Great Artists' Wisdom: Find Your Artistic Voice

Quick Answer

Crista Cloutier, founder of The Working Artist, learned from great artists that real art is a lifelong pursuit beyond just creating pretty pictures. She emphasizes that art involves mastering a medium, developing a unique vision, devotion to craft, and acquiring the wisdom to infuse work with profound meaning and purpose. Cloutier, who has guided artists in 80+ countries since 2014, highlights that valuable ideas are what truly make the medium important, making an artist's practice a continuous journey of growth.

I’m so lucky I’ve spent my career surrounded by great artists, photographers, writers, and poets people whose names are known and whose works are celebrated, others — equally talented who might remain unknown.

Most artists are absolutely lovely to work with although there have been a few who were not so lovely, yet, something always told me to pay attention.

To listen and learn.

I knew that the lessons they shared wouldn’t only define myself and my work,

but that I might one day pass them on no matter what role I was playing in the relationship.

Whether I was collaborating in the studio, maybe curating an exhibition, or even selling the art itself,

I always felt that my true work was to accumulate the knowledge and experiences so that I might one day share them.

Share them with you as it turns out.

Real art isn’t just about pretty pictures, it takes a lifetime to master a medium and art is about learning to see,

creating a vision,

devotion to craft,

and acquiring the wisdom necessary to infuse the work with meaning and purpose.

Because it’s only when one has ideas of value that the medium even becomes important.

This can take a lifetime to learn and an artist’s practice is an exercise in reaching for the fruits of this tree over and over again.

Sometimes we feast on success, other times we’re starved by failure.

But you never stop reaching. Ever.

This is the wisdom that great artists have shared with me.

Written by Crista Cloutier, artist mentor + founder of The Working Artist. (learn more about Crista here)

Frequently Asked Questions

1 What key lessons did Crista learn from working with great artists?

Crista learned that real art is about more than just pretty pictures; it involves a lifetime of mastering a medium, learning to see, creating a vision, devotion to craft, and acquiring the wisdom to infuse work with meaning and purpose. She emphasizes that valuable ideas are what make the medium truly important.

2 How does the article describe an artist's practice and journey?

The article describes an artist's practice as a continuous exercise in reaching for artistic growth, where artists sometimes experience success and other times face failure. The core message is the importance of never stopping the pursuit of artistic mastery and wisdom.

3 What is the author's perspective on the purpose of art?

The author believes that art is about learning to see, creating a vision, devotion to craft, and acquiring the wisdom necessary to infuse the work with meaning and purpose. It is only when one has ideas of value that the medium itself becomes truly significant.

4 Who is Crista Cloutier, the author of this article?

Crista Cloutier is the author of "What the Great Artists Taught Me." She is identified as an artist mentor and the founder of The Working Artist, sharing knowledge and experiences accumulated throughout her career working with various artists.