Always don’t be afraid to experiment. I know it is scary to step out of your comfort zone, but it is worth it eventually. I try to experiment as much as I can and since I work really intuitively, I often accidentally create a piece that is really fun.

I strongly believe that artists should take advantage of every opportunity to showcase their work. This is because it is crucial for artists to get their work in front of as many people as possible, especially those who appreciate their style and genre. Submitting your work to awards, competitions, and residencies can be a great way to connect with a wider audience and find "your community" in the art world.

Even though you may be very experienced or confident about something, when creating art, it's like solving a problem of all possibilities. Seeing your work from a child's perspective is to be honest and pure, to be curious, to be open, and to be free, rather than sticking to one aesthetic, one style, or one answer. If a work of art is "finished," the work is also dead.

Be you. Do NOT change what you enjoy making to fit a venue, competition, or gallery. From my experience, when you change your art to specifically please others, there is no passion in the work. I have done this in the past, and always regretted it. Sure, the work was technically acceptable, but there was no LIFE in it. There was no joy in creating the art. My viewers could tell I was going through the motions and just painted because I had to get it done. 

Instead, create YOUR art.

I advise artists to be genuine and authentic with themselves and express their truth. Don’t settle for what is easy and acceptable. Work hard, be ready, and take advantage of every opportunity in front of you.

One thing that made a difference in my photographs over the past year was learning how to critique other people's work. My advice is to spend some time learning how to really critique photographs. I don't mean deciding whether you like a photo or not. I mean learning how to critique the building blocks that make the photographs impact, the technical elements, and the composition.

Have fun with your art. Experiment with everything you can. You will have ups and downs with your art, so roll with it. Also, art is open to everyone’s interpretation. So not everyone will like your art and it's okay. Lastly, make sure you are doing stuff that you enjoy. You don’t want it to feel like a chore when you are working. You want to love what you do.

“Inspiration is for amateurs.” I still think that is probably true. Waiting around for a good idea is maddening. Good ideas fall into dirty hands.

I keep busy. It’s the wonderful thing about my divorce from the conceptual model. My hands, my eyes, are doing the thinking. There is less and less cognitive construction of the work. The work has its needs and I, in many ways, subjugate my own needs to meet the needs of the work.

Do what you feel in your heart, and learn the thinking and works of excellent artists. Good things and good works should be learned with a lower mind. Have an inclusive attitude.

Never stop learning. Don’t ever think you know everything there is to know about your craft. Creating art means having a constant pursuit of knowledge, growth, and increasing maturity no matter what phase you’re in or level of achievement. Make art for YOU.

It takes time to refine your technical skill and creative process, so do something that adds to your practice daily. Also, keep on top of admin. It's a beast that can quickly get the better of you!

I very naively thought that I could take a year off, create a bunch of beautiful artworks and sell them. I’ve learnt that being an artist is 50% creating art and 50% attempting to run a business and be a marketing manager, a graphic designer, a photographer, a web-developer, a salesman, a networker so that my art can actually be sold. I am so grateful for the Boynes Emerging Artist Award for supporting and helping artists get exposure.

Do what you love to do and plan for spending time working at getting better at it. That dedication I believe becomes apparent in the work. Having said that, applying for things is sort of a numbers game. Expect a lot of rejection but know that something positive and lovely is bound to happen as well. Also, expect to not expect when and where that will happen. I have also learned however that the accolades are definitely not something one should base their self-worth on and that’s why it is really important to be grounded in the work and what it does for your own experience in life.

My advice is to change pace when you aren’t excited by your work. If an idea isn’t exciting, find a way to change it, or find a new one entirely to work from. I’ve let myself go too long on ideas that I’m no longer thrilled about and the results are never thrilling either.

It’s important to not be afraid to apply and keep trying, even if you face rejections. I  know firsthand how discouraging rejections can be, but it’s important to remember that if  you don’t apply, there is no chance of success. But if you do apply, there is at least a  possibility that your application will be successful. So don’t give up, and keep applying.

I'm sure nobody wants advice from a self taught sculptor that’s only been doing it for 2 years, however if you’re self taught like me then, watch lots of videos, buy the books, invest in the materials, look out for short courses and get loads of advice from established artists. Joining an association is a great way of meeting like minded people and getting their expert advice which is what I did.

If you’re just starting out or thinking about starting then just go for it. If not now, when?

My main piece of advice for other artists is to talk about your work with anyone who wants to listen. If you are unsure about where your work is going, the more you talk about it, I have found, the more you will catch real glimpses of it along the way. Another piece of advice that I received from one of my past professors, is “at some point, the work starts dreaming about itself.” Turning off your mind and creating intuitively can lead to incredible results. Your body knows what to do, and it knows how to do it. Sometimes, all you can do is trust your physical self.

When I moved from Idaho to California, I did not foresee myself going through a divorce and having a rod placed in my back and a new hip. Through these events I was forced to  go inside and forced to be intimate with myself. Uncomfortable as it was, I created  sculptures that hopefully allow others to do the same.

I once asked another artist if my work was getting too weird and I got the best advice. “Let your freak flag fly.”