Twenty Things I have Learned as an Artist

[caption id="attachment_751" align="alignleft" width="440" caption="San Francisco based Artist and CEO of Ann Rea, Inc."][/caption]

1. Artistic success comes from clearly and authentically expressing yourself, with skill.
2. It’s a numbers game, the more paintings you create, the better the paintings.
3. The best paintings come easy. Don’t overwork a painting or make it too precious or it will feel overworked.
4. Paint and don’t think about it, feel it. It’s like dancing.
5. Art has the power to make people feel and heal, just like a drug.
6. You have to love your work if others are going to love it.
7. Art is very subjective. But quality and skill, they're easier for everyone to recognize.
8. Confidence comes from experiencing success but first it comes from the story that you're telling yourself.
9. Painting is art, selling a painting is business.
10. Nurture your relationship with collectors, they are your best source of referrals.
11. Invite collectors to ask any questions.  The creative process is fascinating.
12. Art requires passion and discipline.
13. Creative people need to express themselves to be healthy and happy.
14. The human condition is universal and art can help us feel connected to our humanity.
15. Painting is but an illusion of shapes, colors, and lines.  But the emotional and creative energy behind this has the potential to transport the viewer.
16. Your compensation is commensurate with the amount of value that you provide.
17. Don’t accept art direction, unless you are an illustrator.
18. The act of destruction is linked to creation, enjoy destroying some paintings.
19. Everyone’s a critic.
20. And everyone proclaims that they are an artist, when they are children.