is art a hobby-Should art just be a hobby?

Is art a hobby-Should art just be a hobby?

No Not at all, this is because many people love art and have such a big passion for art that they want to start a career as an artist!

Having said this,

Of course, it can be a wonderful hobby. But there is a whole spectrum of possibilities between its just being a great hobby, and between being an artist who spends his whole life, every day all the time, just working on his art.

For instance, there are professions that require artistic ability (graphic design, other kinds of design, art therapy, teaching, and so on), so you can work on art but not full-time and also make a living.

Some people get so absorbed that they don’t want to do anything else in life, they want to only spend their whole lives doing that, and they don’t mind if that means living on yogurt in a one-room basement as long as they can paint. This can last forever, or it can wear off.

I know someone who made wonderful paintings, but when she was older her life took a different turn, and she started doing other things and now works with autistic children.

I know someone else who always wanted to do art, but went into a money-making job as a graphic artist, which wasn’t the same as just art for its own sake, but gives more financial security (which is important especially if you have a family and kids.).

If you like art you should work on it as much as you want. Don’t worry about what comes next. But don’t close off options to doing something else, either (finish school, get good enough grades, go to college, and so on.)

And yes I know there are many people out there that want to just do it for fun and it’s acceptable as well.

Pro Note:

In the most recent survey conducted by Ask Your Target Market, 56% of respondents reported having multiple hobbies. 24% of respondents indicated that they only regularly practice or participate in one real hobby. And 20% responded that they have no hobbies.

In general, 74% of respondents believe that having hobbies is important. Nonetheless, 66% concur that they can be time-consuming. And 66% said that they wish they had more time for hobbies in their liv

Why do so few people understand that Art is a profession, not just a hobby?

Art is not a profession, but being an artist can be a profession. I make this seemingly minor distinction because it helps to clarify the answer to your question.

Anyone can be creative, and most people make art outside of professional parameters. They are not interested in making it their career. Indeed, there are some incredibly talented and accomplished artists who make art on a completely amateur—i.e,, not professional—basis.

Then again, there are all of those who have made being an artist their profession. I think that there are three reasons why the professional aspect of being an artist is somewhat hidden:

There is an unfortunate stereotype that artists cannot help but create art and that therefore being an artist is a compulsion rather than a choice. By extension, art is not necessarily valuable, because artists cannot help but produce more of it. This attitude argues against the viability of making art as a good professional choice.

The image of the “starving artist” is another unfortunate stereotype. This is related to the first stereotype but is so ingrained in people’s minds that it deserves its own mention. Many young people are seriously discouraged from pursuing a career in the arts, even by high school and college art teachers.

In reality, a career in the arts can be extremely satisfying, both in creative and professional terms. Much of the world of the arts is hidden from popular view because artists work in so many different professional areas and under a great many different job titles.

People may not realize that all of these jobs are essentially those of an artist: set designer, printmaker, graphic designer, fabric designer, calligrapher, portrait artist, illustrator, photographer, art director, publication designer, etc.

The list is endlessly long. In some of these jobs the individual works from direct inspiration in the manner we often associate with the “artist” and in others, the person is utilizing the skills of an artist to produce work that meets some type of outside criteria

Nevertheless, all of these people are doing the creative work of artists. If it were more widely understood that all of these professional opportunities require artistic training, more people would understand that the arts are a viable profession

Popular Hobbies that people have:

There are numerous types of hobbies and interests available. There are, however, numerous bigger groups that contain a huge number of popular pastimes.

42% of respondents indicated that they have gaming-related pastimes. 41% of people love art and craft activities. 39% indicated that they enjoy collecting items. 30% enjoy being outside. 20% like sports and athletics-related activities. And 8% enjoy construction.

Specifically, respondents listed playing video games, reading, gardening, photography, jewelry making, hiking, sewing, crocheting, writing, painting, coin collecting, and fishing as some of their favorite pastimes.

How do you know if you have the potential to be a really good artist or if you’d be better off just keeping art as a hobby?

This is how you know if you have the potential to be a good artist:

Do you enjoy making and creating artwork?
Do you enjoy making art more than anything else?
Do you have this urge to draw things or create things?
Can you do art every day, for hours and hours, and not feel bored?

These are the questions you should ask yourself if you want to choose art as your career.

First of all, I think most people have this wrong idea about “talent”. They think talent means someone just born with this special power that makes them a good artist.

They see the world differently or they see colors or shapes other people don’t see. They learn things faster. They don’t need to practice as much as other people and such things!!

Nope. That’s not true.

Let me be clear-Nobody is born with some special ability to see the world differently (Except that one lady who actually has a medical condition to see more colors. Don’t be fooled by the hype, she turned out to be a really horrible artist). Nobody is born with the ability to draw. Everyone has to learn and practice.

Van Gogh practiced; Mozart practiced; Da Vinci practised… They practised a lot more than other people. And their practice with purposes; they were mindful with their practice, never just repetition, always thinking about what they’re drawing, what they’re creating.

That’s how they have the illusion of “learning things faster”, and create great things seemingly effortlessly. It takes just as much effort for them. But because they seem to be so enjoying themselves, it didn’t feel like hard work. And even when it did get hard (they usually do), they have a passion to push them through.

We are all born with the ability and desire to create things. That’s a universal human nature. What separates a good artist from a regular person is passion and perseverance.

