The Roaring 20’s for Creators: 5 lessons from 2021 I’m taking into the New Year
Blessed and Happy New Year to everyone, and honestly just a virtual hug and smile as we continue to live in a global pandemic. If I could summarise my year in one word it would be.. pivoting. I started 2021 with a cold swim at Croyde Beach, and would continue to hike, camp and swim as I pivoted through the year with my artwork and getting through medical training.
Last year, I released my first collection during peak lockdown, I finally completed my junior doctor training and headed to the St Ives School of Painting to get back into the creative spirit! This year feels big, and I wanted to share a few lessons from last year to navigate this exciting new one!
Continue to simply… show up
The best thing you can do to continue to grow as a creative is to put yourself out there, as daunting as it may be. If I could go back and start my journey all over again I would tell myself not to hold back when creating, because I did! Perfection is actually not the goal, showing up consistently is powerful as it shows commitment and people will understand your vision through your regular presence.
The truth is, the world is fast paced and you’ve got to be here for it showing the best of you as often as you can!
As long as you have a pulse, you have a seat at the table
Away with imposter syndrome. It doesn’t matter if you’re the 5000th person to pick up a brush and start oil painting… because no-one has the same experiences and style as you. Tiktok exposed how hungry the world was for more creativity, simple concepts and less exclusivity in comparison to Instagram.
Repeat after me, “As long as I have a pulse, I have a seat at the table.” So continue to paint, draw, animate and illustrate. For me, I came into the Arabic calligraphy space feeling like I am another calligrapher of many, but no-one connected with maps and calligraphy the way I did. I still feel imposter syndrome sometimes, but I feel it more when I am not actively creating and putting out concepts. As long as I am creating, I am an creator. As long as I ‘art’, I am an artist.
Sign up for online courses
The first online course I did was in 2014, it was Omar Uddin’s course Become an Arabic Calligraphy Artist from Scratch first (I paid around £10 at the time). I then continued to learn from geometer Samira Mian and most recently Youtuber Nathaniel Drew. Online courses meant I could learn certain creative skills from my small town in Yorkshire alongside my studies and medical exams without feeling like I missed out too much. I love in person classes too, but online courses are more convenient and I’d highly recommend finding some to get your teeth into.
This year, I’d like to work of my video projects and learn how to story-tell better. Also, I’d like to have fun and experiment with what is out there, almost like I’m enrolled at Art school and I can choose a variety of modules.
So far this year (… and it has just been a week) I have completed;
Visual Story-telling by Nathaniel Drew and Johnny Harris
Fantastical Illustrations for procreate with Michael Realth
The next course I’m enrolled onto is Introduction to Arabic Calligraphy: Maghrebi Script by Maiida Noor, I’m really looking forward to this one as Thuluth and Maghrebi script are my two favourite. I only create calligraphy in Thuluth script so it will be refreshing to learn a new way of holding my calligraphy pens.
I would highly recommend checking out platforms like Domestika, Udemy and Skillshare to learn something new this year.
Build a network and continue to build it
When I was at medical school, I would travel to London (and abroad) to attend exhibits, branding workshops, evening talks and meet creatives I am inspired by. My instagram account helped me keep in touch with the people I connected with offline and online, I didn’t realise until later that building a little art community for myself would cultivate a creative journey with more weight than if I was going it alone.
Tips on building a creative network in 2022:
Show up on social media as a creative in the field you are interested in (and make it really clear in you bio)
Look for events that you’re interested in, maybe someone you are inspired by is in town and hosing an evening at a coffee shop or a book launch.. go!
Invest in courses and classes! Art courses can be expensive, but there is a wealth of knowledge to gain from teachers and established artists that you might be missing out on.
Comprehend that it is 2022 and the art world is changing: NFT Art, Tiktok for business and more
When the pandemic first came about, my mindset was that I can pause the rest of my life and get through medical training and rest from the stress of it all. I thought the world would wait for me and I could pick up from where I left off. The truth is, so much was changing and it was changing fast. The rise of tiktok meant video content is the new way of sharing your work and it changed the social media game for content creators. Unlike the frustrating instagram algorithm game, Tiktok gave anyone exposure and a chance to grow and become something, whatever that may be. For artists and small business owners, it provided a new way of sharing your story, artwork and inspirations.
Lastly, digital art has been around for a while but what if someone owned a piece of your work that was purely digital and non-interchangeable? Not just art, a video or piece of music too.. enter the world of NFTs which has been around since 2019 I believe, but suddenly people are realising the value of it. If you are a creative, look into it! I’ll be testing out Funoon’s NFT Islamic Art marketplace in 2022.
This year is a big one for creators, and I have an inkling there will be more value in being a creator month on month. If you need a push to start, let this be it. 🌱