Perfect Painting Tools Do Not Make A Perfect Painter

We but half express ourselves and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

In all the years I've been consulting artists one consistent problem plagues all careers - limitations.  It may manifest itself in:

* "I can't paint well because I do not have professional level paints and brushes"

* "I can't be a professional artist - I haven't had enough classes and/or workshops"

* "I can't be a professional yet because I do not live where other artists live"

All of these limitations have one thing in common - fear.  What are you afraid of?  Within each one of these examples, and the list goes on and on, is a story.  Each one of these limitations is a story that artists tell themselves so they can explain why they can't succeed in this business.  When you start your career from this perspective, I can assure you, you will do exactly that.  You will fail.  If you would only realize that you are pointing ahead with your finger and telling yourself, "I will fail."  With every disappointment, and in this profession, or any, there will always be disappointments, you will be confirming your failure.  There is nothing I loathe more than sitting among a group of artists that are pissed off and resentful, spewing victim logic.   Take responsibility for your results and choose a better future.  

Let's address the limitations and look at how ridiculous they are.  You can't paint well because you do not have the perfect set of tools and materials that the 'superstar" artists endorse?  Really?  I've been painting 20 years and I can tell you this, I rarely have ideal situations, materials or conditions.  Do I let it stop me?  The answer is NO.  I paint with what I have and I do it damn well because I refuse to let these things influence my vision.  A real genius can work with nothing and create great things.  Buying flashy materials will not make you great.  Experience will.  I can remember all the years I worked in construction in high school and college.  I worked with some of the most talented men in the industry.  They didn't have shiny tools and gadgets.  Most of them used tools that would be considered outdated, even back then.  These were real craftsman that knew their tools and their materials and respected what they had.  That is what made them great. The only new tools brought on the job were from the new guys.  Flashy gadgets and materials are useless in the hands of the inexperienced.  They lack finesse and potential when used improperly.  Learn to work with what you have and work your way to better tools as your career progresses.  

If you refuse to allow this to be a stumbling block:

a. you will have destroyed a limitation on your career and your progress

b. you will become grateful for what you have and you will have planted the seeds for growth in your career.

c. you will gain confidence by experiencing how to paint, rather than losing years of experience because you embraced an excuse.

Do not "half express yourself" because you've told yourself you couldn't do something.  Tell yourself a new story.  Give thanks daily for the experiences you are having and how they are contributing to your growth as a professional artist.  Make mistakes and learn from them.  Experience is all you need to be the great artist you desire.  Let nothing stop you, ever.

Eric is a figurative artist, liturgical painter and portrait artist.  His work can be seen at http://www.ericarmusik.com.  His new full color book of paintings, “Silent Emotions” is officially available here.

To book a one on one artist career consultation to get your career on the right track, go to http://www.ericarmusik.com/artist_consultations.html

Reality is for Everyone Else, Not You

How many times have you been told to you should "join the real world" or get a dose of reality? I'm sure more than once if you are an artist. I'm just amazed at how many of us actually give this advice our attention. The question we should return with is one simple word- why? Why should we? We are the dreamers, the visionaries, the people who mark our civilization the ones who make history. What is the first bit of recordable data we have of human life? The Paleolithic caves of Lascaux. Why do we know what life was like then, because artists rendered it. Artists have been and will always be the ones who leave great accomplishments behind for generations to come. How does any of this fit into the mindset of a 9 to 5 job?

Why do so many of us surrender our dreams to the constraints and limitation of this lesser mindset? Reality kills dreams. It is your job to have dreams, not suppress them. How can you create if you are restricting yourself to every one else's limitations. No matter if you are still in high school or in college or a new professional, understand right away that this "reality" advice usually comes from someone already unhappy with their life. It has little to do with you. Your dreams must stay your own. Never make the mistake of weighing your dreams in anyone else's opinions.

