Some Words of Advice
Many of you may be familiar with Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet (1902-1908) in which he advises a 19-year old poet Franz Xaver Kappus. When Kappus first wrote to Rilke, the response was "Nobody can advise you and help you. Nobody. There is only one way—Go into yourself." Nevertheless the correspondence developed and what Rilke left to Kappus, and the rest of the world, was an eloquent owner’s manual for the artistic soul. You can read more highlights from the letters in this Medium article by Chris Castiglione (from On Books podcast which I highly recommend)
So today let’s talk about advice. As an artist coach it’s my job to advise. Do I always have the right advice? – no. But all I can do is speak from my experience working in museums and galleries, curating and showing my own work, observing others who are successful. I think it’s a powerful advantage to have a mentor. If you attend art school, then these people are readily available to you. If you are self-taught you can still seek out the counsel of artists you respect and admire.
One easy way is through the internet. Simply googling “advice from artists” turns up some insightful articles from famous names like Patti Smith, Marilyn Minter, Olafur Eliasson, Didier William, Wim Wenders, Laurie Anderson.
left to right: Marilyn Minter, Ai Weiwei, Patti Smith, Didier Wiliam
Here are a few great ones to start:
13 Artists Give Advice to Their Younger Selves – ARTSY
8 Artists Advice to the Young – Louisiana Museum of Art
Advice from Artists, for Artists – National Endowment for the Arts
15 Pieces of Inspirational Advice from Artists – Mental Floss
If you want to go further, seek out direct contact. If there is a living artist whose work you really connect with, take the risk of reaching out. Of course, the more famous they are, the harder it will be. But if the artist lives locally or teaches at a university it could be easier than you think. Check their websites for contact info or the school they are associated with. You might also find them on social media or LinkedIn. Write them a thoughtful email asking if you could seek out their advice. You may be rebuked, but you also might get a surprising reply. Have some good questions ready – the more specific to the artist the better.
You can also enroll in individual classes, workshops and retreats with artists you respect. Again check their websites for offerings or do a google search for instruction in your field. For example, as a photographer I might look up “street photography workshops 2021” and find some promising links like:
http://valeriejardinphotography.com/overview
http://www.peterturnley.com/workshops
https://www.davidcolemanphotography.com/workshops
I would then research the instructors to see if my work aligns with theirs in some way and if I like their style and technique. Most of the above courses require travel – but if that’s out of the question you could find an online course that’s more affordable. This year I took two Master Class courses from Annie Leibovitz and Jimmy Chin which offered great advice and tips in career building.
One last suggestion…seek advice from yourself. No matter where you are in your artistic path, you’ve probably gained knowledge from experience. Look inward (as Rilke also said) and give credence to that voice in your head. At times it can be negative, but if you sweep that away you will hear your instinct ringing true. Try writing an email to your younger self or maybe a quick motto that would have helped you in the past.
Mine would go something like this: “Don’t let fear determine your future. You will regret the things you didn’t do more than the mistakes you may make in trying new things.”
Here are a couple more quotes that resonated for me. Please send me your favorite quotes or words of wisdom to ann@anntrinca.com
“Try everything. Don’t worry if the work you are making isn’t what you want it to be…
remember work creates work.”
“Don’t get rid of negative emotion, but just use it … like the salt in your food.”