mindset

Sky Pape Art

The Career Journey of Growth-Minded Artists

One of the most-used business metaphors is the ladder of success.

With this metaphor it’s assumed that you start at the bottom and work your way to the top rung in a predictable, progressive fashion. Wouldn’t it be easy if you always knew your next steps?

But this isn’t how your business works.

Think about it. What’s at the bottom of the ladder of success? What is the progression of steps? And, most importantly, what in the world happens when you get to the top?

When you get to the top, are you finished? Is it all over?

I have never heard of a single artist – visual, performing, or otherwise – who thinks they’ve attained the highest level possible in their career.

I think that’s why, even though I use it, I have a problem with the word “success.” Growth-minded artists keep moving the target for success. They’re never quite satisfied.

You will keep going for as long as you breathe.

You’re creative, after all. You want to learn more, improve your art, and flourish from accepting new challenges.

You want your art to be seen by more people, to be acquired by ever-prestigious collectors and institutions, and to leave a legacy.

Artists don’t reach the top and say that’s it. They keep going!

Your Art Biz Career Circle

Rather than the using the metaphor of a ladder, I use the circle to explain how art businesses and careers expand. Here’s how it works.

The Career Journey of Growth-Minded Artists Read

Ways of BE-ing

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

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

Pastel of palm by Susan Klinger

Entrepreneurs R Us (Curious Monday)

The world loves labels. And, yet, many artists would walk a mile out of the way to avoid a label.

Just for fun, though, try on the label “entrepreneur.”

I am an entrepreneur.

I think you, too, are an entrepreneur, but I’m not sure what you think about that word. Let’s find out.

Are You An Entrepreneur?

Without getting into the official definition of the word, do you relate to the word “entrepreneur”?

What comes up for you if I called you an artist-entrepreneur?

Do you describe yourself as an entrepreneur?

What would it take for you to feel more like an entrepreneur? Is that desirable?

Do you buy products, classes, books, and programs for entrepreneurs?

Can’t wait to hear what you have to say. Just leave a comment below.

Entrepreneurs R Us (Curious Monday) Read

©Jean Reece Wilkey, Mango on Silver Creamer. Oil on panel, 14 x 11 inches. Used with permission.

Empower Yourself By Taking 100% Responsibility

External factors do not determine how you live. YOU are in complete control of the quality of your life, by either creating or allowing the circumstances you experience.

Jack Canfield

It was in Jack Canfield’s seminal book, The Success Principles, where I first read about the necessity of taking 100% responsibility for your life. In fact, it’s no lower on the list than Principle #1 in the book of 64 principles.

He’s pretty clear. It’s not 100% responsibility for this or that. It’s 100% responsibility for EVERYTHING. This means:

  • You have to give up all of your excuses.
  • You have to give up blaming.
  • You have to give up complaining.

Here’s the thing about taking 100% responsibility: It puts you in charge.

I understand that this amount of control can be daunting for a new business owner, but wouldn’t you rather have control than to cede it to others?

Embrace this power!

If you’re frustrated by your results, or lack thereof, don’t blame the economy, the online platform, the weather, other artists/people, or the venue.

Instead, consider the things you can control. This is taking responsibility and being a savvy businessperson and more enlightened human being.

Empower Yourself By Taking 100% Responsibility Read

Not again! I forgot to market my art!

Marketing As You Go

Marketing isn’t something you do when you are done with the work.

You can’t afford to wait until everything else is in its place to promote your art. You must be marketing consistently.

Marketing is more than taking out an ad or sending an email. Marketing is a combination of everything you do to sell or to gain recognition for your art. Everything.

There will be times when you must focus on the work in the studio, which means there is no room in your life for marketing tasks. But something is amiss if this drags on for weeks without attention to your business.

Don’t wait until you’re finished with a body of work before you start marketing it. Think about marketing daily. Actually, do more than think. DO your marketing daily – as you go.

You don’t want to wake up one day with the realization, Not again! I forgot to market my art!
By this point, it’s probably too late to get the results you want.

Don’t think of marketing as separate from your art. Marketing is the final step of making: sharing your art with others.

But it’s more than that.

Marketing As You Go Read

Say no without guilt

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 Roberta Smith (New York Times) and Jerry Saltz (New York Magazine)

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

you are fired

Would You Fire Yourself?

If you were the boss and had you as an employee, would you be happy with your performance, or would you fire yourself? Let’s pretend for a moment that you are conducting a performance review of your work. Evaluate whether or not your expectations as an employer are being met by your performance as an employee.

Would You Fire Yourself? Read

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Your Artist Mailing List: Rethinking + Assessing

Get a transcript of episode 182 of The Art Biz (Rethinking Mailing Lists for Artists) followed by a 3-page worksheet to evaluate the overall health and usage of the 3 types of artist lists.

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You’ll also receive my regular news for your art business.

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