Why have dreams? I mean, we've been told a million times the last few years that the economy is bad so we can't possibly expect to succeed. Art is a luxury business, yada yada yada... Let me ask you this, when is it a good time to dream? There isn't one. There isn't a perfect time to get married or have children either. Dreamers don't wait for perfect economies to suddenly get the green light to start creating and inventing. Some of the greatest businesses we have today were created in a recession. If you don't think I'm telling the truth, ask yourself what search engine you used today. I'd bet it was Google, a company that started in a recession. The point I am making is that do not let the negativity of others stifle what you are doing or what you dream of becoming. It isn't for them to have a say. Dream and seek out those goals.

Some quick habits to adopt:

1. Turn off the TV and all negative gossip about the economy, be your own economy
2. Keep your dreams inside. Write them down as short-term and long-term goals. If you have someone in your life that is supportive like a husband or a wife share them only with that person. They will be a valuable coach.
3. Be positive, know what you desire is inevitable if you seek it out.
4. Do not let failure stop you. Everything is a lesson, especially negativity. Use that knowledge to win next time.
5. Dream! Be unrealistic. That mentality has spawned the greatest achievements, inventions and ideas we recognize throughout history.

Be unrealistic! You're an artist. Start acting like one!

Eric is a figurative artist, liturgical painter and portrait artist. His work can be seen at http://www.ericarmusik.com. His new full color book of paintings, "Silent Emotions" is officially available here.

To book a one on one artist career consultation to get your career on the right track, go to http://www.ericarmusik.com/artist_consultations.html

Rejection is NEVER the End

Rejection is never the end. Think for a moment about that. Let it become your mantra. Print that out and tape it to the door of your studio because if you want to be a successful artist you had better have this perspective.

I know this way of thinking is completely outside what many artists believe and I can understand why. We are attached to what we are selling. These are our creations. They were made in the privacy of our own studios. We’re not selling someone elses products, we created them. We think they are beautiful and we’re daring enough to put them out there for critique. When someone pops that bubble by rejecting what we see as great, it can destroy us. I’ve always been amazed at how we, the creative people, can be deflated by people without talent? Why do we listen to the negatives? Are we all that desperate to believe in anyone but ourselves? Precisely.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best in this passage of Self Reliance:

Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato and Milton is that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men, but what they thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the luster of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts; they come back to us with a certain alienated majesty. Great works of art have no more affecting lesson for us than this.

So many of us allow others to stop us from doing what we were put on earth to do. We surrender our destiny to others and in the end we stop trusting what we believe, which is that we have a purpose, and an original one, at that. We all need to listen to more positive notions of ourselves and what we create to bring out the very best in us. Anyone can do it and at any stage of our careers. Furthermore, you can do it even well after you’ve been rejected over and over again. The secret is that the more you do try the more you will be rejected so start building that impervious armor and go out and fight!

Do not let anyone hold sway over you and what you believe in. You are no different from any great person that dared to believe in themselves. The people who continue on, succeed and create the personas we are inspired by but don’t fool yourself. They all started out, just like you, with doubt, fear and a host of other problems that would have made them quit too. They just chose not to.
Remember, the next time you are rejected from something you truly hoped to achieve, remember this line from Napoleon Hill,

Every adversity, every failure and every heartache carries with it the Seed of an equivalent or a greater Benefit

Rejection is never the end. It is the beginning of something great. Keep going and never, ever quit.

Eric is a figurative artist, liturgical painter and portrait artist. His work can be seen at http://www.ericarmusik.com.

To book a one on one artist career consultation to get your career on the right track, go to http://www.ericarmusik.com/artist_consultations.html

New Years Resolution: Take Responsibility for Everything

It’s New Year’s day, has everyone kept their resolutions? It is a fact that 90% of resolutions will fail anywhere from the morning after and before January 15. If you have one, or several, you’d better have some strong reasons for doing them or you will give up and relent.

The only two reasons you will succeed with your resolution in 2013 are…
a. The decision to change will reward you in a great way
b. The decision to change will stop some type of punishment you’ve experienced up until now

That’s life. We’re constantly trying to live a life that neutralizes punishments and attracts rewards. The key to successfully navigating yourself to success in 2013 is by taking responsibility for EVERYTHING. That’s right. It comes down to you and only you. Your success or failure has NOTHING to do with the external world. Only YOU make your world. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best when he said, “Man is what he thinks about all day long.” Think of the outside world as a complete manifestation of what you’re feeling inside, subconsciously. If you truly want to know how you feel about yourself, look around. Are you attracting into your life the great career, the business you expected, the relationships you want?

