How does one become a better artist?

Last night, I was asked “how does one become a better artist? can one only become better at using tools?” It got the mind a-spinning, and the short answer is that it cannot merely be about tools and technique.

These days, my life is almost entirely occupied by tech entrepreneurship and family, but 10 years ago I took some time away from tech to answer two questions: whether I could create artwork that I respected, and whether I wanted to pursue art as a career. I got close to “yes” on the first question, and a resounding “no” to the second. These personal thoughts are borne from that experience.

Technical proficiency is certainly important (this was a failure in my schooling by abstract expressionist teachers that I had to make up for later), but technique is not everything. Too much focus on technique leaves one with sterility.

So what else matters?

First, you must become self-aware of the topic you want to take on. You want to focus rather than visually wander around. You need a mission, although that mission can and should evolve. For some, like Duchamp, it was more about the statement than the art, while with others, like Lucien Freud, it is more grounded in the art itself. Experimentation and dabbling is a healthy way to prevent getting stale, but you want more focus than lack thereof until you are fully satiated. Then it is time for a new problem to chew on.

You must be rigorously self-critical, pushing yourself and demanding improvement. External opinion can be useful but it cannot be your compass. You must strive greatness in your art rather than popularity.

You must learn from your failures. In art, I think you learn more from your failures than successes. I refer not to failures in the eyes of other people, but in your eyes.

You must open your mind to the broader world around you, as well as your context within the history of art. You cannot hide in a closet in a vain attempt at sealed-off originality. History’s art giants all had their own stamp, but they did not worship the god of originality at the expense of everything else.

Finally, I would note that if the question was “how to become a financially successful artist” or a “remembered artist”, the answer would be different. While I believe you need all of the above, there is a whole additional list of things you would need to pursue, much of which is why I decided I preferred the business of tech to the business of art.

Tagged as: Essay, improvement