The Relentless Pursuit of an Art Career

I recently sat down for an interview with a gallery to talk about my journey as an artist…what led me to start, how I got to where I am now, and what it’s like to navigate both the creative and business sides of being an artist. We discussed my printing business, the balancing act of entrepreneurship and artistry, and the reality that making art for a living is about so much more than just making art.

So many artists hesitate to share their work because they’re waiting for the “right time.” But the truth is, the right time doesn’t announce itself. You will never feel fully ready. There will always be doubts, fears. But waiting for fear to disappear is the quickest way to stay stuck. The only way forward is through, sharing your work even when it scary, putting yourself out there even when you feel invisible, and continuing to create even when it seems like no no one is watching. You create for you first and not others.

Pursuing an art career means embracing the uncomfortable truth that it’s not just about painting, drawing, sculpting, or whatever medium you love. It’s also about doing your own PR, networking, and consistently creating content that allows people to connect with your work. It’s about reaching out, forming relationships, and hoping that somewhere in the sea of people scrolling through their feeds, someone will stop and feel something when they see what you’ve made. But the key to all of this, the difference between shallow exposure and meaningful connection, is authenticity.

There’s this idea that to be a “successful” artist, you have to belong to the right circles, be part of the right communities, or align yourself with certain groups because they look good from the outside. But real connection isn’t about clout or curated belonging. It’s about honesty, about showing up as yourself, creating from a place of truth, and letting your work find the people it’s meant to reach. Some artists have the privilege of effortlessly fitting into spaces that give them visibility, but not all of us have that luxury. And that’s okay. Sometimes, you have to carve your own path. Sometimes, you have to build what you wish existed.

And along the way, you will fail. It’s inevitable. There will be projects that don’t work out, posts that don’t get engagement, opportunities that don’t materialize. But failure is not the enemy, stagnation is. The only real failure is not trying. Because when you don’t try, you rob the world of what you have to offer. You rob yourself of the growth that comes from putting in the work. And you rob your art of the chance to do what art does best: connect, inspire, and ripple outward in ways you may never even see.

Even if just one person is moved by what you’ve made, even if your work reaches only a single heart, sparks only one idea, that matters. Art creates more art. Inspiration is contagious. And at the end of the day, we don’t create for trends, for validation, or for numbers. We create because we have to, because there is something inside us that needs to get out.

The world deserves your art. And you deserve to make it, fearlessly and relentlessly.