An Authentic Art Career

I recently taught a workshop for artists about how art careers happen now. We started by discussing whether the following statements were true or false: 

• You need to have an MFA to be successful as an artist
• You have to be famous to get a solo museum show
• Art careers progress in a linear, orderly way

If you’ve been following my work you may know that these ideas are myths that hold artists back. Many successful artists never went to art school; regional museums often feature the work of emerging local artists; and successful careers follow a meandering path rather than a straight one. The next statements (all true) suggest a more open approach:

• Art careers are built on relationships with others
• Moments of insight shape an artist’s career
• Art careers are organic—they grow as you grow

When you realize that your art practice is the foundation of an authentic career, doors begin to open. You spend more time developing relationships with people who are on your level. You recognize that moments of insight are just as valuable as good research, since left and right brain ways of knowing go hand-in-hand. You stop striving and let your work develop naturally. Your career grows as you do.

This approach offers a more accurate description of how an authentic career unfolds. If you are stuck in the assumption that the whole idea of having a career is antithetical to your real work, you may create a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

So think about it. What myths are holding you back? What truths will help you shape an authentic art career?