artist checklist for success

An artist asked on the SuperRare Telegram channel how to become a more successful artist in the digital art world and NFT (non fungible token) marketplace. Although I've only been creating artwork inspired by cryptocurrency since early 2018 and have been involved in this particular digital space for a very, very short while (see my previous blog post about my first NFT, EthGirl) I felt I could contribute to the conversation considering my art career began almost 20 years ago. 

I started listing all the things I've learned over the years and that I've focussed on to help me to eventually become a full time artist in 2014. I think many of the lessons I've learned about how to 'make it' in the traditional art world through reading and researching, trial and error and out right stubbornness are transferable to the NFT art world. It's not an exhaustive list and I'll probably edit and add to it at various points in the future. Of course, there are always exceptions to every rule. Have a look over it, take what you like, ignore the rest and feel free to leave any comments or some of your own suggestions below.

How to become a successful, full time working artist
​- in no particular order

1. Master your art form.
2. Continue to study & learn. 
3. Push your artistic limits and always be open to new ideas.
4. If you're currently a self taught artist enroll in evening art classes or weekend workshops. See tip #51
5. Focus your work on a theme that should last at least a year minimum and preferably a lot longer. 
6. Continuity is important as otherwise you’ll likely confuse or even put off potential buyers/patrons.
7. Develop your own style that is recognisable throughout your work.
8. Create an exciting and relevant USP.
9. Watch the HBO documentary ‘The Price of Everything’.
10. Build an awesome website.
11. Find other artist websites that you like and learn from them.
12. Only put your absolute best work on your website. Less is more.
13. Quality over quantity.
14. Scarcity is key. There are always exceptions but if you choose 'mass production' over exhibiting only your absolute best work then you'll need to be able to explain why this creative process is relevant to you and your work. 
15. Don’t try to write about your artwork in an art historical context if you’re not an art history major. You’ll eventually get caught out.
16. Don’t EVER make up an ‘ism to describe your art. Leave that to the art critics and historians after you become famous.
17. Write about your creative processes and your inspirations.
18. Drink wine.
19. Study other successful artists of various disciplines.
20. Study other successful people in general.
21. Define what success means to you. If being a full time artist isn’t the long term goal, then still write down what your goals are and aim for them.
22. Take constructive criticism with grace but ignore that which isn’t relevant to you.
23. Don’t take artistic advice from your friends or family if they aren’t artists
24. Be aware that just because your latest artwork you put on social media attracted a lot of likes doesn’t means that it’s actually any good.
25. Organise a solo or group physical art exhibition as you’ll learn important lessons, organisational skills, marketing, etc that will be transferable to the digital NFT world.
26. Work with honesty and integrity.
27. Always give credit where credit is due.
28. Dedicate your free time to artistic pursuits.
    1. visit galleries
    2. read artist biographies
    3. study the history of art
29. Study the great masters.
30. Find a mentor but remember it's not a one way street, mentoring can be time consuming, so what can you offer in return as the 'apprentice'? 
31. Treat your art like a business.
32. Make intelligent and strategic decisions.
33. Be efficient with your time. Make lists and tick at least a couple things off every day.
34. Spend less time on social media and more time developing ideas and skills.
35. Set achievable goals: daily, monthly, annually and so on.
36. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t achieve every goal. Re-evaluate and continue.
37. Remember that almost every successful artist has built their career on mostly one step forward and two steps back days.
38. Use rejection to drive you to work harder. There will be a lot so don’t give up!
39. Don't blame others when you fail. Life can be cruel. We all have privileges AND disadvantages (Some people have more privilege but it is what it is) and at the end of the day, the buck stops with you. 
40. When your recent NFT launch isn't as successful as you had hoped try to be as objective as possible as to what really happened. Write down all the things that you could have improved as well as the things that could have affected the sale that were out of your control. Re-evaluate, try not to be overly distraught but do your best to learn from the experience. Have a glass of wine or two, reread these tips, and get back to the studio tomorrow.   
41. Be aware that it will likely take decades rather than a few years to achieve any kind of real success.
42. As you become more successful be prepared to take the occasional shot from those who aren’t as enthusiastic about your success as you are.
43. Build your brand.
44. Research marketing skills and apply them even if you hate this part.
45. Generate publicity whenever possible.
46. Network whenever you can.
47. Build a crypto media email contact list.
48. Make friends with crypto journalists.
49. Learn how to write a good press release.
50. Organise an exhibition or giveaway for charity.
51. Invest as much time and money as possible into your art practice.
52. Show your work at crypto conferences. 
53. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
54. Be nice to people but a little bit of controversy can go a long way.
55. Support other hardworking, honest artists regardless of how successful you become.
56. Prepare yourself for years of hard work and long days.
57. Prepare yourself for huge sacrifice and single mindedness.
58. Ideally you will have a very supportive, understanding partner as being an artist is, in general, a selfish career path.
59. No one ever became great at anything by practicing a day or two a week. If you want to be the absolute best artist that you can be, at some point you’ll need to take that leap of faith and go full time.
60. Drink wine often
61. Don’t ever give away artwork for free if the person asking for it subtlety tries to guilt trip you or only promises you ‘significant exposure’ in return.