who love what you do and there would be people who hate it. It is part of the nature of art.

The strategies to begin and run an art career are subjective to the artist and context. To add to the box I suggest showing your work. When? Where? How? Opportunities answer the questions. Opportunities only come when you look for them. Start searching for local shows, local competitions, libraries, events, galleries in your town, or prepare your own show. If you want it you will seek for it.

Who Decides Your Success?

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contactIt seems like everyone in the art world knows if you are successful or not in. Interestingly, there is no specific measure of success. Everyone measures success by comparing someone with someone else. Artists are trying to compare themselves with other artists to determine if they are successful or not. People who claim they can help you be successful are comparing one artist with another, or with some quantitative formula they invented for their own entertainment. There are so many books about how to succeed in the art world seems like we will never read a fraction of them. Measuring success in the art world sounds like people trying to figure out how much of a sinner they are by comparing with the sins of others.

Who Decides Your Success? There is no one-size-fits-all measure of success for an artist. You have to determine your success by setting your own goals. Setting goals is important, but be careful to stress yourself about those goals forgetting your love for the art itself. When setting goals be realistic. Set up short-term goals and make sure these goals are achievable. Most importantly, do not measure yourself with others. Be your own measure of success with your own qualification and quantification. Measuring success by how many pieces you sold, or how much money you made, is important. I get it! But our lives are so much more than numbers.

studio timeI didn’t want to get involve in the ‘business’ side of art because I didn’t want to stop loving what I do. While I’m definitely prefer to be sculpting all day everyday, I realized that the business side of art is very important, because it allows me to continue creating. I love to network and meet new people, and I also love to teach. As my wife says, “If you were making art alone, you wouldn’t have the chance to meet so many people, you wouldn’t be making all these connections, and you wouldn’t be teaching”. I can do all the other things without neglecting my studio time.

The business aspect of art doesn’t have to be separate from making art. It shouldn’t consume your love for art or the time you need to be creative. Moreover, no one else should determine your success but you. Decide for yourself what success is and work for it. Don’t compare yourself with others and what they are doing. Yes, it is good to listen, read, and learn from others. That’s how we grow. Seek help if you need to. Surrounding yourself with the right kind of people is going to make your life better, but don’t let others decide what success is. People would never be satisfied and if you let them decide for you, you would never be either.

The Past and the Future

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IMG_4117I began playing with vines, leaves, and the figure resting within in a new relief. In the process I remembered this old sketch. I didn’t date it but I believe it is about 12-15 years old. It seems like that image was in my subconscious waiting the right time to reveal itself.

IMG_3861The new collection is building on those elements. This new piece not yet casted or named is among the first pieces to integrate the elements of the sketch. The past and the future come together. It is interesting to see how it develops. It is my hope to have a new white marble collection ready for show in the fall of 2015.

Meanwhile as I work on new pieces it is always fun and refreshing to look back at those old sketchbooks. They are a treasure chest of ideas in expectation. Even those doodles we often think are useless could become a piece of art someday. No idea is lost. We just have to look at the past with new eyes and focus on the future.

Art, Photography, and Poetry

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Come close your eyes and dream

Be blown into my arms

I’ll carry you to a new place

Where the music plays a new song

Where reality is gone

All is one and we are each in motion

One with another

Here night is day and day is night

In this place of Reverie

Bradly Williams, author of Love Redefined and Charity, made my sculptures speak, along with the beautiful photography of Judie Shephard in the book The Art of Ivan Tirado. This poem takes us into a journey. It makes us stop from the busyness of everyday life to feel the wind and fly to freedom.

This collaboration is an example of how art, in its multiple forms, speaks to people. I am very passionate with my art. I enjoy getting lost in the creation process. It is no different for my friend Bradly an his writing. His new book “CHARITY, What’s in a name?” is a suspense filled story of a man and the unexpected introduction of a young girl into his life. His previous book “Love Redefined” challenges current social views of love to transform our relationships.

Nevertheless, Judie shows the same passion in her photography. You can enjoy those beautiful pictures in this website because Judie’s vision. Each angle is poetry. She makes my work look really good, and don’t get me started on the portraits. She also takes care of most of the technical aspects of the website and she is available to take care of your website too.

Whatever the art form, whenever you are confronted with it, let art speak. You won’t regret it.

The Discipline in The Discipline

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Discipline is an interesting word. It describes a specialization within a field of practice. Think of physicians. Each of them specializes in specific conditions and treatments. Yes, they have to go through understanding pathophysiology or how diseases affect the natural functions of the human body. However, specializations allow them to understand specific functions related to specific parts of the body.

10655198_790658907639472_3321177383650736048_oDiscipline also describes training, activity, or exercise to develop and improve a skill. Think about martial artists, soldiers, and athletes. Think about all the time they spend, not fighting, not in war, or competing, but training hard to become better and master their abilities. It is sacrificial and hard work. Despite of the time and skills that took them there, they need to continue working to maintain what they know and can do. They also add to their knowledge as they exercise.

Then you have the discipline in the discipline. In every field of practice and every specialization within a field people have to continue working, practicing, sacrificing time, exercising, studying, and giving their all to maintain and improve the skills and abilities. When they thought they reached their degree or maximum capacity of their skills it is just the beginning. There is always something new to learn, there is always something that could be improved.

Photo Nov 28, 2 13 40 PMArt is no different. There are artists. There are artists who specialize in specific areas of expression. Yes, we learn what we can in a generalize way, and we may master a few disciplines within the arts, but we can’t forget that the discipline in the discipline makes us better in our specialization. This discipline entails from revisiting basic skills to complicated techniques. Although, “complicated” techniques is just the sum of basic skills put together (but that is a subject that could be explored in the near future).

As aforementioned, discipline requires to practice certain activities. How does this look like for an artist? What exercises help artists get better at what they do? I would like to mention a few from my personal experience. Feel free to share some of your own. These are in no specific order and they don’t happen altogether in one day.

  • Prayer, meditation, and Bible reading
  • Reading books and watching documentaries: art, history, archeology, anthropology, and psychology
  • Studio time (A lot can happen there. Read also Studio Time: Work on Something or Nothing)
  • Drawing and doodling (just for the fun of it)
  • Talking about art and ideas for future work
  • Listening to people: sometimes their stories inspire me (read also Inspired by Life)
  • Revisiting previous work. This helps me see where I need to practice more.
  • Teaching. By teaching others basic skills I remember to approach art with fresh eyes
  • Studying the figure: yoga, dancers, acrobats…
  • Disconnecting from art: It might sound awkward but sometimes I have to disconnect to reconnect.

I could go on and on, but it would be great to hear about your practices.