Some thoughts on being an artist by Gabby Malpas

Gabby Malpas’ Studio

Gabby is an exhibiting artist since 1987 and a full time artist since 2015. Here are some real-world questions that budding artists the world over have asked. We hope you find them useful and a little bit amusing.

Thinking about quitting the day job and becoming a full time artist?

Sure. A number of successful artists transitioned from jobs in a seemingly short amount of time. However, for the most of us it’s a long hard slog with little or no reward on a ‘maybe’. The bottom line is that in the initial stages where income is uncertain, your finances need to be in a place where you are secure.   Nothing will kill your creative mojo faster than mounting bills you can’t pay so plan for your creative life. This could mean cutting back hours, downsizing or having enough in the bank to cover bills for an extended period. It’s about prioritizing your life goals and maybe new shoes every month won’t make you as happy as creating 1-2 working days per week.

Even Paul Gauguin was a banker before he set sail into the sunset for the happy isles…

Top tip: Getting ‘teh mojo’ [yes, ‘teh’ is intentional], Malpas style:

The creative mojo is a fleeting and fickle thing that sometimes disappears for months on end. It’s OK. Nearly all creatives go through a mojo drought but here are my top tips to coax it back:

• Don’t freak out, go with the flow: one of my art tutors told me this waaay back in 1984 and it’s very true. You can’t force it. You have to relax and let it come to you.
• While you’re waiting, get your working space ready for when it hits: unclutter your desk, wash out those crusty palettes and sharpen those pencils so you’re ready at a moment’s notice. It also helps coax your brain to get into the ‘creative zone’
• Do something different. Put down the brushes and/or laptop and step away. Go for a walk, to a movie or a gallery. Stimulus of a different kind quite often kickstarts new ideas.
• Draw draw draw: if you are a visual artist keep drawing. They may not be images you like but you will be surprised how these scribbles can open up new ideas.