What I Wish Artists Would Understand: It’s All About THIS One Thing
Here's something I wish artists understood.
A successful artist is not someone who is insanely talented. It’s not someone who has been to a million years of art school. It’s not someone who caught all the lucky breaks and connections of fancy gallery owners.
A successful artist is someone who keeps showing up.
There is a tremendous amount of resistance when we build a dream. It’s a lot easier to sit on the couch and scroll Instagram. But someone who is making the art and putting it out into the world, over and over and over again, has grit and consistency.
In order to have grit and consistency, there's something even more important. Without this key ingredient, all the willpower in the world won't help you.
It's belief.
Here's a definition of belief:
Belief is a thought that you think, and then you keep thinking it. Then you forget you’re thinking it.
(I didn't make this up, but I'm not sure who said it first.)
Here’s an example of how the WRONG beliefs can sabotage an artist. (Emily is a hypothetical person, but please know I have heard some version of this story from 1000 times from my Art Revenue Coaching members.)
Emily is showing her paintings at a live art fair. During the weekend, sales aren’t as good as they have been at other markets, and 3 different people make snide remarks about her prices. A stranger says, “with prices like that I can make it at home”, another, her aunt, says, “I think you’d sell more if they were half the price” and a third stranger says, “$500! I guess I should quit my job and become an artist (hahahaha).”
Emily falsely conflates a low sales show with her prices being “too high”. This is correlation not causation. Now, when her work doesn't sell as quickly as she hopes, she assumes it’s because of her prices. With her original price structure, she already wasn’t making much of a profit, but she now becomes convinced that her prices are the main problem.
But deeper than that is some childhood stuff. Her mother told her she could never make a living as an artist. She liked to draw in high school, but some popular kids made fun of her drawings. She went to three semesters of art school, but had to drop out. Underneath it all, she isn't sure she has what it takes to be an artist. Putting a price on artwork by an imposter seems ludicrous, and RAISING the prices is an impossibility.
Emily's imposter syndrome and interior struggles become reinforced by normal fluctuations in the market. She doesn't like posting to social media because she's afraid she'll get judged. Pretty soon she stops painting altogether.
Then, she gets old and dies. End of story.
Okay I know that was a super sad ending, but that's what can happen if you don't do the interior work of identifying, unpacking, and repacking your beliefs.
Uncovering wrong belief systems is the work of a lifetime
Emily's story not personal enough for you?
Here are some examples of erroneous belief systems that I have uncovered in myself:
"If I can sell my art, it's probably not critically important or meaningful."
This is a crazy one from grad school, where I learned that really good art is probably impossible for most people to understand, and almost certainly very unlikely to sell. That's what made it "good". If the work is likable, beautiful, or generally understandable, it fell far short of the standards of “important art”. I had to get over this one real quick, but it still creeps in there.
"There's one kind of successful art path (certain galleries, certain career milestones), and if I'm not hitting them, I'm not successful."
This is another one from grad school. I had to learn that actually there are many "art worlds", and many art paths. The path for me is MY path, no one else's.
"If I tell people about my art through email or social media, I'm probably bothering them."
"If my work is good enough, it will get the attention it deserves."
Nope, no way, negatory. Turns out that I need to be my art's best advocate, and marketing is simple showing my art to people... over and over and over again. I needed to shift the belief that my art was "bothering" to "adding amazing value!"
More bad beliefs I’ve believed:
"In order to have success, the work has to be less fun."
This is one probably from my hard working farmer ancestors who didn't play cards, go to movies, or dance. I realized that I believed that when my studio practice is fun, it's probably bad. So then I spend more time on stuff I don't enjoy, and less time in my zone of genius. So I had to shift the belief that when I'm having fun, I'm much closer to creating what I was put on this earth to create.
"More work will equal more success."
In this day of information overload, there is so much to learn and so much to accomplish. I often feel overwhelmed because I'm not doing "enough". I can never get off the rat race because I keep adding tasks to my to do list. Full disclosure, I am still in the process of unraveling this one, but I know the answer is around paying attention to my intuition and personal path, not just doing anything and everything.
So there are a bunch of WRONG beliefs that I've had to get out of my system (maybe some sound familiar?)
Here are 10 beliefs successful artists have.
Successful artists believe in informed hope: Successful artists don't just have pie-in-the-sky vision. They examine the world they live in to see how and where their work can fit, and they believe that can create a path for what they offer to flourish. They can see how what they offer can fit in, even if they haven't found their place yet.
Successful artists believe their reaching their dreams is within their control: They are self-driven and don't rely solely on external validation. Their inner motivation keeps them creating even when external circumstances are challenging. Successful artists know that action creates clarity, and taking risks, even when failure is a possibility, is the only way forward.
Successful artists believe they have something unique to offer: They continuously nurture their creativity, exploring new ideas, and pushing the boundaries of their art forms. Besides being creative in their art practice, they are creative in how they approach problems, in their communication, and how they build and grow their business.
Successful artists believe growth is always possible: They are open to critique and feedback, using it as a tool for growth and improvement. This willingness to evolve is essential for artistic success. They have a growth mindset and are committed to lifelong learning. They seek out new knowledge, skills, and experiences to improve themselves.
Successful artists believe consistency beats inspiration: They trust that consistent action—making, sharing, selling—matters more than waiting for inspiration to strike. Even on days when they don’t feel like creating, they show up. They understand that momentum is built by habit, not by mood.
Successful artists believe adaptability is strength: They view change not as a threat, but as an opportunity. They are willing to shift their strategies, materials, and approach based on feedback, new technologies, and life circumstances. This belief helps them stay relevant and nimble.
Successful artists believe in the value of continuing education and mentorship: They see art not as a solitary endeavor, but as part of a larger conversation. They believe in learning from mentors, and pursuing knowledge in areas where their experience is limited, like managing finances or using social media. (Many times, successful artist join something like Art Revenue Coaching, wink wink, because they know the power of collective wisdom.)
Successful artists believe in long timelines: They don’t expect overnight results. They understand that mastery, growth, and recognition often take years. They trust the process and pace themselves for the long haul. They are in it for love, after all, not a quick buck.
Successful artists believe failure is part of the process, not a sign of the wrong path: Instead of avoiding failure, they embrace it. They believe that mistakes are useful, criticism is informative, and rejection is normal. They learn from failure and move on. They view failures and mistakes as opportunities for growth. Persistent artists learn from their errors and use them to refine their craft.
Successful artists believe in their inner compass: Artists can listen to their intuition and higher self even when there’s a lot of noise from other areas. They are exquisitely sensitive to whims, ideas, creative invitations, and inspiration that may strike in the middle of the night. Though they are aware of outside trends and influences, they keep an indelible, internal compass that keeps them centered and focused, and they carve their OWN path.
So maybe you don’t believe all of these things yet. That’s okay. Beliefs are built, like muscle—through repetition, attention, and small acts of courage. You don’t have to wait until you feel confident or certain to start acting like a successful artist. You just have to start. Show up. Keep going. Believe on purpose.
And get some therapy for Pete’s sake.
Quick Recap:
Your beliefs shape your art career more than talent or luck ever will.
Erroneous beliefs—like “good art sells itself” or “marketing is bothering people”—can quietly sabotage your progress.
Successful artists cultivate intentional, empowering beliefs and act on them, even when it’s hard.
These beliefs can be practiced, strengthened, and lived—starting now.
You don’t need to believe in yourself 100% of the time. But if you can believe in your art 1% more today than yesterday, you’re on the right path.
