6 Common Excuses Holding Artists Back from Success

The journey of an artist is as much a mental challenge as it is a creative one. For many, the struggle to achieve success is often entangled with a web of excuses, frustration, and misconceptions that hold them back from realizing their full potential. In this article, we’ll explore the common mental roadblocks that hinder artistic success and uncover practical strategies to overcome them.

Having advised hundreds of artists over the years and having chatted with many more by mail or here in the comment section on YouTube, I noticed what perhaps could be the number one thing that is holding artists back. Success in the art world is not reserved for the most talented, most wealthy, or the most well-connected; it is often achieved by those who cultivate the right mindset and have the right information.

All too often, artists get lost in this negative spiral of excuses to justify their lack of success: they are too old, they are too young, they are based in a small city, their rent is too high in a big city, their city does not have a large art scene, their city’s art scene is too competitive and more. In short, they feel frustrated and cling to excuses, often based on misconceptions, to justify their frustration. But despite the hurdles you’re facing, this spiral of frustration is not a solution; in fact, it is a death warrant for your dream to become a successful artist.

It’s time to let go of the excuses, dismantle the myths, and embrace a mindset for success, resilience, and fulfillment.

“You Can Not Succeed Without an Art Degree”

This is, of course, false. One in five of the top 100 artists today has no art degree, and I personally know as many full-time artists without a formal art education as those who do. You can educate yourself, and if a collector or gallery loves your work, they will not care about that piece of paper. Some do, but many don’t. Very often, artists without an art education are less likely to become successful because they do not have the same frame of reference, artistic guidance, or first connections that people at art school can acquire.

However, we have control over these things. You can read the exact same books as they did in art school to have the same frame of reference, you can learn from established masters for artistic guidance, and you are completely in charge of making your own connections, which is the next misconception I would like to discuss. But before I do, if you are interested in more information about becoming a successful self-taught artist, make sure to read our article dedicated to this topic.

“It’s Not What You Know; It’s Who You Know”

This is perhaps one of the most popular excuses to blame the art world for your lack of success, that is, an elite circle of wealthy people and gatekeepers, and success is not based on the art but simply on who you know. First things first, yes, your network as an artist is incredibly important. But for the record, you are in charge of who you know. Most successful artists today did not know anyone when they started, and they have put themselves out there, and it worked, and it could work for you too.

But, if you decide to stay in your studio and not participate in the art world, how could you enter it? The first step always needs to come from you. You need to have the mindset that nobody is waiting for you because that is the truth. So, if you do not take initiative, nothing will happen. Do not expect or blame the art world for not being interested in you because you are clearly not invested in the art world and art beyond your own practice. Either accept this and find success in your personal journey, or make this shift in your mindset if you want to have a career as an artist. Do not make the typical excuses that you want your mind to be free of influences to be as creative as possible and are therefore not learning about art, because you are only kidding yourself and from my experience, ironically, most often, people with this approach end up making the same type of unoriginal art we see over and over again, but they are not aware of it, because they never looked further than their own studio walls. You might not enjoy all aspects of being an artist, but that is the case with almost any passion or career. Pay your dues. In the end, it is a matter of how much you want it.

Even more, not only are you in charge of who you know, but it is also about what you know, regardless of how many frustrated artists say it is not—so do not get sucked into that paralyzing negativity. It is also about what you know and what you create. I have said this numerous times: the most essential ingredient for a successful art career is the art itself. The subjective nature of art makes things a bit more complicated, of course, but some parameters are always present with successful art: it is distinctive and stands out from a tremendous amount of art; it is original and innovative; it has a story or is a conversation piece; and it engages with the canon. These four parameters for good ‘art world art’ deserve an article on its own. For today, I encourage you to understand these principles in the art world. Once more, this is only possible if you immerse yourself in the art world and consume a lot of high-end art with an open and curious mind. If you cannot identify with it, that is also valuable because one can shift their focus to a different audience in search of a different art career.

So art does matter, and it is not only about who you know. I have advised and reviewed the work and career of hundreds of artists with our personalized CAI Advisory Report Service, and in most cases, it is the art that is not entirely ready to stand its ground in a high-end environment, so take responsibility for your own art, question it, and do not think you know better than everybody else. It is arrogant and delusional. As soon as you resort to this misconception that art does not matter, you stop questioning yourself; therefore, you simply cannot improve. It paralyzes your progress and development completely. So, be critical of your own work instead of blaming others. Question yourself in a positive manner to push your work forward. Improve your knowledge and frame of reference when it comes to art to be able to judge your work adequately. Always be eager to improve and to learn.

