Your Goal Should Be to Be the Best Artist You Are Capable of Being - Akshita Palvia

Always have realistic expectations as to how much effort and practice it will take to become the best artist you are capable of becoming. 

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I am Akshita Palvia, the face behind the art handle ArtyPants_ap on Instagram.

I am a lawyer and a self-taught artist. Art has been a part of my life since I was a child. I took up art and became a full-time artist in May 2019, when I quit my job as a lawyer and moved countries.

Art to me is a calming and therapeutic form of meditation. I love experimenting with different mediums, be it pencil, charcoal, watercolours, acrylic or oil. My favourite mediums are watercolours and acrylics and favourite art forms are mandala and landscapes. 

Recently I have been gravitating towards and experimenting with mixing different mediums and art forms. Every day I learn something new and that keeps me motivated to be a better artist.

Creating, sharing and teaching art for me are ways of self-expression.

2. Who is your favourite artist and why?

My favourite artist hands down would be Vincent Van Gogh. I truly love his art, I mean who doesn't. Personally, I appreciate his love for bold colours. If you see his paintings, they all have such distinct brushstrokes which make the painting look so dramatic and eye-catchy, which is intriguing and makes one wonder 'what is the story behind this one?'

3. Is it a financially stable career?

Art is all about expressing oneself and imparting/sharing the creative process with others. Having said that, I would say, out of the personal experience that it's a slow process getting to a stage where one can viably monetize this skill, but it clicks, when you find and target the right audience and find your core genre within art, then there is no looking back. 

In this profession, it is extremely important to have face value or as they say, be known enough for people to approach you for commissioned work, conduct lectures and workshops for large audiences etc. It is a long and ongoing process and I am still in the process of learning and growing daily. 

4. Where do you get inspired to create art?

Nature is my biggest teacher and inspiration. I say this because whenever I look outside the window, be it the sunrise or the sunset, light blue morning skies or orange and pink evening skies, I want to paint them all.

So yes, for me nature has always been my inspiration to create paintings of various mediums. Also, the love and admiration of my social media followers and aspiring artists and art enthusiasts who attend my workshops and sessions, keep me motivated to continue teaching and creating.

5.What kind of book do you prefer to read?

I enjoy reading different genres, but the one thing I can't get my hands off are thrillers and murder mystery novels. 

Especially the ones that are structured and well-plotted always take me on a roller-coaster of emotions from suspense to disbelief to relief and in the end closure. One of my favourite authors is John Grisham. 

6.What piece of advice would you like to give to the future aspirants?

Everyone is an artist but in their own way and within their own means. Every day, learn to improve the way you create and approach colour, theme, positioning, structure, details and how you infuse a part of yourself into your art. 

Your goal should be to be the best artist you are capable of being. If that means earning your living from a day job, while moonlighting as an artist, that's perfectly ok. The demand for art is not always enough to support all of the talented artists who need to earn a living from it. 

Always have realistic expectations as to how much effort and practice it will take to become the best artist you are capable of becoming. 

Know your audiences, your passion towards particular art forms and mediums and most importantly know yourself and what art means to you. This and only this will help you succeed.

- Akshita Palvia: Artist

Interview by - Pallavi Surana