Don't get discouraged....Keep trying

I do sometimes, in fact every artist does from time to time. IT's easy to do, and also to think that even though you are working very hard, constantly improving, etc that you are coming up short in some way compared to others. You are not! The single biggest challenge these days is getting our work seen by others. There are so many artists online it's easy to get lost in the fray. It's also tougher than ever to break in. These days people who view art are largely viewing the artwork of people who's names they have heard or already know. That's normal. For someone trying to sell art, or get a job in the arts, it's a bit of an uphill climb. I have yet to find anyone with any kind of reasonable advice on how to get noticed. I think that's because it is different for everyone, everywhere. It's so subjective in terms of where you display your work, what type of work you do, your skill level, etc. There is certainly no magic button, even though there are services that claim to be one. I put no stock in it. One thing I do know is that in order to succeed you must do one thing above all else...Stay in the game! Don't get fed up, don't quit, don't go off and do something else. Keep at it, keep pushing, keep hawking, keep painting, keep drawing, and keep improving. Eventually you'll get somewhere. It might not be where you want to go today, but someone will see your work and it will resonate with them, and they will tell others, who will in turn tell others, etc. Don't go off on tangents either. I see a lot of artists out there giving stuff away like tutorials, and brushes, etc in an attempt to get people to see their work. This is fine and their is nothing wrong with it, but in a professional sense you gain very little by giving stuff away and you are attracting artists to your work that are on a skill level most likely below your own. If you have a need to give back, or what not, then by all means throw out a bone when you have the time, but your focus should be doing the best quality artwork in your chosen area, that you can. Don't do any type of work for free, people by and large just suck it up without even a thank you, which will just frustrate you further. When I was an animator years ago I was told by a much older and experienced animator that one of the keys to success is to never work for free. He had a variety or reasons he imparted to me as to why, and his advice always stuck with me. If you know you are good and just aren't getting the hits don't force it. Keep improving and focus on the craft of painting, drawing, modeling, sculpting, etc because that is what will eventually get you noticed by the right people. Apply for jobs in your chosen field. Even apply for jobs you have no chance of getting. It gets your name out there and into the perspective employee pools and yes people do remember if they see your name enough. Do your best work all the time and study in order to get better. The answer is almost always more work. Nobody ever said art was easy, and yes I realize that years ago it was indeed a little easier to break in when the jobs that are standard today weren't really clearly defined in the industry, but today and tomorrow is the world we live in. Yesterday is old news and no use lamenting over that. You have something truly great to offer because you're you, and you are a unique individual with unique influences and experiences to draw from. You have amazing things to show people and can really contribute to the area that you want to work in as a professional artist. If your artwork hasn't been seen by enough people in your chosen industry then they just don't know it yet. Ask for critiques from artists you respect and art directors you'd like to work with, don't be shy. Even if they don't have the time they will still respect you for taking the initiative. Remember fans are great but having your work viewed by a million people is just as useless as having it viewed by one if they are all the wrong people, it's just ego validation. Don't search our validation, search out criticism, it's much more useful and will make you a better artist. Sure it's cool to have 3 of 4K views on a piece of artwork, but having someone who is a true industry pro tell you how they think you can improve, even in short, is so much more valuable! So it boils down to don't stop trying, don't be shy about asking, embrace the critiques from respected sources, and keep trying, don't take or pay for shortcuts, don't ever quit. You will get somewhere if you truly believe that you have the talent to do so. Smile, you're well on your way to being the next big thing! All the best! D