10 Rules Every Artist Should Hang Up In Their Studio

In the 1956 film "The 10 Commandments" Charlton Heston plays the character of Moses. Near the end of the film, Heston is seen walking down Mount Sinai with two stone tablets where God has written 10 commandments for all of mankind to follow. If I had to write 10 commandments to guide myself and others in art; this would be my list.

1. Talent vs Perseverance: Talent is common, but perseverance is not. We all have some talent, but not all of us have the ability to persevere. If you want to become good at drawing, you have to practice, practice, practice.
2. Work hard: Somebody is working harder than you…be that someone!
3. Keep Short Goals: If you set daily (short) goals, you will find that you have more success as a growing artist. Always set the bar a little higher and strive to reach your personal goals. You will be pleased with your continued progress. ex: some goal ideas to help get you started. I will practice my drawing skills at least 15 minutes per day. Pick a body part you want to improve on and set a goal to draw a minimum of that part per day…I will draw 10 ears per day, I will draw three sets of hands per day, etc.
4. Draw and/or Paint a little each day: A little is way better than nothing. The important thing is to keep the habit going. No gaps. This is why 10 minutes is way better than not drawing at all. Take 10 minute and draw an animal or draw a cup of coffee or draw a flower. It does not matter what you draw/paint, just so long as you do it. Don’t break the habit.
5. Be careful of Distractions: It is easy to get distracted from your art. Try to set up a designated place to draw and make sure everyone knows, when you are in your designated area, that means do not disturb. Headphones, with music? Turn your phone off? What ides can you come up with?
6.  Breaks are Necessary: Be kind to yourself! Remember, if you are tired your creative juices will stop flowing and you will find yourself in a funk! Take a break and recharge your creativity!
7.  Regrouping after that Break!: As hard as it is to make yourself take regular breaks, it can be just as hard to start back up after a break. Sometimes a break can be a quick 5-minute refresher or an extended couple of days or even a week. Just remember this, no matter how long a break you take, you can always start up again! Be kind to yourself, set those goals and practice, practice, practice!
8. Feeling down?: It is very common to find yourself in a slump. You find yourself with Artist’s Block and then the depression sets in. when you find yourself feeling isolated and depressed that is when you need to reach out to your fellow artists here in our group. There is a large number of members here (as well as myself and other Moderators) willing to reach out and give you that encouragement you need. Don’t be afraid to reach out, if you find yourself in a slump! We have all been there and will be again, that is what is so wonderful about being part of a great group like this!
9.  Envy will either motivate you or lead you to unhappiness: Ok, so what can we do to overcome this possible roadblock on your journey to success! First of all, you need to acknowledge that envy is real! You can't just say, I won't be envious, because we all do it! Envy is real. How you react to envy will help to shape your success or failure as an emerging artist.
10. You have 10,000 bad drawings in you. Quickly get rid of them: Mentioned within the article “Complexity and the Ten-Thousand-Hour Rule” Malcome Gladwell writes about the "ten thousand hour rule" and that "No one succeeds at a high level without innate talent." But there is a counter point within the same article that "the closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger role preparation seems to play." Basically, preparation beats innate talent every-time. Anyone can become talented with dedication and practice. So instead of focusing on 10,000 hours, I like to think of this as 10,000 bad drawings.