Inspiration and Motivation Archives

Enough With The Shoulds

I’m looking at a word scratched in lime green on our office white board:

DISRUPT

I had written it earlier in the day after feeling closed in by conventions and “shoulds.”

You should get your book back in print.
You should have a 3-day event.
You should create a new class.
You should offer workshops again.

You know how it happens.

It starts with a voice that comes from a position of authority – a coach, mentor, author, or blogger.

Suddenly, you think you have to drop everything and tackle the latest should-bomb hurled at you. (scene: violent internal struggle)

The biggest should on my list every week is to write this newsletter. I am proud that I’ve written and sent it every week, without fail, since March 30, 2002.

But there’s no heart in it if I’m just doing it because I don’t want to break a streak. I’m more interested in sharing juicy material when I have it than in maintaining a record.

Someday soon you won’t get this email in your inbox on a Thursday. You may not get it at all one week. I’ll still be here, but I will be trying on a new story to see if it fits.

What’s Your Should Story?

What are you doing only because you’ve felt that you should do it?

Enough With The Shoulds Read

Processing Loss Through Your Art

A gentle warning before you read this. This was supposed to be a celebration article, but things happened that led me in a different direction. You might find it sad.

Stick with me because there is a message here that you might need. Maybe not now, but someday. And I promise that there is a happy ending.

Thank you in advance for allowing me to share this story with you.

Let’s start with the celebration. This week I celebrate 15 years of writing a weekly email to artists, which I mark as the anniversary of Art Biz Success. The newsletter is now posted here on the blog where you’re reading it.

It was on March 25, 2002 that I sent my first private email as a sample to artists I found on the Internet.

I can’t promise this newsletter and corresponding blog post will go on forever. I can’t even promise they will happen next week. But I’m pretty proud that I have never missed a weekly issue. That’s 780 newsletters if you’re counting.

This week’s newsletter – the very one you’re reading now on the blog – was a close call. Here’s what happened.

Processing Loss Through Your Art Read

Ways of BE-ing

Goals are about action and achievement. They’re about DO-ing. Consider these examples:

Gain representation with one gallery.
Increase my newsletter list by 50%.
Create new watercolor class.

You identify challenging goals to move closer to the vision you have for your art career (and life).

And … because you don’t want your vision to get lost in the busy-ness of working toward individual goals, it’s important to remember how you want to feel as you’re striving toward those goals.

With that in mind, I asked my Art Biz Inner Circle members how they wanted to BE in 2017.

Many artists chose a word-of-the-year to answer the question. I thought it would be fun to share with you the wide range of be-ing words, which I’ve grouped into seven categories in this article.

I hope you’ll take a look at this list of ways of be-ing for artists and see if any of them ring true for you.

Ways of BE-ing Read

Aligning Actions with Words = Success

Do your actions align with your words?

What I mean is: if you say that you want a successful art career, are you doing what it takes? Or are you exerting the minimum effort without any thought of your future?

If you say you want one thing, but aren’t taking action to support that one thing, you are out of alignment. You’re confusing the Universe – probably because you have mixed feelings yourself.

If you proclaim that you want a successful art career, I have six questions to to ensure that your actions align with your dreams.

1. Do you maintain a regular studio practice?

I don’t mean to imply that you have to be in the studio from 8:00am to 5:00pm every day for six days a week. I’m just asking if the art is getting made.

Without the art, you are not an artist. Without the art, you have nothing to promote.

Without the art, a successful art career just ain’t happenin’.

2. Are you promoting your art consistently?

Or are you promoting your art only when you feel like it?

Consistent promotion doesn’t equal bombarding your list and followers with your art. It’s about having a schedule and sticking to it rather than marketing whenever it strikes your fancy.

If you’re a dabbler, you have the luxury of marketing whenever you want to.

If you want a successful art career, you have to get over the idea that

Aligning Actions with Words = Success Read

Lucky You

When it comes to building an art career, I subscribe to Thomas Jefferson’s view of luck:

I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
― Thomas Jefferson

In other words, don’t rely on luck to hand you a successful art career. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. Every. Single. Day.

On this St. Patrick’s Day, it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves how lucky we are. But every lucky gold coin has a flip side to be aware of.

Self-Expression

You’re lucky you can express yourself freely through your art form. We take this for granted, but not everyone in the world can safely get away with doing so.

In many countries, artists are a dangerous lot because they refuse to go along with the status quo and have “outrageous” ideas about democracy and freedom of religion.

Above all, be grateful for freedom of expression.

On the flip side:

Lucky You Read

©Kadira Jennings, Mythic Journey III. Oil on canvas, 91.5 x 91.5 centimeters. Used with permission.

23+ People to Be Grateful For

1. The janitor who cleans your gallery or apartment lobby.

2. The housekeeper who does good work, so that you can focus on your good work.

3. The gardener and lawn mower who tend to the outside of your space.

4. The tech person who was so patient with you when you thought the world was falling apart.

5. The person at the shipping company who “gets” that your art needs white-glove treatment.

6. The mail carrier who delivers important correspondence and packages.

7. The coffee shop owner who lets you mooch wifi for two hours in exchange for a $5 cuppa joe.

23+ People to Be Grateful For Read

Your Biggest Fear of All

Building a business is exciting and scary for anyone who undertakes the task.

Building an art business is even scarier because your artwork is so personal. It’s not like you’re making widgets. You’re baring your soul to the world.

You’d be crazy not to be a little scared.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve coached clients with the following fears:

Fear of setting boundaries with a spouse. (It ended up that the spouse wanted the same thing. What a relief to have the conversation!)
Fear of public speaking, and knowing that it is necessary when you get to a certain level with your art.
Fear of the next step when you’ve reached what you always thought would be the pinnacle of your career.
Fear of too much success and being overwhelmed.

The fears I have in my business:

Your Biggest Fear of All Read

Art Is About Being In The World

[Art] isn’t about being in the studio, it’s about being in the world. – Robert Irwin I count myself lucky that I ended up at an art talk with Robert Irwin last April. Irwin didn’t just get off the art school bus. He’s been in the ‘hood for a while now. He’s 86 and was

Art Is About Being In The World Read

Say No Without the Guilt

When someone asks something of you, there are a couple of ways you can respond: Yes or No.

When you say yes to everything, you are probably saying no to yourself and many of your art goals. You are saying that what someone is asking or offering is more important than your agenda.

You can’t even do everything that’s on your list right now, so how do you ensure that your art business remains a priority when so many people are asking for your time?

Say No Without the Guilt Read

Art Critics Really Said This

Last week I sat in the audience and listened to husband-and-wife art critics Roberta Smith (New York Times) and Jerry Saltz (New York Magazine). They were in town at the invitation of Denver’s Clyfford Still Museum. (The photo here was taken from my seat.) What struck me most was not just how much art they

Art Critics Really Said This Read

Inspiration and Motivation

What’s Your Should Story?

1. Do you maintain a regular studio practice?

2. Are you promoting your art consistently?

Self-Expression

Your Artist Mailing List: Rethinking + Assessing