So why should you take responsibility for everything?
Because, if you want to be successful you have to come to terms with the idea that you create your world around you. Great people throughout the centuries realized this and it is what drove them to achieve great things. Ask an Edison, Einstein, Lincoln, Ford or any other great businessman and they will tell you that you are what you believe about yourself. Only fools believe that the world is keeping them down. It is weak, and you will be a victim as long as you believe this. Victims give up every time they are presented with a challenge, (ie. a New Years Resolution). Instead of looking for external factors to give you a better opportunity, start believing in yourself. Choose to have hope and, no matter what, take responsibility for your failures and your successes. If you fail, look at it as a lesson and a valuable experience. Great people build success on the ashes of many failures. Failure can provide a new perspective or it can redirect us to a more successful idea, but only if we let it. Too many people look at failure as a reason to doubt or self deprecate. Do not make this mistake. If you succeed, know that you did it. Take responsibility for that success. It isn’t fate or luck. Your failure or success is not a means to an end. How you take responsibility for them will determine your future.

By learning to take personal responsibility you will never blame anyone but yourself and by doing so you’ll have a much greater chance of success. I like being able to make or break myself. This is why I love being an artist. I’m not a team-player kind of guy. I like learning quickly from my failures and moving on. It is empowering. Learn to adopt this way of thinking. Be responsible for EVERYTHING in 2013, and grow more than you ever have before.

I wish you great success in your art businesses in 2013. Thank you for all of your support and kind words this past year.

Eric is a figurative artist, liturgical painter and portrait artist. His work can be seen at http://www.ericarmusik.com. To book a one on one artist career consultation email Eric at ericarmusik@gmail.com.

Why I would rather be George Washington than Napoleon Bonaparte

A few months ago I became fascinated with a reality show called the Deadliest Warrior. I usually listen to music while I work on my paintings, but I was getting bored and I needed a change of pace in order to stay up late. Within one episode I was hooked. I felt like a kid again, wondering what would happen if my favorite superheros met in battle. I could go into a million reasons why I love this show but for now I’ll sideline my uncontrollable testosterone. For the purpose of this blog, one episode stood out from the rest, episode 23: George Washington vs. Napoleon.

I am a big fan of both men. It is almost impossible to imagine how one could even choose a winner when it comes to the level of intelligence, talent, pride, strength and courage these two men displayed during their lives. I love reading about Napoleon too. It is hard for me not to choose him the winner in this hypothetical situation. Anyone foolish enough to see him as just a short guy with his hand in his jacket is missing the point, and probably some life-changing perspective that anyone can emulate. The man was ruthless, yes, but you have to really examine the confidence behind the man who saw himself dominating anything in his path. Read some of these quotes:

“The word impossible is not in my dictionary.”
“He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat.”
“The truest wisdom is a resolute determination”
“It requires more courage to suffer than to die.”
“To do all that one is able to do, is to be a man; to do all that one would like to do, is to be a god.”

Who, today, has the guts to talk like this? Amazing, whether you like him or not. If you’re foolish enough to dismiss it as arrogance, you need not look any further than the man’s accomplishments. Humble men and women do not achieve notable things in history.
So why would I choose George Washington over Napoleon Bonaparte? Simple. George Washington made the best out of imperfect situations. As artists, we understand this. Life isn’t always a perfect scenario. Sales and commissions come and go, sometimes at a moments notice. People change their minds, economies change, collectors come and go. You never know what to expect. What you do need to do, at all times, is to BE READY. Be ready for an opportunity even in the wake of a failure. Our readiness keeps us on edge and able to adapt. This is what George Washington did best. His men were outnumbered, out gunned, out experienced and moral was terrible. Compare your career to what he went through at Valley Forge and you have little to whine and complain about. But did the man give up? Never. He worked with what he had. How many of us artists do that? The answer is very few. I coach many artists worldwide and the perspective is the same. Most artists hold themselves back because they aren’t as successful as this artist or that one, or that they have no money to advertise, or they aren’t good enough. If that had been the mentality of George Washington today we’d have a much different country, today. The key lesson is to WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. Be great and do not hold yourself to anyone elses standards. I hold myself to no one’s standards but my own. Do the same and watch your life change.