Don’t ask yourself if you have a “sense of color”, color theories are straightforward and everyone can learn it;

don’t ask yourself if you have a “sense of space”, composition and perspective are basic math;

don’t ask yourself if you can do this amazing watercolour on the first try like some 16-year-old from deviant art dot com claimed, he lied, he didn’t do that on the first try, and he’s not 15, and that’s probably not even his own work.

None of those is important.

Instead, ask yourself: do I love making art? I mean, really… really love making art?

If nobody ever gets to see my artworks, if none of my artworks ever make any money, if some freakish forces destroy my artworks right after it’s finished… Do I still want to make art?

Because when everyone else gets tired and goes play video games; when everyone else gets frustrated and goes hang out with their friends; when everyone else gets discouraged by bad reviews or nobody cares about their art;

when everyone else realized they can’t make a living with art, so they decided to just give up… when you’re just as tired and as frustrated as disheartened as everyone else;

when you end up doing something else just to pay the rent; when you realised you might never be able to make a living with art; when you realised your artworks might never make any money or bring you any fame;

when you realize the world might never really appreciate your art… and knowing all that, you keep going. You keep going and going and going… because you love creating art.

That’s how you know you’re a really good artist.

… And you probably want to learn a skill to support yourself because you most likely not going to make a living with your art.

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List of Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

Why do most people think art jobs lack value?

Most people do not know what goes into art. How much of yourself you invest. How deep you have to go on a bad day, to get that piece of art out. They do not value what they do not know.

They take many things for granted. Like how long a painting takes. How long paint takes to dry … They do not know, so they expect “instant” results.

Who pays for art without bickering over price? One who knows. Who pays an artist a fair wage? One who knows. Who devalues art and artists? The ignorant.

So, rest easy. You know something they don’t. You got SKILLS they don’t. So don’t you devalue your creations, your talent, or your job? The ignorant take their cue from you. They don’t know, they know they don’t know how, so they adopt whatever flies.

Lest they look bad. Better if you look less. Hey? Not true? Sure it’s true! Who wants to look the fool? Don’t you be the fool, dear? Be proud of your work, say so, and behave so.

Why don’t people choose a career in fine arts?

Pursuing a career in the arts requires a bit of madness, creativity, entrepreneurship, and an insane level of comfort with uncertainty.

The rewards aren’t the most immediate, unlike traditional stable careers, where you are pleasantly rewarded with career stability, a stable paycheck, nice vacations, and (sometimes) work-life balance.

Money and Job security.

People give importance to education and they want their children to have a good job…settle soon and have kids and so on…

So from the ground up, they make sure their children have that kind of “stupid” idea of going into the creative field.

I remember my father saying when I said I want to learn guitar.. “Do You want to play music in Hotels or at wedding halls?.!! you idiot kid!!! ” That’s how he turned me down.

Artist is somehow stereotyped as people who are socially awkward, don’t know how to make money, suffers from poverty and die in dungeons, etc.

Nowadays people think being an artist is cool and respect them because they realize all the above stereotyping is not true. But the reality is there is lot of pain associated with it.

Be it writer’s block or a painter not being able to find his muse.

But one thing I can say is that artists are sensitive to their surroundings and social changes and try to express their concerns through art. They have an unquenchable desire to express their ideas n talent and try to solace in the art.

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List of Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

If you only doing it as a hobby but still want to improve your art/art style, here are a few steps to do that and I guarantee you’ll improve if you follow these steps:

Use references and tracing – because drawing from imagination doesn’t always work

Sketch daily – if you want to improve practice daily.

Swatch out the materials – when I say this I mean you get a sheet and you start with a line to show what supply it is, write the name next to it of the brand so if it runs out you can get new ones and also write the letters and numbers if it has any.

Practice your weaknesses

Keep your art supplies in one place so you don’t lose them – you’ll thank me later!

Purchase a sketchbook – because using loose papers may sound fine, but what if you lose it then what with a sketchbook that’s less likely to happen

Take photos and create Art – you’ve got a beautiful world that can help a lot if you want to learn how to draw a dog, take a picture of a dog because photos are more likely to get the results you want whereas if you find an online reference, sometimes they simplify it or draw it in another way, yes you can still use references because I do !!

Any loose papers you have of your drawings – put them in a folder or binder or glue them into your sketchbook, whatever works for you as long as they’re organized

Ask for feedback – if someone gives you something to improve don’t get offended, use it as an advantage

Research and use your sketchbook as a visual book a place to put your beautiful drawings in not just school assignments

decorate, annotate, reflect, copy masterworks, add personal art, and research

use a variety of materials, write down, glue in, draw or paint what inspires you

Carry your sketchbook around with you – it’s a visual book best to bring it around with you for when you get inspiration, it’s not just a schoolbook your art teacher gave you or if you bought it yourself or got it as a present don’t treat it like an essay because it isn’t meant to be.

About the Author:

Manny Acharya is the co-founder of Artmellows. Your Goto place for Design, Digital Art, Digital sculpting, Photography, Design Tools & Gears Info, and Product Reviews. Manny is a Digital Artist, 3D Sculpt Designer, Ardent Photography, Drone flying Enthusiast & Tech Lover. He supercharges Digital Art & Design by crafting memorable 3d Sculpts & 2D Design & Art.

PS: Manny has created a Beginner Friedly ebook to Learn Nomad 3d Sculpt App. Know More about the eBook. Know more about Manny