I started thinking about this post and podcast as an episode about TIME.
There’s never seems to be enough of it. Not today, not this week, not this season, and not even in a lifetime.
Watch or Listen
Time management? Forget about it.
We can’t manage time because the clocks keep ticking and the earth keeps going around the sun. Nothing we can do about that.
We can only manage ourselves: how we respond to what’s going on around us, what we consume, and the actions we take or (for our purposes) don’t take.
And, yet, many of us go through our days acting like we have all the time in the world to waste on things that don’t matter.
While I began thinking more about time, I eventually ended up at the importance of commitment. Stick with me and I’ll do my best to connect the dots.
Living Intentionally
When I reflected on how I was spending my time, I realized there were habits I needed to change to live more intentionally. One of those habits was cutting the cord on cable television last fall before the election. (Yes, I realize we were late to the party!)
There’s nothing wrong with unwinding in front of the television at the end of the evening. Thirty minutes of The Big Bang Theory wasn’t going to kill me, but 30 minutes could easily expand into two hours.
I don’t believe in maximizing productivity just for the sake of being productive, but I do believe in living intentionally rather than mindlessly. And I believe in examining my actions to see how they contribute to, or detract from, my well being.
Mindless television, after a certain amount of time, wasn’t making us happier. Something that costs that much money should contribute to our joy. Am I right?
I’m sorry we waited so long to kick the evening TV habit. We can never get back those hours.
You'll Regret What You Don't Start Now
Looking back on the past and pointing to regrets isn’t, for the most part, helpful for a meaningful life. But we’re human. We have complex, uncontrollable thoughts that can be set off by any situation. We’re going to have regrets, so we might as well call them what they are.
And if you’re reading this, you’ve probably lived long enough to know that regret comes more from inaction than from the wrong action or from failure.
Students and clients often confess to me, “I wish I would have signed up for your program earlier. I thought I wasn’t ready.”
This makes me both happy and sad. I’m happy because they find value in the work we do together. They are making progress, building momentum, and enthusiastic about what lies ahead.
But I’m also sad when I think of the results they could haven been reaping all along if they had been following the lessons I teach in Essentials for Artist Success.
Leap Before You're Certain
You’ve probably heard the quote “Leap and the net will appear.” Imagine if we collectively started leaping with abandon, trusting that nets would magically materialize beneath us. While I appreciate the conviction of this sentiment, I’d tweak it slightly: “Research, plan, do the hard work, and leap before you are certain you’re ready.”
As the saying goes, the only certainties in life are death and taxes. If you wait for perfect clarity or assurance that your direction is the “right” one, you’ll miss the boat. Certainty doesn’t exist.
The good news is, if you follow my advice to research, plan and work hard before leaping, you already have a metaphorical net in place—one that you’ve been weaving and strengthening through your preparations.
This net represents the confidence you’ve built through preparation and hard work. It’s your safety net—not for avoiding risk, but for knowing you’ve done the groundwork to land on your feet. You can trust it to hold you when you take that leap.
That said, a word of caution: avoid falling into the trap of over-preparing. Some people spend their entire lives stuck in preparation mode, endlessly perfecting, researching, and tweaking. Or, perhaps more accurately, wasting their lives.
At some point, preparation must give way to commitment and action. The truth is, progress doesn’t come from planning alone. It comes when you commit to a path and start moving forward.
Hesitation Creeps In
What about you? Where might you be hesitating?
If you want to see your art in a museum one day …
- Are you a member of that museum?
- Are you visiting museums regularly and staying engaged with their programming?
- Have you introduced yourself to the curator or attended their talks?
- Most importantly, are you honing your craft to meet museum standards?
If you’ve always wanted to publish a book …
- Are you writing consistently, even just a little every day?
- Have you taken writing classes to improve your skills?
- Are you learning about the publishing industry and what it takes to succeed?
- Are you practicing by crafting compelling social media posts that tell stories and connect with readers?
If you’d love to attend an artist residency …
- Are you researching the types of residencies and where you might fit?
- Are you tracking opportunities and deadlines in a systemized way?
- Are you reaching out to artists who have participated in residencies to learn from their experiences? (This is a topic that often comes up in our Art Biz Connection community and it’s inspiring to see members finding the answers and guidance they need.)
While you keep waiting for the right time, other artists are moving forward. Galleries and museums are curating shows. Collectors are adding to their collections. And they’re doing it without you.
Will you hesitate further? Or will you commit to taking action?
I’m not here to tell you what to commit to. That’s a deeply personal decision. But I will say this: You’ll regret not committing to something meaningful—something that inspires and motivates you. Something you can look back on with pride, knowing it was worth the effort.
What is that something for you?
It doesn’t have to be big. Sometimes the smallest action can set everything into motion.
Playlist: Something Meaningful
These episodes of The Art Biz feature artists who took on big, meaningful, career-changing projects.
