Imagine, you are in a unknown labyrinth trying to figure out where you are and how you got there. Everywhere you search it all looks the same and you are unsure which direction to travel. You try to follow your intuition but it keeps leading you to dead ends, some paths allow you to travel far but soon more crossroads delay your journey. To me this is what the path as an artist has felt like. All of a sudden years into this journey I look back and don't know how I ended up here.
Heading into the artistic maze is something you don't always know you are signing up for. Depending if you are classically trained with schooling or simply self taught your knowledge of the maze you are entering varies greatly. Starting out with art being a hobby makes the maze seem like a walk through nature enjoying the relaxing views, sounds and smells. Upon entering deeper into the maze the first decision is to be made. Turn left to maintain the hobby or turn right and enter into the calling.
You can take the path left maintaining art as a hobby, for some this will be an enjoyable journey through the maze but for those looking for more they will hit a dead end and have to travel back towards the path into their calling. Upon traversing into the path of calling there are many turns and road blocks, this can include trying out different techniques, mediums and styles. This can be a long and treacherous part of the maze as once what was pure enjoyment now is met with feelings of doubt, inadequacy and self discovery. The journey further may pose too much of a hassle and some may retrace their step back into art as a hobby. For those who battled their way forward growing and learning from their adventure will come upon their greatest choice, the path into a career.
Making the way through the struggles of discovering your calling is a light stroll compared to what there is to face on the path to a career. No longer is making art just for yourself it is for an audience, people who are willing to pay for what you spend your time creating. Even those that can make some of the most inspiring pieces can't survive on this path if they cannot find their audience which is a skillset that is well beyond that of a typical artist. While the internet allows us a more convenient way to show our art to the world we are also now a small fish in a vast ocean trying to make ourselves stand apart from the rest while still trying to maintain who we are deep down. There are many winding paths that you may try during your journey; self promoting, art fairs, galleries etc. You may need to try down multiple paths or even all of them to discover which one leads you to your goal. Finally reaching your audience, those that choose you over everyone else, is a mighty mountain to climb but the rewards are worth the struggles you've faced through this maze.
An artist's journey is never truly over as they will create until their last breathe but reaching the end of the maze, making art a life fulfilling career, is like freeing a caged bird. Being able to spread one's wings, having all the time and resources to create their truest desires is the pinnacle of an artist's journey. While I still find myself in this last leg of battling my way to make a career as an artist a reality I am still thankful that this is the maze I have found myself in.
I hope you find your path,
Austin Myers
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