People devoted to the world of art often ask themselves how their favorite artists embarked on the journey that led to their success. “How did they become artists? What do I need to do to be like them? How much time will it take me to achieve fame?” As they ask these questions on which direction to take their art, most of the time they start by imitating their idols.
In an interview for Playboy Magazine in 1966, Bob Dylan was asked “what made you decide to go the rock-‘n’-roll route?”
“Carelessness. I lost my one true love. I started drinking. The first thing I know, I’m in a card game. Then I’m in a crap game. I wake up in a pool hall. Then this big Mexican lady drags me off the table, takes me to Philadelphia. She leaves me alone in her house, and it burns down. I wind up in Phoenix. I get a job as a Chinaman. I start working in a dime store, and move in with a 13-year-old girl. Then this big Mexican lady from Philadelphia comes in and burns the house down. I go down to Dallas. I get a job as a “before” in a Charles Atlas “before and after” ad. I move in with a delivery boy who can cook fantastic chili and hot dogs. Then this 13-year-old girl from Phoenix comes and burns the house down. The delivery boy – he ain’t so mild: He gives her the knife, and the next thing I know I’m in Omaha. It’s so cold there, by this time I’m robbing my own bicycles and frying my own fish. I stumble onto some luck and get a job as a carburetor out at the hot-rod races every Thursday night. I move in with a high school teacher who also does a little plumbing on the side, who ain’t much to look at, but who’s built a special kind of refrigerator that can turn newspaper into lettuce. Everything’s going good until that delivery boy shows up and tries to knife me. Needless to say, he burned the house down, and I hit the road. The first guy that picked me up asked me if I wanted to be a star. What could I say?”
His long winded answer can be interpreted in multiple forms. It introduces us to Dylan’s overactive imagination and convoluted rhetoric. With his unique style of explaining things, he tells us, there is not an exact formula for success in the Rock ‘n’ Roll industry, or in any other enterprise. The context in which we grow up shapes us, even if we don’t know it. We will eventually follow the path that will lead us to the place we belong to and where we’ll thrive.
We can leave everything in the hands of faith, but the truth of the matter is that this uncertainty doesn’t sit well with all people, so they develop little rituals to help themselves achieve their goals and contain any self doubt. One of these rituals consist of a 3 weeks challenge to develop an artistic career.
This method was popularized by Tim Ferris, and it suggests you practice your chosen form of art daily for the next 21 days. It doesn’t mean you randomly have to write or paint whatever comes first to your mind; his intention is to make art a habit, while preserving the quality of your work at the same time.
Trying to pursue an artistic career, comes hand in hand with other challenges, as not everyone is capable of maintaining the same level of energy or creativity for extended periods of time. Ferris, therefore suggests, you follow these three simple steps during the 3 week program: Cue, Routine, and Reward.
If your dream job is to become an artist, then, what you need to do is set a cue. A cue is a moment where you decide it’s time to start creating art, and this depends entirely on you. It can begin at the moment you open your eyes, when you’re drinking coffee, or at the moment you sit down at your desk. However, if for some reason you find yourself still deciding over your cue, you should start considering other options. You need to be honest with yourself, because sometimes,your desires differ from what you can do.
The routine part is when you practice your art. Routine is the best ally of any artist, so, don’t be afraid of sticking to one. Eventually, it will feel more like a game, rather than an obligation.
“That’s the great thing about art. Anybody can do it if you just believe. With practice, you can make great paintings.” Demian Hirst
The third step of the program is Reward. At this the point, you will feel satisfied with what you’ve done, and you’ll feel the need to give yourself a prize for your effort. For some people that prize might be reading a book, taking a long bath, or receiving positive comments regarding finished your work.
Besides these three steps, Ferris has other rules for developing your art.
The first one is called the 80/20 rule, which is based on imitation. Imitating the work of an artist you think highly of will make your own art better. By practicing every day, you will find your unique style, and the techniques that best suit you.
The second rule consists of establishing goals, and critiquing your art. As a result, you will be more conscious about your work, and will be more self-aware of your creative process. Eventually, you will compare your previous works against your most recent ones, and you’ll discover what needs to be improved.
The third rule entails stealing. We are not talking about appropriating someone else’s work, and selling it off as your own. We are referring to the process of copying other artist’s techniques, use of color, and subjects, to discover your own.
Although Bob Dylan was right and there is not an exact formula for success, it won’t hurt you trying these rules and steps. Even if you decide to ignore these steps, it doesn’t hurt to ask yourself the following: “Who do you want to be and what do you want to do?” Only you have the answers. You’re the architect of your own future.
****
You can read the rest of the interview here.