Multi-State Multi-Year Multi-Artist Art Project with Marilyn Artus (ep. 30)
Knit Democracy Together with Eve Jacobs-Carnahan (ep. 64)
Impacting Artists First in a Curatorial Project Focusing on Empathy with Nanci Hersh (ep. 168)
Leaning Into Art to Battle Depression with David Sandum (ep. 169)
The Myth of "The Right Time"
This leads me to another common hesitation I hear from students and clients: “This is not the right time for me.”
Here’s what I know: There is never a perfect time to expand your business.
You will never wake up one morning and say, “Hey, let’s do this thing NOW!” And you’re quite unlikely to hear a message from the goddesses that encourages you to take action. More likely, you will listen to the anxiety, fear, and apprehension that keeps you small and safe.
If you’ve been saying you want to grow your art business but aren’t taking actions toward that goal, you aren’t in alignment with the vision you want for your life. There is no time like the present to begin.
Now I get that there are moments in your life that are packed with other commitments. That’s what my planning workshops are all about—getting real about the ramifications of what you’ve already said Yes to and how that affects anything else you want to take on.
But I also know this: There will never be a “good time” to have an exhibit, approach a gallery, write a grant proposal, or give your first artist talk.
You have to make room for your priorities. We tend to put off things that make us uncomfortable, and I challenge you, the next time you’re tempted to turn down an opportunity, to ask yourself: Is this truly bad timing, or is there an underlying fear of what might happen if I take bold steps?
Because fear should never drive your decisions. Let your choices stem from a place of authentic curiosity and enthusiasm.
The Artist's Empowered Success Cycle
Stage 2 of what I call the Artist’s Empowered Success Cycle is Strategic Planning—a phase where you map out the upcoming months with clear goals, focused strategies, and actionable steps. This ensures alignment with your vision, time, energy, and other commitments.
Strategic Planning is the bridge between stage 1, Insightful Reflection, and stage 3, Dynamic Implementation.
The stages are interdependent, forming a cycle that builds momentum and sustains progress. Without one, the others falter.
Yet, even the best-laid plans are, as I have been saying, made without certainty. You can’t predict with absolute confidence that every move will be right. You can’t control what happens in the world, how others will respond, or whether Mercury goes retrograde. You can only control your actions and your responses.
One of the tools we use throughout the Success Cycle is introduced in stage 2 and is called Inquiry for Progress.
Inquiry for Progress
One of the most valuable tools in this Success Cycle, introduced in Stage 2, is what I call Inquiry for Progress. When you feel stuck, unmotivated, or unsure of your next move, I encourage you to sit with questions rather than chase immediate answers.
Questions allow space for reflection, help you assess your level of commitment, and guide your decision-making.
Here are some examples of questions in this tool:
Why is this important to me?
What if I agree to this? What if I let it pass?
What’s the worst that could happen? What’s the best? Which scenario is easier to live with?
What obstacles will I need to overcome?
In today’s world, answers are everywhere—easy to find with a quick web search or conversation with the AI tool of your choice.
Sitting with these questions might feel uncomfortable at first, but that discomfort is where clarity and conviction are born. It’s in those moments of reflection that you uncover your deepest commitments.
Commitment
You can plan all you want, but until you’re fully committed to the plan—until you intend to implement it and give it your best shot—it’s not gonna happen. The Universe knows when you aren’t all in.
When you say you want something but don’t take action, when you pursue something for the wrong reasons, or when you think it’s something you should do, those are all forms of self-sabotage. I believe this is the primary reason plans fail: the commitment was never there.
As Scottish explorer William Hutchinson Murray wrote:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way …
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
[ That last couplet has been attributed to John Anster. See the full story of this quote’s attribution. ]
You’ll never have a guarantee that your plan is the right one—because no such guarantee is possible.
But there is a clear way to know you’re on the wrong path: when you lack motivation to implement your plan. That lack of motivation signals a lack of commitment.
The right plan is something you feel deeply committed to. It gives you purpose, something to work toward—a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Start Today
Hey, I know it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or unsure about your next steps. But you don’t have to figure everything out at once. Small, intentional actions can lead to profound change.
You have enough time to do what truly matters, as long as you’ve identified your values and priorities and let them guide your schedule.
To wrap this up, I encourage you to examine your level of commitment.
- First, look at your task list and calendar. Does what you see reflect your commitment to yourself, your art, the life you want to live, and the person you want to be?
- What might need to change to better align with that commitment?
- Who or what are you allowing to interfere with your goals?
- Where do you need to enforce boundaries that will protect your vision?
And finally, ask yourself: What one action can I take today—not tomorrow, not next week, but today—to remind me of my commitment to myself?
Remember, it doesn’t have to be a big step. It can be as simple as exploring a topic in your journal, writing an email you’ve been postponing, or spending 30 minutes with your sketchbook.
There is no reason to put off what could bring you positive results. What could bring you joy.
Whatever it is, let today be the day you take that step. The day you honor your commitment to yourself. Begin it now.
