Imagine how the world could be if we did not have artists? It could be boring as artists are the people who show the other side of things in an artistic way. They open the inner ears and helps us understand the world better.

The earliest recording of human art was more than 70,000 BC, in the Late Stone Age. However, art has evolved over time but the messages are still the same even in the modern era. Every New Year comes with loads of resolutions that people make and artists are no exception. The following are some of the things that artists need to drop to grow in 2021:

Give up comparisons
We all want to be the best in our fields. In arts, people will always compare you to some legends in the field. However, you may find yourself spending so much time trying to fit people’s opinions or to your icon’s style. Such an approach robs you of the joy of exploring what is in you and becoming the best in your field. A good artist is one that comes up with something unique and authentic.

You may be an upcoming artist and you want to compare yourself with someone who is twenty years into the game. You will always feel like a failure because you have not grown. The only comparisons you should be making is between your current and recent works. Can you note any improvement when you check the pieces you created six months ago and what you have today?

Give up on limiting mind frame
Have you ever heard about things that were created by mistake? They are quite a lot in this world and some of them have been perfected. There are days that you will make mistakes as an artist. However, that does not mean that you should worry a lot and let it get into your head. You could have applied the wrong ratio when mixing your paints only to note that you can create an awesome piece out of the combination.

Make every mistake a learning chance. Let your mind wander when you are creating your art and bring out the biggest imagination. Take your time to learn something new before you experiment. There are times that you may feel as if you are not ready for a certain task. It is okay to feel that way, be ready to face your fears and take the first step.

Give up on making excuses
You have to do the hard work if you want to become a good artist. All the exemplary artists that you see out there plan their time. For instance, you can have a schedule that will indicate the number of days that it will take to complete a certain piece of art. A day counter is a good start to plan your work and know if you are improving with time.

As an artist, you need to know what matters to you and your work. It thus means that you need to separate your personal life from your work. An artist needs to own up to the direction that he or she is taking. Making excuses based on your social interactions will never help you succeed as an artist. You have to do away with fear and procrastination if you want to advance in the art.

Give up on uninformed advice
“You could have done this, instead of that”. “You could have taken this route”. Are these some of the statements you come across? It is human nature to have an idea of what you ‘should’ do. However, some of these pieces of advice will only mislead you. On the other hand, there are people who are genuine with their pieces of advice and will lead you in the right direction. You are at liberty to choose what suits you and what to discard.

Give up perfectionism
If you are the kind of person who always becomes stressed after a small mistake, you will face loads of frustrations in this journey. An artist wants to be perfect and produce only ‘masterpieces’. However, you should note that you will fail in the course of your career and come up with lessons. The good news is that you are not the only one who fails in this journey.

Succeeding in art takes a lot of sacrifices and above are just some of the examples that you can make. Set goals, be ready to make some mistakes, and create a network that will help you grow. Don’t be selfish as the world also needs your contribution.