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>>> notes and little doodles that I shove in my drawer for later. (Those ideas usually come from dreams, or just pop up at random while I'm doing something else) But before I go through any of those, I'd like to paint and draw all my friends with their interesting selfies.
How important is formal education in developing skills?
This is all just opinion based on my own experiences, but If you want to improve your painting or drawing skills, practice, YouTube and a little bit of self-discipline is going to help you out a lot more than going to university would -And for a much smaller fee. I don't know much about graphic design, but as far my own experience with fine arts goes; two years at university destroyed my confidence, instilled self-doubt and didn't teach me any new technical skills.
What are the challenges to being an artist? We know making money through art hell of a difficult but what else impacts turning art into a career?
I find mindset to be my biggest obstacle. As an artist you have to be your own promoter, secretary and manager. Taking something that I've been doing for fun my entire life, and adjusting my brain to treat it as a job requires a lot of discipline. In an ideal world I would spend 8 hours a day working on art like I would working at any other job, but, in order to create the best quality work, I have to be in the right mood and the right kind of environment. I haven't been able to find an "good mood on" switch as of yet. Then there's the guaranteed income factor. You may have made a four figure income this week, but, you don't know for certain if you're going to be making anything for the next two to three months. Social media is fantastic in the way that it let's you advertise and share for free, so getting your stuff out there isn't too much of a challenge. But, even if you have a few thousand followers, it still gives you no guarantee that you're going to be making money this month. If you end up getting a regular job, the challenge lies in finding a job that gives you enough time to work on your art... And finding a job that doesn't leave you too drained and miserable to even think about creating art.
What advice do you have for something starting out?
I'm just starting out myself, but practice, practice, practice. And don't stop. You can never have too much technical skill. There's nothing wrong with trying out new styles and techniques, but, its a lot easier to get recognised if you find a style you're comfortable with and stick to it. Books and the internet are your friends. Find out how your favourite artists started out and if they have online tutorials. Observe. Be aware of everything. Question everything. Don't just see something pretty or hear a cool song. Experience it.
Finally, what does the future hold? What are you planning in your life as an artist?
Well, in the past year or so, I've met some rather talented artist, musicians and film makers who are always keen to collaborate... I feel like Its time to expand, time to experiment, and time to get some sun. I'm bored with doing small artworks indoors. Keep an eye on the page!