I often tell artists that failure is part of the job. That even Beethoven took piano lessons. That failure is an integral part of the job and can be an artist’s best friend. Why? Because our...
"Have patience with all things unresolved and learn to love the questions themselves." Rainier Maria Rilke Artists are endlessly curious. But in life, we spend a lot of our time running away from...
Every creative person I know has these things in common: We crave feedback, we want our work to be seen and we desperately want to know what our work says to the viewer. At the same time,...
Artists often confide to me that they're afraid to put themselves "out there." Afraid of what other people will think. Afraid of what other people might say. Afraid of haters. I get it. Both being...
What’s the one single trait that all great artists share? Curiosity. Great artists take the time to learn their art history. They know that contemporary art does not live in a bubble and they...
If only life were easier… if only… How often do you stress out about what you don’t have? Oh, if only I had more money, if only I had more art sales, if only I had more time to make art, to...
“But Crista,” they ask, “How can I make a living from my art?” “I want to be wealthy! I want to live on a beach and be dripping in jewels! And I want my art to pay for it!” Then I reply with...
It’s not about whether you succeed or fail as an artist. It’s about the kind of person you become as you do the work. Does it make you feel more authentic? Are you coming from a place of integrity? Do...
What do artists do? Artist Grayson Perry recently spoke about a group of schoolchildren who were asked that question by a museum curator. One little girl offered, “Artists are people who sit at...
In business school, they talk about The 6 Stages of Entrepreneurship. But in art school, they don’t even use the word entrepreneur. They should. Artists are entrepreneurs. That’s the truth. And...
