I Fail At Life, That's Why I Became An Artist.

Oof. This is a hard one to answer. There are so many things. Here are some of the harsher things to look out for. If you’re really into it, I suspect that none of this will hold you back. 

I guess the first and most important thing is to know that a career in art takes an incredible amount of time and dedication and while it’s nice to be working in your field of choice, you’re not always going to want to draw what you’re being asked to draw. In the end, it’s still a job. 

It’s a highly competitive field and the most important thing you can do is to make sure people know who you are. There will always be artists who are as good as or better than you but you’ll have a better chance of getting work if people can actually find your work. 

For those who are really interested in pursuing a career in art, school is pretty important. Getting torn down and learning the basics from the ground up is grueling but worth it if you can soldier through. It’s also the place where you’ll be meeting all of those other artist who you’ll form a network with. Now it’s time for the downside- art school is really expensive and artists don’t make that much money. In the end though, it’s how much you put into it. Without discipline and practice a degree promises nothing. 

I can keep going, but here’s a little checklist. I stopped writing this reply partway through to ask a bunch of my artist friends what they thought.

1. Always be improving your art. You’re never done.

2. Promote yourself. 

3. Don’t close yourself off from criticism. 

4. NETWORKING! NETWORKING! NETWORKING! 

5. Never undervalue your work.