So why would Napoleon lose? Napoleon may have been one of the greatest military strategists in all of history but strategy is nothing more than a plan going in. Once the battle starts you need to make changes, if necessary. That isn’t to say that he wasn’t also brilliant at this strategy, but would he even bother waging war if the scenario was as imperfect as George Washington’s forces were? Probably not. Now compare yourself. Are you an artist that has several thousand dollars to play with in order to market yourself? If so, great. I wish you good fortune. If you are like the majority of artists you’re operating on little or nothing. Want to win the war? Learn to make something out of nothing. Learn to act like George Washington and fight the battle any way you are able. When he ran out of cannonballs he loaded the cannons with forks and knives or anything he could find. Know your strengths and use them to your advantage. Do not make excuses and never, ever give up. Greater people than you bet their lives on this philosophy. Fortunately for us, we’re just talking about paint and not life or death.

Eric is a figurative artist, liturgical painter and portrait artist. His work can be seen at http://www.ericarmusik.com. To book a one on one artist career consultation email Eric at ericarmusik@gmail.com.

Jealousy is Your Boat Anchor

Want a sure-fire way to sink your business (and your life for that matter)? Be envious of others!

Have you ever wondered why your life isn't where it is yet certain people seem to get all the breaks in life? How does that make you feel? Better yet, how does that make you feel about them. Many of us are under the delusion that just because are good people, we wouldn't sink so low as to be critical of others. The fact is that 90% of people do it regularly. We're all guilty of it at one point or another. What you need to look at is how it is controlling your life. When you open up your Facebook news feed and you see that a fellow artist won an award or sold a painting, what do you do? Are you the type of person that feels jealous or are you the kind of person that sends that positive energy out to congratulate success wherever you see it?

The secret is that by blessing those that succeed with goodwill, you open up your own energy to allow that same success. Most people are jealous or envious and therefore unhappy. In your lifetime you will come in contact with numerous people who are regurgitating the same sob stories over and over. They'll tell you how they almost made it, or why they had to quit or why nothing ever works out for them. They'll be critical of you and try to drag you down with them too, trust me. The secret is that unless they make a change in their lives, they will forever rain misfortune upon themselves. The excuse game doesn't work. You'll never gain anything positive into your life by making excuses, by being jealous of others.

Now let's get back to this idea that some people get all the breaks. Is that really true? You'd have to be in the shoes of someone successful to understand what it takes to get there. I can tell you by experience that while I've done very well as an artist, I've had more failures than most artists. It is all part of success. Anyone that achieves anything will tell you the same. I love watching Biography because you see great people stripped down to their bare essentials, before they made their success. While some people would spend their time bitching about how many cars or mansions an actor has, I'm looking for the guts that kept them going when they were failing. How many failures did actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone have in their early careers before they claimed the success they worked for? The movie "Rocky" almost wasn't made and when it was the initial reviews were terrible. Arnold suffered what was considered a box office disappointment following the release of "Stay Hungry" in 1976, yet, in several interviews he remarked that he would soon be the #1 box office star actor. All this from a guy that immigrated to the US, had little or no acting experience and who couldn't speak clearly. Does it matter in the end? People like Arnold never looked at their shortcomings or failures, they only focused on their dreams. Imagine all the idiots today who laughed at his dreams. Would you have been one of them? The only thing that separates successful people from you is that they did not quit. Luck is nothing more than tenacity manifesting itself. This rule is the same for all of us. Be a dreamer, not a dream killer.

If you want to change your life, to really start to open yourself up to the success you truly want, be happy for others. Rejoice in their success. Learn from their success. Be happy for them and begin to use your time and energy to attain your own success. Consider all the time you waste being envious about others or being depressed that you don't have what they have. Now redirect that into being a student of success, a lover of success, a person that appreciates the success you see around you. Live the word and you will set your mind to achieving it.

