You must have luck in your stars… He is born with a silver spoon…. She comes from a family of performing artists and her path is already paved…etc. These are common phrases amongst those who are trying to make their passion into a career.
Building a career in the arts can be an exciting and fulfilling journey. Whether you’re interested in visual arts, performing arts, writing, or any other artistic discipline, there are certain key aspects that you must keep in mind while you embark on this journey of pursuing your passion. Remember that building a career in the arts takes time and dedication. I am happy to share here my learnings from my 20+ years experience of working in the arts, both as an artist and as an entrepreneur.
Listen to Your Inner Voice & Believe In Yourself
The first quality needed to commence your journey from passion to profession is to start listening to your inner voice. We are so used to listening to the outside world that we forget about the existence of an inner voice, that is seeking our attention, to guide us.. Most often the voice can be heard or experienced as a feeling.
When you identify this, start spending more time on your chosen art form. You will be surrounded by folks who will force their gyan on you, as to what you need to focus on; what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes these thoughts may limit your imagination and you may begin to question the viability, and financial stability in choosing an artistic career.
Stay true to yourself and stay focused. Financial freedom touches the feet of those who believe in themselves. Many examples from history and the contemporary world will stand testimony to this. Trust your instincts and let your inner voice guide you.
Find Your Right Mentor (GURU)
Finding your right mentor or better said in India as Guru is one of the most important aspects in this journey. This is crucial in nurturing your artistic skills and your growth.
As a student one may tend to find a teacher closer to home, even if they are not a master in their chosen profession. However, spending time to identify the right teacher whom you are able to connect with and from whom your learning can be effective and fulfilling, is very important.
A teacher, If your search is true, and is from within, then the search will lead you to your GURU – When the student is ready, the master arrives.
Invest Time In Developing A Strong Foundation
Today’s fast paced world has not spared the arts industry too. Many young people start to showcase their talent while they are still in their initial stages of learning, primarily due to peer and parental pressure.
Merely presenting performances for a very less number of audience and receiving a few likes and comments does not qualify one to be a professional artist. The distraction that takes you away from learning to performance will slow down your learning process. This in turn results in early exits from the arts scene and one ends up blaming the ecosystem or other external factors.
Keep working on enhancing your skill, there is no shortcut to developing your artistry.
Build Your Circle Of Influence
Building your circle of influence has to be done consistently and meticulously. If your nurtured skill has to be showcased to the right audiences for you to go places, your networking skills are very important. This cannot be achieved overnight. Most often one contact leads to the other and it takes years for you to build trust and an effective network.
Start Early
It is best to start early in life considering the above mentioned points. This is a time bound process and no shortcuts are available. The earlier you decide to move into the CALLING of YOUR INNER VOICE, the more advantageous for you.
Believe in yourself & the world will believe in YOU!
