An Artists Journey Into 2023: Fine Art & Digital Art

It’s hard to believe the first month of 2023 is coming to a close, but today I’m going to talk about an artists journey. I certainly enjoyed having a little time away from creating art over the Christmas and New Year break.
Although art is my passion, and I do feel blessed to share it with the world, it’s healthy to step away from the work from time to time to gain perspective on progress and re-assess goals.
Just like in any business, taking breaks is essential to keeping alive a healthy mindset.
Establishing myself as a digital artist in 2022 was a long and exciting road. I gained confidence in my ability as an artist, and feel that I can now successfully create art in a new medium.
Having created 7 custom artworks and a total of 23 new pieces to add to my portfolio, all using digital techniques, resulted in my most productive year of creating art to date.
What are my goals for Art-By-Simone in 2023? I don’t like to set too many goals within a year, but rather prioritise goals that will have the most impact on my business moving forward.
I certainly would love to be just as productive in terms of creating new art. But my main goals for this year are to embrace myself as a digital artist and be better at promoting myself and my artwork.
Most importantly, I want to do better at reaching a broader number of loyal art lovers by establishing good relationships through various platforms.
I’m sure many artists feel the same along the artists journey…creating art is the most fun part of any art business, but the need to share the work with the world can feel like a bear has crawled onto your back and is digging in with its claws.
I have shied away from past opportunities that may have been great exposure because of a lack of confidence. This year I want to feel less of the bear and more of the share!
Missed opportunities suck, and really there is nothing to lose in sharing your creations with the world.
Removing the bear from my back and being accountable for sharing my work is the first step. It’s then about how I share my art in the hope to establish loyal followings.
Here are a few steps I believe I need to do better at to attract and establish an audience.
“Social Media” is an essential component of my business and although I post regularly on Instagram and Facebook, I think I need to do better at creating posts that are more compelling.
Helpful art tips and demos are always fun, and providing valuable information is key, but I also want to be better at being more transparent and relatable to help build a stronger connection between myself, my art and art lovers.
“Building Community Relationships” is also important, and I need to be brave, embrace my artistic abilities and do better at meeting new people locally and in my wider community.
Local galleries, cafe galleries, local clubs, travel and retail outlets are among a few key platforms to share, especially my most recent and expanding “Sunshine Coast” travel art series.
How can I do better by adding more value to those key platforms to help build good relationships? Volunteering my time at a gallery or retail store, donating or gifting my art for worthy causes, and getting involved in other local business and community events is a way to contribute.
Perhaps teaching and mentoring is another step to adding value and support to my community and beyond.
“Sharing My Story” makes it personal.
Everyone has a compelling story to share. I need to be better at being ok to tell my story as an artist. Apart from social media, there are plenty of journalism platforms to help share a story.
In order for me to do that I need to craft my story to tell and be able to tell it authentically. And with that clarity will come the confidence to do better at finding the avenues of journalism, locally and online.
Is 2023 the year the bear leaves my back? I sure hope so! Even in moments of feeling the claws, I’ll remind myself to keep what I do fun.
It always helps to be reminded of why you start on an artists journey in the first place.