“I Don’t Have Money To Invest in my Art Career”

Money can indeed be an issue. Art supplies are expensive, and we never know when we will receive our next paycheck as artists. For the record, always prioritize putting food on the table and a roof above your head. The most important thing to develop long-term success is having a good work-life-art balance, in which there is no financial sword of Damocles hovering above your head, you have some time to live and relax, and you have enough time to work on your art. But as with all forms of self-employment, you will need to invest in your career if you want it to succeed, period.

I remember a comment from an artist stating enough is enough when discussing a €3 per month subscription for art opportunities. Having a lucrative career as an artist is indeed hard, but let’s put this in perspective first. With a budget of roughly $3,000, you can set up a cost-efficient studio practice as a painter in your living room or if you have a spare room—a topic that perhaps also requires its own article. So, to break even, one would have to sell one up to five works, and we have all the time in the world to do so with a good work-life-art balance and, with you, will start to make a profit, slowly but surely. Now compare this with someone who wants to open a bakery. Their start-up cost to have that bakery and all the necessary equipment is between $10,000 and $50,000. To start an online clothing line, the start-up costs are between $6,000 and $18,000, and to start a retail store, between $65,000 and $130,000.

So despite the high prices for supplies and the difficulty of selling that first work when you are starting out, the costs and risk are limited, and with a good work-life-art balance, you can become an artist at your own pace and the pace of your art’s success and development. And even more, not only does one have to be creative in the studio, but one must also be creative in cost-efficiently running your studio practice. So do not despair and throw in the towel just yet, but organize your life and studio practice and strategically invest in your career to pursue long-term success. Invest in useful things when you can, such as a better studio, better materials, a new website, photographing your works professionally in a high-end environment, a text by an art critic, et cetera, and avoid ridiculous expenses such as participating in exhibitions with vanity art galleries, expensive art fairs attracting low-value clients, marketing materials that are not accepted in the art world, or online courses promising you mountains of gold.

“I Don’t Have Enough Time To Become an Artist”

Not a misconception at all, but it is an excuse that we can tackle. Finding time for your art can be tremendously difficult. We need to have this work-life-art balance in which we work approximately 40 to 50 hours per week, have a family to spend time with, a social life, and much more. Art can quickly be forgotten in all of this, and before you know it, the weeks are over, and you haven’t done anything for your art career. The solution is to create good habits for your art.

For example, twice per week, you spend three hours after dinner in the studio instead of watching TV to work on your art—preferably, we can add four more hours of studio time on the weekend. Every Wednesday and Friday, you spend half an hour on Instagram to network. Every first Sunday of the month, you browse for and apply for art opportunities. And twice per year, you make a little trip to the art scene or city where you are building your network to cultivate the contacts you have been connecting with weekly on Instagram in real life. These habits will give you 40 hours of studio time per month, you will build a network, and you will actively improve your resume to start exhibiting. Be consistent, be focused.

“I Cannot Succeed Where I Live”

We do not get to choose where we are born, and with articles and books stating that New York is the place to be for successful artists and moving is not an option due to financial or familial reasons, you might feel like it is not meant to be for you. However, the art world is bigger than New York City. The art world is globalized, and thanks to social media and the World Wide Web, we can interact and participate in that art world while living in a more remote area. So even though it is not ideal to live in a small hamlet far away from bustling art cities such as New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, or Berlin, please note that you have these opportunities at your disposal—something we discussed in our article 8 Reasons Why Artists Don’t Need To Move to a Big City.

Even more, from a socio-political perspective, the time has never been better regarding equality of opportunity. When analyzing ultra-contemporary artists—artists born after 1975—we see a great ratio in terms of male-female, people of color, or geopolitically speaking. Yes, people with wealthy parents who do not have to work, have an MFA, and have a big studio based in a big art city will have better chances than most of us. But do not get hung up on this. It is simply inevitable and does not help you in any way at all. There will also be people who have it better, and there will always be people who have it worse. It’s not fair because life is not fair. The bottom line is that today, everyone can succeed; for some, it will be easier, and for others, it will be harder. But you can.

“The Art World is Overwhelming & for Insiders Only”

It can indeed feel like that, but the art world is trying hard to be more welcoming. Galleries create top-notch exhibitions of the most renowned artists today, and they are all free to enter; they organize artist talks, lectures, and events to foster discussion and support the art community. Numerous institutions and government bodies invest in open calls for emerging artists, grants that fund artists and projects, residencies that provide artists with an ideal working environment, and awards to highlight and reward up-and-coming talent.

The real question is where to start. Where can you access this information? How can you learn to navigate the art world? Feel free to start here with CAI, as it is our mission to empower artists with industry-approved career advice and demystify the unwritten rules of the art world. For more information, feel free to consult our overview page Advice for Artists.

Last Updated on November 30, 2024