Reading list: Playing to the gallery- Grayson Perry

'How do you become a contemporary artist?' (quoted from playing to the gallery, my response in italics.)

'For an individual, its self evident that you do not go to art college if you want a guaranteed route to making money. I feel very heartened by the fact that so many young people are prepared to risk the debt and disappointment because they believe in art. Even though statistics are staring them in the face, telling them they're probably perpetuating their poverty by doing it, they still go. I think that's lovely. I think that's a good thing.'

Understanding that pursuing a career in art is not a guaranteed way to make money and that it will be hard at first and things won't come to you, you have to get yourself out there and make opportunities for yourself.  

'An art college is a place to experiment , a place of unique freedom. Often that freedom is the freedom to get it wrong.'

There is a fear that will come with leaving art school, that I won't have as much time and encouragement to experiment, however, I feel that I will be ready to to leave that freedom behind and get myself to the point where I will again have the choice of experimenting If I make it to being able to paint more than part time, potentially full time. 

'It's a subtle experience being at art college because what you pick up is an understanding, a bodily understanding, of what art and being an artist means at that moment.'

'It's also a great joy to learn a new technique, because as soon as you learn it, you start thinking in it.'

I think about the painting technique that I use all the time, layering brushstrokes is a style of painting which majorly inspires me. I have practiced with this painting technique through most of my art school journey, if I wasn't practicing it, I was thinking about how I could start to practice it. I aim to master the technique I use, i think this will give me a confidence with painting that I can keep moving forward with.  

'This is probably the most difficult moment for a young artist, leaving art college after all those years of education. suddenly it's just you and the world- unprotected, undirected, and nowadays very much in debt.'

I am aware that I may feel like a safety net has been removed once I leave art school, but I also know that I just need to keep moving forwards and keep making work whatever my circumstances.  

'I do think you've got to take every opportunity as a young artist or a designer. If somebody offers you some little exhibition or a small part in a group show or a tiny opportunity, you take it. You take it because you never know. Every artist you know who's successful will probably trace their career back to some small event that was fairly insignificant.'

This is useful information as it is not clear on what opportunities an artist should take, but It makes sense that being a young artist is not a good position to dismiss opportunities. This will be a way to meet people and create links, it will also be a way to add to artist's CV. 

'A conversation  i had with the gallerist Sadie Coles many years ago has really stuck with me. I asked her, 'What do you look for when you're looking for artists to bring into the gallery?' and she said 'Commitment! Commitment to being an artist!' The most of the successful artists I've met are very disciplined. They turn up on time, they put in the hours. That idea of us all being a bit chaotic and shaky is a myth. Artists are doers! They don't want to be artists , they want to make art. They enjoy making art.'

To show commitment to being an artist- being disciplined, on time, working hard putting in the hours.