In this economic climate it is a challenge to stay focused on creative work.  Everyone has felt the pull and artists are usually disappointed with the price of materials and gallery closings.  That said, we are an amazingly resilient group and usually rise to the occasion when faced with tough situations.

We all know the importance passion brings to the creation of art, and without it success cannot happen.  It is important to work hard, know ourselves and be informed about the world around us and within us in order to create excellent art.  These things take years of focus, study and exploration, even then in the creative fields, dreams can go unrealized.   In most cases, it is important to pay ours dues (some may say fail or hit rock bottom), because this is the time when we are tested to see if our dreams are truly meaningful to us.

As artist we endure a lot of criticism.  ‘You can’t do this, get a real job, how will you make a living doing that’ and on and on.  You know the lines and probably wonder to yourself how you can live without making art!  You endure the endless pressure to succeed by the standards of others and by your own self-imposed standards.  Of course the rejections often add up.  Through all the cruel comments – feel sorry for those too afraid to know their own truth – and underhanded manipulations, it seems one of the things which keeps us going is persistence!

When you stay true to yourself and stick with the work you know you are to do, the persistence will get you through the troubling times and help you become the success you are meant to be.  There are so many factors to this equation of success, however being stubborn in your convictions stands near the top because it is one which drives many of the others.  Being patient with yourself, standing your ground and knowing your personal truth will see you through many difficult times with your art career.

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Kim Rodeffer Funk is an abstract painter currently living and working in the Washington, DC metro area.  She writes Creative Influences blog at http://kimrodefferfunk.com/blog and can be found on a variety of social networks.  Her portfolio web site is currently undergoing changes at http://kimrodefferfunk.com . Besides painting, she is very interested in the creative process and fine arts, in general. All words and images are the property of the owner/writer and permission must be granted for their use elsewhere.