How To Think Like An Artist

Being a creative isn’t easy.

It just isn’t.

If you feel like you were born with an intense need to speak freely, express deeply, explore curiously, and live passionately— and the release for all these feelings is to create… this is for you.

There is almost nothing more stifling and discouraging, than feeling like no one cares about your art.

Lets face it: it hurts, and it’s also maddening.

How many nights have you stayed up perfecting, obsessing, crying, doubting, and even on the verge of giving up—all to be immensely proud of your final product, whatever that may be for you.

You take all that pride, and muster up the courage to bring your creation to the world…and it’s met with crickets.

And I understand that there’s no way around it— it sucks.

But, that’s not the point of what I want you to get today.

What I want and need you to understand is: Thinking like an artist is the antecedent of output, then of income.

There’s invaluable advice out there on Youtube, and other platorms, on how to market yourself to make an income as an artist.

But, there’s so little advice on protecting your mind, artistic integrity, and maintaining momentum as an artist, in the low phases before the spiral up to success.

What does it mean to think like an artist?

Intentional immersion.

You need to immerse yourself, not just in your own art, but in other artistic mediums.

For example, I just saw the remake of East of Eden on Netflix— it was an epic, a true masterpiece, and I felt inspired by the cinematography.

I can’t stress this enough: Go look at art.

Go to an art gallery. Go to the museum. Go for a nice walk in the park. Listen to an entire album of an artist you’ve never heard of. Watch a movie from a different decade. Read a classic novel. Read a play from a great playwright. Go to a café alone, and people watch.

Then, lay on your bed and close your eyes, empty your mind, and allow your body to relax.

Once you’re in a practice and rhythm of intentional immersion—create your art.

When you are putting yourself in situations to be inspired, you will be inspired.

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

Same goes for our bodies, our minds, inspiration and creativity.

You cannot create from an empty well.

If you’re obsessed with output, and not maintaining intentional artistic input— your art, your output, and thus your income will suffer.

We cannot be long-suffering artists in 2026.

There are too many resources and wonderful programs out there that support artists. Many of them are free.

Even more are accessible, like what you’re reading now, and what I discuss on my Youtube channel.

Thinking like an artist means being actively mindful about protecting the part of you that exists as an artist.

You’ll able to produce and sell from a full cup, when you’re intentional.

It’s disheartening when in the beginning of your career as an artist, your art goes mostly unnoticed, and your funds are dry.

But, when you’re intentionally immersing yourself in art, and you’re consistently being poured into by different art forms (preferably ones which require you to leave your home,) inspiration will flow.

From an inspired state, you will want to create: and thats where strategy comes in.

Now that you know about intentional immersion, you can lean into strategy.

When your cup as an artist is full, you then have to pair it with being strategic.

But, lets back up.

What is your strategy?

Before you create, you need a foundation.

I personally, don’t enjoy writing these articles, making videos or even taking photos, if there’s no structure to hold space for my work.

What does my foundation look like?

Simple:

1. I made a publication website (the one you’re reading now.)

2. I made categories for the kinds of articles I’ll write so I stay on topic, and the images I use match its category (i.e. The Frame, NYC Through My Camera, The Portrait Notebook, The Art of Noticing.)

3. I made a dedicated Instagram account for my work. (I don’t merge my photography & content with my personal instagram page.)

4. I made a Youtube channel to: a) Market my photography b) Share behind the scenes of my process c) Share the value I’ve learned from doing this work d) Reiterate my mission or my ‘why’ for sharing my value.

Thats an example of having a foundation.

This way, when I take photos, my foundation aligns to serve my structure:

1. Upload photos.

2. Edit photos.

3. Post photos on Instagram.

4. Write an article for the appropriate category featuring the photos.

5. Schedule to publish the article at 10am the next day.

6. Write out Youtube video topic ideas based on the article.

7. Make a loose script for the video topic chosen.

8. Shoot the video.

9. Edit the video.

10. Have Google Gemini assist me in the final product of my thumbnail, after I’ve made a 1st draft on Canva.

That’s it.

It sounds like a lot, but it’s necessary.

This process also gets refined when needed, so that ultimately my photography has the best chance of getting to who it needs to– neatly packaged with its surrounding content: articles, videos, Instagram posts.

My strategy also happens with keeping these pillars in mind:

1. Mission

2. Value

3. Behind The Scenes

Feel free to use any part of my structure and foundation I shared for your artwork.

Art shouldn’t exist in a vacuum.

The more you pour into intentional immersion, your creativity and inspiration will flow, and you’ll feel protected from not seeing instant results.

You’ll be too inspired (and busy persistently creating) to get too down on yourself.

The more you dedicate to your foundation for the structure which will house your art (so output is seamless,) the more return on personal & creative investment you’ll see over time.

Success happens on an upward spiral. It’s okay to doubt sometimes, and it’s okay to take a break.

If you want success as an artist— pick up your craft, and keep going.