If You Want to Achieve More Art Career Success Read This Interview With Artist JoAnne Carson

JoAnne Carson, joannecarson.com, is a successful artist who has mastered skills in drawing, painting and sculpture and has many art career achievements. She has had solo exhibitions in museums throughout the U.S. and was included in the Whitney Biennial and leading NYC galleries. Her artwork is found in numerous public collections such as the Brooklyn Museum of Art, among others. Her many awards of distinction include a Guggenheim Fellowship. In May of 2020 she will be having a solo exhibition at University of Maine Museum of Art in Orono. She attributes her success to being able to withstand rejection among many other positive traits. If you want to achieve more art career success read this interview with artist JoAnne Carson. This interview is part of our ongoing “Advice To Artists From Artists” series.

You may have read an interview I conducted with her on the Manhattan Arts International website in which she described her art as, “My work is hot and malleable – like a lava lamp. It celebrates the wild female spirit of a burgeoning life force – outsized, opulent, decorative, humorous and erotic.”

RP: JoAnne, you have stated that “patience and bravery” are two good things to know as an artist. Please elaborate.

JC: In order to move your work forward, you have to listen to your own voice and allow that to develop over time. It takes patience to hear yourself think and to find out what your artistic problem and preoccupations are. The bravery is the faith to believe in that process. We are full of self-doubts as artists and that is natural. I believe that bravery can steer you beyond those doubts to discover your authentic vision.

I am very able to withstand rejection – that is my super-power as an artist.

RP: It takes a lot of persistence to build an art career of your stature and longevity. What other personal qualities do you attribute your success to?

JC: I am very able to withstand rejection – that is my super-power as an artist. I learned the importance of this over time and trained myself with various rules; such as I will not allow myself to be upset over rejection for more than 24 hours. Now I’m usually over upsets in a few hours. Also, I’m not afraid to put myself into the world. I see pursuing opportunity as a game rather than as a possibility for failure. The word “trying” should substitute the word “ failure”. That would make an artist’s life a lot more fun and rewarding.

RP: As you look back on your art career in what way is it easier or more difficult being an artist today?

JC: Because of the Internet, it is easier for an artist to be visible at any stage of their career: blogs, Instagram, and Facebook are but a few forums for developing a community. What is more difficult, it seems, is that fewer people are purchasing art. Older collectors are divesting their holdings and the Millenials are invested in experience rather than objects. But in general I think that artists have a great ability to pursue opportunities in public art and exhibitions, and definitely have greater agency than previously.

The biggest mistake artist’s make is to think that there is only one way to move their career forward…

RP: Most artists struggle with attaining a signature style while continuing to evolve. What advice can you offer in that regard?

JC: It is crucial to identify what your creative problem is; what are the most essential elements of your concerns? I like to ask artists what is their first aesthetic memory as a child? Mine was seeing the sculpture of Bob’s Big Boy when I was six years old. I am still fascinated by the relationship between an image that is painted on a sculptural form; that is embedded in my psyche. Once you see what is bedrock in your artistic vision, you can move forward, using that realization as a buoy rather than an anchor.

RP: What have you observed to be the biggest mistake artists make to cause self-sabotage in their art career?

JC: The biggest mistake artist’s make is to think that there is only one way to move their career forward: a gallery connection, for example. It is far better to see that an artist must do many, many things – in fact, anything that they can think of to progress in their career. I recommend keeping a journal that records all the attempts to make an impact whether it is contacting another artist whose work you like, or writing to a critic on their criticism. There is so much you can do and no reason not to try everything you can.

Artists are a special sort of clan; social media puts you in touch with other members of your team… I think that is THE role that artists play and always have: to bear witness to their time and the moment within which they live.

RP: Do you think artists today have a role to play in shaping society and bringing awareness?

JC: Yes, I think that is THE role that artists play and always have: to bear witness to their time and the moment within which they live. Some artists are political activists; some are studio artists who observe the smaller moments of the world. All are documenting what it is like to be living at this moment and people in future generations will look back at the art of this time and understand something that otherwise would have gone unrecorded.

RP: Are you an active participant in social media? Why or why not? And, if so, where can we follow you?

JC: Yes I am on Instagram at joanne_carson, and also on LinkedIn.  I don’t really use FaceBook anymore because of their privacy policies that I find to be invasive. I like social media very much and am amazed at how many new artists I can view and connect with. Artists are a special sort of clan; social media puts you in touch with other members of your team – a sort of collaborative investment of time and interests.

Visit JoAnne Carson’s website at joannecarson.com