Do you have to be Talented to be a Successful Artist

Do you have to be Talented to be a Successful Artist

Do you belong to the school of thought that drawing and painting are for the “few talented” ones? Did you develop an interest in art as an adult but you were discouraged that you ought to have started earlier? What if you’re told that as a less-talented individual but with greater desire, you can proceed further in arts than the talented person with little or no desire?


It’s so unfortunate that so many artists castigate themselves for not being talented enough to succeed. A common myth among the people is that learning something that demands more devotion and concentration has to begin at an early age. Thus to lots of individuals, if you wait until an old age before harnessing some skills, then you're wasting your time. The truth, however, is that being talented is just a stepping stone to success.

  • Tulips In Yellow Bloom Painting
    Tulips In Yellow Bloom
    Oil on Paper
    Size (WxH): 12" x 24" inch
    $580
  • Willow In Autumn Painting
    Willow In Autumn
    Oil on Cardboard
    Size (WxH): 20" x 26" inch
    $1,200
    SOLD
  • Grace From Above Painting
    Grace From Above
    Oil on Canvas
    Size (WxH): 60" x 48" inch
    $5,800
  • Orang Yellow Painting
    Orang Yellow
    Oil on Canvas
    Size (WxH): 22" x 14" inch
    $490
  • Light. Water. Painting
    Light. Water.
    Acrylic on Canvas
    Size (WxH): 31" x 31" inch
    $1,540


Although, some artists might naturally have the upper hand in some artistic skill sets, being successful at art, (especially at figurative or landscape paintings) has to do a lot with dedicating yourself to build and master the needed skills. To learn such skills, the foundational step before the usual “3Ps” is to change our perspective on our abilities (as the wrong thoughts would always hold us back from success).


Once you re-evaluate your capacities, you can then proceed to the conventional "3P's"

  • Passion: Succeeding in the art could be a challenging puzzle, but when you're passionate about it, you'll always be motivated to keep learning.
  • Patience: When you make combine your passion for art with patience, you’ll perceive everything related to art as a skill rather than talent. Patience opens up the world of those successful artists you look up to as dedicated persons who only started from somewhere before getting to the top.  As an up-comer, you’ll have to imbibe a long-suffering ability to be able to learn those skills that would make you become a great artist.
  • Practice: It takes thousands of hours to become an expert at something. Hence, you have to practice deliberately and consistently for you to become a successful artist. You have to be patient here with your art practice (even on abstract paintings) just as much you need to be consistent. Your innate talent also comes as a plus here as it conditions itself into learnable skills in your mind and helps you pursue your passion for art with vigor.

Other Things to Do

  • Once your 3Ps are set, never you forget that you’re your only obstacle to being great. Hence, to further reassure yourself that you can become a successful artist too; you can do the following things;
  • Develop New Pathways for your Creativity: Creativity itself might not be teachable in practical terms as it comes from within, but drawing skills are teachable. Thus, by envisaging with the eyes of an artist, you can evolve new paths for ingenuity.
  • Make Informed Choices: The choices you make with your artistry are a key determinant to how well you’ll fare in the highly competitive art industry.
  • Go Beyond the Limits: The more skills you have, the higher your chances of becoming a successful artist. So, just keep learning and keep exploring the beautiful world of arts.


Don’t just sit down there to become a couch potato who enjoys watching others succeed! It's time to eliminate that erroneous belief of yours and have a positive mindset that you can become a successful artist.

Posted on 04/21/2017 Art Blog 4445