DECIDE that each day will be a good day and that you’ll be in a good mood. That’s right: You can decide.
DECIDE that you’ll sing, smile, laugh, and dance more often.
DECIDE to make this a rewarding year filled with things and people you love.
DECIDE to set boundaries around your studio time. The discipline of a studio practice is what makes you a professional.
DECIDE to try a different color, experiment with a new media, or open yourself to art that is different from your own.
DECIDE to be supportive of all artists in your community.
DECIDE to set boundaries around your personal time. You can’t be a vibrant artist if you don’t take care of yourself.
DECIDE to understand what is in the food you are eating and how it affects your well-being.
DECIDE to avoid things that upset your well-being.
DECIDE to exercise regularly.
DECIDE to set boundaries around your business time. If you seek to make a living from your art, you must take the planning, marketing, and promotion seriously. You must also pay attention to finances and other “less sexy” business matters like insurance.
DECIDE to use your contact list on a regular basis, whether it means picking up the phone, sending an email, or writing a personal note that needs a stamp to reach the recipient.
DECIDE to explore how social media—like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter—can help you network with potential buyers and collectors. There must be something to social media if everyone is using it!
DECIDE that you will learn more about the business “stuff” you’ve tried to ignore.
DECIDE to make the most of the time you have and to stop whining about the time you don’t have.
DECIDE to say No to those things that are not important to you or that get in the way of what you want to be.
DECIDE to take risks. You know that very few people ever reached their full potential without stepping out of their comfort zones.
FINAL WORD: Decide how you will show up in the New Year. Choose the decisions that resonate with you, write them down, and post them in a highly visible place. “I have decided that I will . . . “ At the same time, understand your motives for the decisions. Why did you make these decisions? There must be reasons for your choices. Decisions, goals, and motives are all part of the No-Excuse Art Biz Bootcamp. Join us!
Listen up! The podcast is an audio version of the above post.
5 thoughts on “Decide What Your Year Will Look Like”
Allyson- These are great suggestions. Recently, the USA Fellows 2009 grant recipients were announced. In exploring further, I found the following four criteria that are used in nominating candidates:
>expert artistic skills
>artistic education or training(formal or informal)
>a history of deriving income from those skills
>a history of active engagement in creating artwork and presenting it to the public
And so for all those artists who have difficulty motivating themselves to work the “business” of their art, know that if you expect others to view your art as professional, they must view you as a professional also!
Great advice! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Alyson! A great reminder of how much is within out power to decide. I am especially focusing on setting boundaries around my studio and personal time this year.
Barbara: Thank you for that list. It’s a good overview and, of course, the USA Fellows is an excellent program.
Jan: Boundaries are HUGE. Maybe make up a mantra to help you through the tough part of saying No.
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