Your homeschooler is beginning to show promise in an artistic endeavor like music, drawing, theater, or something else! That’s exciting — and it might have you thinking about finding the right lessons for your artistic preschooler to help them grow. But if you’re like most parents, it can also feel intimidating. While you know that it’s possible for your child to grow up and make money as an artist, you might not be able to get the image of the all-too-cliché starving artist out of your head.

To be honest, my parents had a similar reaction when I decided in 6th grade (in 1980!) that I was going to be an animator when I grew up. Now that I’ve been a professional animator for about 30 years (with some of those years at Disney), and have worked on 20 films, my parents and I can look back on my bigger-than-life childhood dreams with fondness, but I know they must have been pretty nervous every time I brought up this career they knew nothing about.

These days, I teach animation to kids who are just like I was, dreaming big and hungry for a career as an artist. That journey often begins much earlier than you might expect, with simple lessons for your artistic preschooler laying the foundation for future success. To be honest, getting to where I am today wasn’t easy, so when they ask me what they can do in order to turn that dream into their reality, these are some of the things I share with them.

1-Get Really Good at Your Craft

When I was finally “successful” enough to get a lawyer who would help me negotiate salaries and navigate the film industry, she told me something that has stuck with me ever since: “I cannot get you more money unless they really like your work.” Essentially, she was clarifying with me that at the end of the day, it was on me to be a good animator if I wanted a job, she couldn’t simply hack the system for me.

If you want to “make it” in the film industry, or the music industry, or any industry, there’s no way around it — you’re simply going to have to be good at what you do. Unfortunately, there’s no way to hack the system or cut corners if you want to be successful, so practice. Practice a lot.

2-Embrace Critique

One of the things I struggled with while I was at Disney was critique of my work. I was just too insecure about my animation. Whenever someone asked for a change, I took that as judgement and condemnation of my artistic ability.  And I had my identity so tied up in my artwork and animation, that it also felt like I was being judged and condemned as a person. Needless to say, I fought back a little too much. When I moved over to Sony Pictures, I decided that whatever a supervisor asked for, I would just give my best attempt, with no argument. And lo and behold, I started learning things. Lots of things and my animation got a lot better!

If you’re going to become really good at your craft, there’s simply no way to do that without embracing critique. Critique can be one of the hardest things to face as an artist, especially since you likely poured your heart and soul into your work. However, it is impossible to improve without accepting what it is that you need to improve, so swallow your pride, and accept criticism from everyone.

Yes, I mean everyone, even people you wouldn’t consider experts. Art is a vessel for communicating an idea, so if the average person doesn’t understand what you’re attempting to communicate, then your art hasn’t been effective. Now, if you’d rather just create things for fun and don’t really care if it turns into your career or not, then no need to listen to anyone’s criticism (although you’ll be stuck in one single perspective – your own). If, on the other hand, your desire is for others to consume and enjoy your art, you’ll need to listen to the feedback of others.

I get it, it’s extremely difficult to let people tell you what they honestly think about something you’ve poured so much into, but if you want to become an expert, push yourself to embrace critique.

Chad Stewart
Founder & Teacher, The Animation Course
Former Disney Animator