As may you realize my main intention in writing about art is to help you become an artist or at least to start your pathway in the art world. So in the following lines, I will show you 5 steps to becoming an artist in Canada and maybe change from being construction labor to an artist, how to change from carpenter to sculptor, and find the way to start a job that you love every day instead of hating every second.
Well, the first thing I want to say is that you should start little by little, this is not something easy or something that you can achieve from day to night, but with some love, patience, and perseverance I am sure you can switch your life, work, and mind to a more creative way of making a living.
Graffiti street art. Toronto, ON. Photo by Raymundo Moreno.
1.- firstly ask yourself if you like art. Even though I know that is inside of us as humans, I recognize that not everybody is ready to become an artist, but the first step is to ask yourself if there is a little interest? Have you ever dreamed of being an artist? Have you ever wanted to learn a new activity related to the arts? Well, probably, right now you don’t have the answer so that will take us to the next step.
2.- The second step is to get involved in arts, and in Canada, it is very easy to do it. Here are some easy ways to start, watch some movies, let’s say that you wanna learn about music or how to play guitar, so find some documentaries about musicians. Read some books about music because the better you can see the music world, the better you will be able to understand it and the easier you will stay connected with your now called hobby. Check out some artists who can inspire you in that discipline. With these 3 activities, you will already have more materials about your possible passion and also you will know if you really want to be an artist and in which discipline.
3.- After you do step 2, it is time to involve yourself deeper, it is time to invest more than just time. You can start paying for a class of art. If you wanna learn how to paint, go and take a class or if you have the funds take a workshop that will give you knowledge, friends, and connections to expand your art community. Buy yourself some material or tools to develop your passion. After some classes, it is a perfect time to start exploring by yourself.
Still-life with four Sunflowers of VIncent Van Gogh.
4.- Hone your passion, so in this step, you have done a quite long way on your path as an artist, I need to highlight that the steps are summative and none is separate from each other.
The artist’s life has no end, we are always learning and perfecting our way of creating. The more you learn and practice, the more you will be able to achieve your goal, whatever it is. So keep doing the 4 steps at this moment. Keep in mind that we are looking to make from your passion a way of living. At this moment, I recommend you to read as many books on art as possible, having more info about the arts, in general, is what will open your mind and set you up as an artist. Remember that the difference between an artesian and an artist is the awareness of being one. But to know what is an artist, you need to educate yourself.
5.- Last but not least and, in fact, the most important step is to ask yourself what you wanna do with this talent that you got and perfected. Are you going for everything and turning this into a living. For example, if you learned about guitar, now you know how to play, and how to define yourself as a musician. What can you do with that? Which kind of artist you wanna be? Or do you prefer to do it little by little? Maybe you will keep your regular work on weekdays and be an artist on the weekend taking advantage of both worlds. Remember that you have the power of chose what fits better in your life.
Model of a river god. Michelangelo. Florence.
As a conclusion, the arts are a noble path that you can take no matter your age, your level of education, or your economical situation there will be always a way to do it. I strongly recommend you to follow your dreams and your passions, you have the power for doing it, and it’s never late. GO FOR IT.
Also you can read: Who could be an artist in Canada?
Raymundo Moreno is a contemporary, multidisciplinary and conceptual artist, who works through dance, performance, painting, sculpture, dance films and writing. He is passionate to talk about social movements and artistic activism. He was born in Puebla, Mexico, earned a degree in dance in the school of arts at the University of the Américas Puebla (UDLAP) in Mexico. He is currently living in Toronto.
