by Lou Belcher

Created on: March 07, 2009   Last Updated: April 09, 2012

The artist's ego is a fragile one. At times, it's hard to believe that others like your art and that they'll pay money for it. At other times, it's hard for you to accept that others don't find your work to be masterful. Here are some tips on how to accept your art:

1. Increase your confidence by taking classes. Are you not accepting your work as art because you don't feel your background gives you the credibility to be considered an artist? Anyone who creates is an artist, but if you have taken classes to know why what you are doing works, you will feel more confident and accept your art more readily. Others will accept your art more readily as well if you show confidence when presenting it to the public.

2. Learn to not only accept your art but to accept criticism of it also. When artists enter their work in juried competitions, they are filled with pride in their art and have visions of winning the best of show ribbon. At times, even the best of artists are rejected and their pieces don't even make it into the show. It's tough for artists to learn to accept this rejection. But the confident artist accepts this as part of the process. They know that, although they want to be in the show, this is only one person's opinion of their work and they do not take it as condemnation of them as an artist. Artists devoted to their work, move on and accept the criticism of others.

3. A good means to learning to accept your art is to find a mentor who will help you learn your value in the art world and who will help you in many ways. Mentors often don't realize their worth to an artist. They act as confidant, as a cheerleader when needed, and as an adviser. As such, a confidant can help the artist learn to feel confident in presenting their works to the public and to gracefully accept praise as well as criticism. A mentor helps to put it all in perspective so the artist can concentrate on creating more and better art.

4. Joining an art organization, league, or guild will help you accept your art. By getting together with other artists, you will learn that your feelings of insecurity, your tenderness when rejected, and your love/hate for your artwork are not uncommon feelings. Others go through the same emotions and you'll learn to accept your art through watching others accept theirs.

5. Finally, by showing your art, you will learn to accept it. If you keep your art to yourself, feelings of insecurity will grow. By showing your art when you can, you will learn to accept your art and the process.

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