As you may know, the latest Whitney Biennial has just opened in New York, greeted with the usual mixture of critical acclaim and complaint. If you’re not able to see the show in person, take a look online. The theme is topical, as the title suggests. “Even Better Than the Real Thing” explores the question of what is real in the age of artificial intelligence and the fluidity of identity.

What caught my eye this time was not so much the show itself, but the background of the artists. Hyperallergic, the Brooklyn-based online journal, has compiled new statistics that confirm the geographical bias of this prestigious exhibition. Over forty percent of the artists are based in New York or Los Angeles, and all but 10 (out of 71) live in coastal states. 

What does this mean? Is the best art being made only on the two coasts? Absolutely not. Remarkable art is created everywhere, as you can see in regional museums and galleries and artist studios across the country. The geographical focus of the Whitney Biennial just reminds us that webs of connection in major cities create networks that launch artists.

Yet when we dig deeper into the backgrounds of these artists we find that they grew their careers in smaller venues across the country. Nobody begins with a solo show at MOMA. For example, Takako Yamaguchi’s first exhibitions were at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, the Museum of Art in San Jose, and the Nevada Museum in Reno, a long path that led her to be selected for the Whitney Biennial. 

This one example, among many, illustrates the point:  America grows its artists. The country provides multiple venues where any artist can begin the process of launching a career. What’s your next step?

Most of us realize that the art world has gone digital. It began during the pandemic and the trend has grown. This is not entirely a bad thing, as new online options for selling art can be a real benefit to artists who don’t have access to galleries. Online sales to collectors have also increased, with buyers “visiting” art fairs digitally and purchasing art directly from the galleries showing there. These sales figures are surprisingly high.

Yet I’m seeing the downside of this trend everywhere. The digital world has replaced the human in most of our everyday lives. Your car runs by computer, and gives you (sometimes welcome) advice about your driving. When you need to solve a problem, a “virtual assistant” replaces the human voice you were expecting. Most of these changes have an upside, and we all adapt as best we can. 

For artists, the impact of the digital experience is not well understood. Many artists find themselves overwhelmed by the technical demands of an art career, and end up feeling alienated from the fundamental process of making art. The two experiences are nearly opposite.  Art making is messy, experimental, rough,  unpredictable, just like real life.  The  digital demands of an art career require a logical, linear, step-by-step approach. Just think about what it takes to enter your work on Café or EntryThingy, and you’ll understand the difference. 

You need to push back against the digital trend. I believe it is possible, and necessary, to bring your creative self back into your art career. Thinker bigger, experiment, try new venues, talk to people, get off those screens and get out into the real world. 

I’m still thinking about the myths that get in the way when you’re trying to shape your career as an artist. Perhaps the biggest fiction is that you cannot combine a successful career with an authentic creative life.

This illusion is alive and well on social media. People create ideal versions of themselves in order to seem more successful, more confident, more one-dimensional than they are. These avatars make the rest of us feel inadequate, as we live through our ordinary ups and downs, our doubts and fears. Many artists believe they have to be constantly upbeat in order to attract interest, despite the fact that their art grows out of their raw and messy, genuine selves.

This illusion of the ideal self leads to another fiction. Artists believe that there is a secret “right way” to succeed, and in order to find it you have to apply for every opportunity you hear about, whether or not it’s right for you. This syndrome, sometimes known as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), is emotionally exhausting, since you set yourself up for rejection and discouragement. Don’t chase random opportunities. Most of them are not worth your time and effort.

It makes more sense to figure out your goals for the next year or so, and create a strategy to reach them. The best paths to follow grow organically out of your art,  your values, and where you are in your career. Do experiment and try new things, but choose those that fit your goals. 

When you let go of illusions you discover a more complex and vital reality, where you will thrive. You don’t have to let go of your real self in order to  succeed.

​​​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

The image you see here is from a remarkable exhibition I recently saw at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, called “Smoke & Mirrors: Magical Thinking in Contemporary Art.”  While the exhibition’s focus was on stage magic and hoaxes perpetrated for financial or political gain, it made me think of the mix of illusion and reality in artists’ careers.

One of the most seductive illusions is that the art world is a meritocracy, with only the best artists achieving recognition and reward. This belief makes artists doubt the value of their work, when what they actually need to improve is the quality of their relationships with people who can help them advance.

Another illusion is that the art world is totally random in its functioning, that artists get discovered through sheer luck. We know that art careers don’t happen in a linear way, yet success isn’t random or accidental. It begins with a clear understanding of where you are on your path.  

For example, an emerging artist’s job is to become visible in a variety of venues, gaining experience and exposure. A mid-career artist uses that visibility to build a network of relationships, since opportunities come from people who know you and like your work. An established artist might focus on moving from local gallery representation to finding a gallery with a national reach.  

Yet your own values are the bedrock of your reality. Think about your life as a whole, and try to create the life you want to lead. While letting go of illusions will bring you clarity, a full creative life can bring joy and satisfaction. 

There’s real magic in that.

​​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

The coming of January 2024 makes me think about New Year’s Resolutions. They hold the promise that we can shape our lives by declaring our intentions, and then writing them down. Whether this is true and useful, or just a happy fiction, it’s worth knowing how to make an effective resolution.

First, I believe the best resolutions are long-term and big picture, focused on how you want to develop  your life and art practice. Effective resolutions shape your behavior. While many think that goals should be focused on specific outcomes, it seems to me that the complexity and chaos of the art world make such planning a lesson in frustration. But when we think on a larger scale, the resulting actions can shape our future. 

A good resolution guides your thoughts and actions, helping you develop new habits. One of my favorites for creative people is: “become more visible.” This vow might lead you to attend an art exhibition in a nearby city, or to join a critique group, or become a member of a local nonprofit arts organization. Such a resolution makes you ask yourself, everyday, “how can I become more visible as an artist?”

When resolutions are focused on process (rather than results), they open up new ways of approaching your life and work. One of the best, for creatives and the rest of us, is “discover new sources of inspiration.” Such a resolution puts you in motion. You explore the world around you with an open, positive mindset.

My own New Year’s Resolution, both as a coach and friend, is simple: “talk less,  listen longer.” 

What about you?

​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​

Many of us get stuck when we’re launching our most important projects. Since your best work is often grounded in personal passion, you can feel vulnerable and confused about how to move forward. What if you can’t get it right? How will you  know when it’s finished? When is it time to get feedback? 

It’s important to understand what ideas need in order to grow. You don’t want to expose your work to feedback and criticism too soon, when the work isn’t quite ready. But what conditions can you set up in order to nurture this work so that it becomes stronger? 

Gardeners struggle with this question all the time. To grow seedlings, they often use a heating mat and fluorescent lights to protect and nurture these young plants. This happens with tiny humans as well, as incubators provide premature infants with a safe space to live as they develop. 
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Your own early ideas also need light and warmth, time and attention, and a safe place to grow.  Trust yourself to provide a kind of incubator that prevents the harsh eyes of the world from commenting until the work is strong enough to stand on its own. 

Most important, protect your work from your own doubts. Silence the voices in your head that can suppress an idea before it has had time to germinate. Remember your successes, all the times you have prevailed in difficult circumstances. Your belief in yourself is the light and warmth new work deserves. 

When the time is right, do reach out for feedback from people you trust. Ideally choose supporters who can be objective, who can listen as you share your best intentions. Good feedback helps your work grow, but only when you are ready. 

Happy Holidays! 

​​​​Mary Edwards, Ph.D
Career & Life Coach for Artists
“Left Brain Skills for Right Brained People”
Instagram: coachingforartists.maryedwards ​