How does one remain motivated and focused as an artist?

Answer 1

that's an easy one but you may not like the answer.. suffer.

Answer 2

Dear Aspiring Artist:

Here is my advice. Think of it as a five-year plan:

Take whatever courses you find the most interesting.

Study closely the work of the Old Masters.

Stop making art that originates only from your own imagination.

Stay with one technique until you perfect it.

On any given day, always be in the middle of reading a book. When you finish one, start the next. Fiction, nonfiction, biographies, autobiographies, history, science, psychology, or how to build a kite. Anything but go easy on the comic books.

Buy and read the first 6 pages of newspaper every day and also the editorial commentaries. Skip the entertainment section. Su Doku is fine. Do the crossword puzzle.

Fill up a sketchbook every month with pen or pencil drawings of the world around you, not from your imagination.

Buy a book on figure drawing. It's the only art book you will ever need.

Until you can draw an accurate portrait of someone, you don’t know how to draw.

Stay away from the airbrush. You'll never master it, hardly anyone ever has.

Visit every museum in your city. Often, until you have seen everything in it. Every kind of museum. Not only the art museums but, of course, those as well.

Forget about contemporary art by living artists, at least for the next few years.

Stay away from most art galleries. Go to art auctions. That's where the real action is.

Learn to play chess.

Take a business course.

Talk to you mother or father at least once a week.

Stop going to the movies until you have rented and seen every film on this list. http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html

Do not watch television unless it’s the news or documentaries.

Do not use an Ipod.

No video games, either.

Learn a foreign language.

Learn to cook.

Spend 8 hours in a hospital emergency room.

Save up money so you can travel to a foreign country within the next five years.

Do not litter.

Avoid politically correct people.

Vote in every election or never dare to utter a political opinion. You are not entitled to one.

Buy a digital camera and take photos every day.
If you see nothing interesting to photograph, you will never be a good artist. Keep only one photo of every ten you take. Delete the rest. It will force you to learn how to edit the garbage from your life, to make choices, to recognize what has real value and what is superficial.

Visit an old age home.

Listen to classical music and jazz. If you are unable to appreciate it at least as much as contemporary music, you lack the sensitivity to develop into an artist of any real depth.

Go to the ballet. Classical or Modern, it doesn't matter. It will teach you to appreciate physical grace and the relationship between sound and movement.

Wake up every morning no later than 8 AM, regardless of what time you went to sleep.

Learn to play a musical instrument.

Learn to swim.

Keep your word.

Never explain your art. People who ask you to do so are idiots.

Never explain yourself. Better yet, never do anything that will, later, require you to explain yourself or to say you're sorry.

Always use spell check.

Stop aspiring and start doing.

This will keep you very busy but it can't be helped.
In my opinion, this is how you might, possibly, have a shot at becoming a good artist.

Answer 3

It's not so much focused but being motivated. That's kinda tough to do sometimes because of the daily grind.

Your reasons for doing art may change and that can make you not want to do anything. In that case you want to take a look at why you started doing art in the first place. Was it for fame and fortune, to express yourself, ot just because you enjoyed it. There's always something you can find to "fall back on" when you need a kick in the pants to get moving. You just have to find what will work for you.

As far as focus it kinda falls in line with motivation. If you're motivated, focus will be a non thought and happen on it's own.

Answer 4

To be an artist is to be motivated. However, many art forms (esp the performing arts) require a ton of hard work. Again, if you are an artist in any field, you WANT to be the best you can be, you want the skill to express yourself. Artists see the world differently, and feel the need to explain their visions. There will be uninspired times - sometimes for days or weeks - but once the mind clears, you're back on track.

Answer 5

I'm not an artist. I write, but if I had one wish it would be to be able to express my thoughts through visual art. I have the highest respect for artists or all types especially painters. I think that to remain motivated, you should portray what you love in your work. Create pieces that come from deep within you, feeling that you desperately need to express. That way your work is always soulfull and you not only what to do it but you need to.
Art is the most beautiful human faculty and one of the most important. As an artist knowing this and valuing your talent will help your focus. It should make you want to always improve yourself. Let this be your driving force

Answer 6

To be an artist is to often lack common sense and some responsibility. However, you make up for that by grabbing onto the thing that separates you from most people around you - and that is understanding something artistic, something musical (from my perspective). Everyone listens to music in one form or another, but how many people around you actually understand its whereabouts and its depths? When you specialize in art, you begin to see the fine details that make it great - and, in the case of music, when you realize YOU helped create the beautiful music on that CD that you're listening to, that is when you should recognize that your talent is something worth hanging onto.

Answer 7

I do not agree. There are many who do good for society and contribute to society without all the hoopla attached to them. Why don't we show respect to them? Why is Michael so special? Just because he was a celebrity? I know a family that has adopted handicapped children and take care of them on a daily basis. You never hear about such folks. To me, these people are more important than any celebrity.

Answer 8

this is hard to answer considering that my father was a master artist 2 brothers are artist 3 sisters is artist i myself am an artist but i think it is a thing called true to the art and the love of creating things and what you are in yourself.

Answer 9

Focus? I don't think so. Being an artist is truly about inspiration. As far as motivation goes, I just answered that one too. You have to want it too, you can't have it forced upon you.

Answer 10

you must love your art, right? perhaps this is a time in your life when your focus wants to be on something, or someone else. i love art too. it's a hobby for me. i enjoy it. if you don't greatly enjoy your hobby, or career, than you can't stay focused because you must have passion about what you do. people do have lulls in their careers, and relationships, and sometimes all that is needed is a vacation, or some new ideas, or new slants on what you do. i think writers refer to this as "writer's block", and i'm sure everyone has these times. don't give up!

Answer 11

By doing something NON-artistic when the mood strikes. When focus has left, then you should leave the task until you can approach with WANT in your heart and soul.