Does an artist need a mentor?
Since reading Mastery by Robert Greene, I have been feeling that maybe a mentor is the missing puzzle piece in my art journey. I think that if I had someone to learn from in real life, it would make my learning journey so much easier. I would have someone to talk to about my creative process, look up to, and discuss my thoughts with. But does an artist really need a mentor to have a successful art journey?
What is the role of a mentor in the career of an artist?
I thought of looking for a mentor, or mentors, because I wanted unique insights and knowledge away from books. A mentor who could look at my work and give me the honest perspective and feedback of a professional who wants the best for me.
I started doing my research to learn more about how I could find the right mentor. The first article I came across was this one where the author said: A mentor-mentee relationship is reciprocal, with both parties growing from the experience. The mentor learns about teaching and how to be more effective; the mentee learns about the art form, work ethic, resilience—the whole nine yards.
That made me realize that the most important person in the learning process is the learner first, then the teacher or mentor. Because if we look at this statement, “The mentor learns about teaching and how to be more effective,” it means that the mentor is also a learner, learning more about teaching by teaching. This means that an artist, being a mentee in this case, could learn by doing. I won’t deny that without a mentee, a mentor can learn little to nothing about teaching, and without a mentor, a mentee could learn little to nothing about the process of making art and what comes along with it, unless they decide to devote a large chunk of time to trial and error.
So, does an artist need a mentor?
Yes! As a shortcut to learning faster and avoiding the obvious mistakes that would slow down their growth. But it will all come down to the kind of mentor you see fit.
