Recognize the fact that the artworks you create are a reflection of your soul.

1. Honor your selfie

First of all, literally put yourself in your artworks. Photograph your feet, your body, your face, shadow, whatever it may be.

2. Photograph your soulmates

Photograph those who you love.

For example, I photograph Cindy (#cindyproject) in which I impute my love for her in the images I create of her.

3. Photograph your sentiments, feelings, and aesthetic sensibilities

Photograph anything you consider beautiful in your eyes. Allow yourself to create art-works which reveal whatever you find beautiful and elegant in the world.

Photograph things, places, trees, urban landscapes, street photographs— no categorizes. All photos you shoot which interest you are good photos.

4. Embrace all forms of visual artistry

Don’t just stick yourself in photography. Embrace calligraphy, drawings, or any other form of artistic expression.

For example, I love ZEN BRUSH 2 — I just makes sketches on my iPhone when I’m out and about. I never strive for any form of perfection. I sketch for fun, and don’t take it too seriously.

5. Ignore everyone else (and disconnect from social media)

The best way I’ve been able to thrive as a visual artist is to delete Instagram.

Why?

Social media makes you more generic, and influences you to ‘pander to the masses’. Which means, you ultimately get suckered by social media on this ‘like’ treadmill– in which you’re falling into the loop of uploading photos in order to collect more likes, in order to get that ‘feel-good’ dopamine hit.

I’ve found the ultimate zen-technology-artist hybrid is this:

Create art-works digitally, then share it on your own website/blog.

Best is to create a wordpress.org website, hosted via bluehost.com or 1and1.com.

Disable all your statistics, and keep on creating, and uploading/sharing your art-works. When you own your own website, you own yourself.

If you want to get real and honest feedback on your photo, upload it to arsbeta.com and also contribute your honest feedback and critique to other members in the community.

MAKE ON!

ERIC