What to do...

It's too easy to fall into the trap of blaming others, especially in this idiotic political season we experience every four years in America. Blaming is a terrible habit and must be unlearned. Turn the TV and radio off. Look at yourself and look at your belief system. If your beliefs aren't serving you then they are killing you. You could be as kind and spiritual as you want, if you're envious or jealous, that is your predominant energy and it will sink you like an anchor. To move away from these bad habits try these tips:
- write down what you think of yourself and what you've accomplished thus far in life - list the positives in your life down to the smallest details - be grateful for something!
- write down five goals you've set this year, and be honest with yourself about how much you've put an effort towards achieving them
- pick someone who has accomplished what you dream of and read about them or even try contacting them to ask about their experiences on the way up
- take accountability for everything in your life - it is your responsibility and only yours to succeed - do not expect anything from anybody and you'll never be disappointed in others

If you can strip the need to blame others for your failure you will have set yourself on a path to success. Look at anyone that has succeeded and ask yourself how many times they've bitched and complained (sans Kanye West, that is). You'll find that all successful people look at jealousy and envy as something beneath them, something only losers do. Adopt this mentality and you'll join the ranks of the successful, and fast!

Growing Your Small Business in 2012- Grow Your Business - Be Outrageous

This week I've asked my good friend and my coach, Carol Ritter to be a guest blogger on No Artist Should Starve. If you've ever met Carol in person you know that she's one of the most energetic, funny and motivated people you could possibly meet. Her enthusiasm and common sense solutions for entrepreneurs are the types of ideas that work. She'll make you think and help you figure your own ways to solve challenges in your business. Carol is exactly the type of guest blogger I look for to contribute to No Artist Should Starve. Enjoy!

This is the first in a series of articles with bullet proof, completely tested ideas for growing your small business. I remember when I coached softball many years ago. I just wanted to be a coach and help kids learn about softball, team work and, most importantly, build character. When I took on the sport, I didn’t realize, I needed umpires, I needed a team mother, I needed to attend meetings and I needed to gather a team to work on the fields. I liken that to running a small business.

As an example, let’s take Angela who loves to cook and is really good at it. Will she grow her business simply by the overwhelming aroma of fresh made bread and the wonderful taste of her Italian specialties. Possibly, but probably not. She will build her business by strategically positioning herself in the community, offering outrageous deals and consistently driving people through the doors.

The secret to her success is her ability to handle and explore risk not necessarily the taste of her food. You cannot see outrageous growth without risk. If Angela or you are content with middle of the road success and just paying the bills then don’t read the following Top Ten Ways to Grow Your Business Outrageously.

1. Design and implement an outrageous marketing plan
2. Be willing to spend money to make money
3. Hire talent with personality (this is huge for customer service)
4. Create a sense of urgency for your buyer (they can’t live without your product)
5. Teach your customer many reasons why they should shop with you (Valentines Day offer Dinner for Two created by Angela) (Wild Wednesdays with wild discounts)
6. Know your competition - and be outrageously bigger and better (an example of this is the home of the mile high lasagna)
7. Ask your customers what they would like to buy (consider new things on your menu)
8. Reinvent yourself at least every two years (let your customers see new and exciting)
9. Create an atmosphere of outrageous service (so lacking in this world, be known for service, when customers feel great they will purchase and pay for your product)
10. Don’t be afraid of free (always be willing to do something or give something for free, the world loves that, maybe recipe of the month online, customers can submit their recipes and vote on best recipe win dinner for two once a month)

I used an Italian restaurant as an example but this could work for most small businesses. Don’t be the ho hum, run of the mill business in your community. BE THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS IN PRODUCT, IDEAS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Carol is an accomplished professional speaker, coach and educational consultant specializing in remarkable leadership, outrageous fundraising, million dollar marketing, and building organizational alliances throughout the country. Carol’s innovative strategies provide leadership with bullet proof ideas for recruiting MORE MEMBERS, MORE MONEY AND BETTER LEADERS. www.caroltalks.com