Flow of Inspiration

Finding inspiration is one of the many challenges of being an artist. This is especially the case in this day and age. There’s a lot of pressure from society to be a certain way and constantly raise the bar. Not only that, but society is encouraging us all to have higher standards. 

 

In this pursuit of perfection, it’s easy to get lost, especially as an artist of a more sensitive bend. Perfectionism is often a side effect of our work, but it’s controlled because it’s self-imposed. However, it’s a whole different story when society is imposing it.

 

This can cause artists and designers to question themselves and their work. What’s worse, they’ll start comparing themselves to other artists and forcing overproduction of work or change in styles that they didn’t want, to begin with. All of this can cause your inspiration to disappear. 

 

We all have a hard time finding it nowadays, so we rely on occasional bursts that happen every once in a while. Unfortunately, bursts of inspiration are hardly enough to keep us going and have a massive impact on our work.

Availability of Opportunities From Clients

Another of many designer career challenges is finding and building your clientele. When you’ve decided to enter the art world, you’ve probably heard all about how this isn’t a lucrative business. Whoever told you that isn’t entirely wrong, but there’s more to this business than meets the eye. If you end up winning the battle against the lack of inspiration, finding clients is what you need to do next. This is probably the biggest challenge we face, especially nowadays.

 

Why is that? Well, with the internet booming, inspiration and art are available everywhere. This means many people don’t need an interior designer to decorate their homes or an artist to paint them a masterpiece. 

 

The only way to get work as an artist is to ensure you stand out. Utilizing social media and finding your target audience is your best bet. Otherwise, people will have a hard time finding you because the internet is so cluttered.

 

Being in the art and design business can be good for some. Depending on your popularity, you may be able to turn this into a stable job with a constant income. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many artists, and they have to resort to working a second job to make a living.

Picky Clients

Now, don’t think having clients is always a fun time. When you work with people, you’re bound to run into a few that aren’t that pleasant to deal with. Naturally, your client wants to ensure you’ll do the job exactly to their liking. 

 

Unfortunately, that could make them overly picky. Not only that, but some think their client status gives them the right to all of your time. This can result in them pestering you, always asking for updates, etc., and that will affect your work and progress.

You’ll also always run into the kind of people that think they deserve a discount for whatever reason. Maybe they’re an influencer or a fan of your work, but they don’t get to dictate who receives a discount. Having clients is great because that’s what pays the bills, but is it really worth losing your mind and potentially undervaluing your work? Of course not, but these are just the issues artists are facing all the time.

Technological Changes and Improvements

Technology is always changing and evolving. Many people believe that technological advancements are a good thing, but that may not always be the case. 

 

For example, did you know that AI art generators exist? When you use them, you can generate all kinds of art that you can buy for a small fee. Then, you can print whatever you like, hang it in your office, and you don’t need an actual artist at all.

 

Not only that but since technology is evolving, so are different ways of creating art. Many artists transition into doing digital art because that seems to be the most sought after nowadays. There’s nothing wrong with changing art styles, but this change isn’t free. You have to buy tools and equipment that will help you create the best possible art, and those things aren’t always cheap.

The same struggle applies to designers of all kinds. All kinds of design software exist and are easy to use, so designers are struggling to put themselves on the map. Thankfully, it’s not all as grim as it may sound. A lot of technological advancements help artists and designers do their job much better than before. This results in more exposure, more clients, and more business.

People Stealing Our Art

Finally, let’s talk about art theft. This is one of the most disheartening problems that, sadly, occur too often. You could be working on a piece for weeks only to have someone claim it as their own. Also, many repost art without giving the artist proper credit. While the reposter didn’t mean any intentional harm, this is especially harmful if the art goes viral without credit.

 

When an art piece goes viral, this could mean a lot of exposure and business for the artist. Unfortunately, no credit means people won’t know who to commission, praise, or keep up with. On the other hand, people can also blatantly steal your artwork. When this happens, luckily, there are authorities you can turn to.