Be Creative, Not Competitive

Live life creatively, not competitively.  Sounds easier said than done especially in a profession where we are told there are more "artists" than "opportunities." But do we have to accept that premise?  Do we need to feel failure and disillusionment with our profession when we don't win a contest?  How about that feeling you get when a gallery rejects you?  The answer is no.  We are artists. We are great at being creative.  What you need to keep in mind is that you can carry that creativity into how you do business.  I will illustrate what I mean by citing one of the greatest competitive stories in art history.  



In 1401, the Arte di Calimala in Florence held a competition for an artist to design the doors for the Florence Baptistry.  These enormous bronze doors would celebrate, through biblical passages, the sparing of Florence by the recent Black Death plague in 1348.  Seven sculptors, including Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti, were given one year to come up with their version of the "Sacrifice of Isaac." These two artists were then selected as the finalists.  Though Ghiberti was young and not as experienced as Brunelleschi, he gave an enormous effort and created a more simplistic, yet powerful composition.  Brunelleschi on the other hand, chose a more busy and ambitious composition.  The end result was that both artists were selected by the judging panel, each being offered a set of doors to complete.  
For each artist this entailed over 20 years of work.  Ghiberti remained silent and grateful for the win, Brunelleschi, on the other hand argued that if he did not receive both sides of the Baptistry he didn't want either.  Ghiberti, in the end, received both commissions, sculpts the doors for over 40 years, goes onto fame and even receives great commissions from the Pope.


Sounds familiar, right?  600 years later we see the same thing going on competing against each other in this profession.  So much talent and so few awards to give out.  What I'd like to focus on here is the mentality of competition and how it affects the artist.  

For many of us, comptetion can be devestating when it doesn't turn out in our favor.  Over the years I've watched so many of my colleagues quit and move on to a "real" job because of the psychological effects of defeat.  What you have to understand is that most of what you feel is fear.  Fear derived from doubt, worry and a poor self-esteem can and will destroy us if we let it.  That being said, we have NOTHING to fear when we lose.  It has no bearing on our talent, how good we are, or if we are allowed to join the ranks of the "successful."  If you fail to win a competition, you have to redirect your efforts and move on.  Do not let fear tell you that it means anything more than something circumstantial.  Worst of all, do not think that just because you haven't won something, that you aren't the best.  If I had a nickle for every contests and portfolio submissions I sent out over the years I would be a very rich man.


So what ever happened to Brunelleschi?  Well, he left Florence and along with Donatello he went to Rome to study.  He emerges years later as an architect and goes onto accomplish one of the greatest feats of the Renaissance - the Dome on the Cathedral of Florence.  Why is this so important?  If Brunelleschi had allowed disappointment and fear to set in he may have crawled into a corner for the rest of his career and allowed Ghiberti to be the best.  Instead, he returns to Florence and beats Ghiberti in a second competition.  A true art world rematch! In the end, what is Florence known for? When looked at from afar, what do you see? The Dome.  Brunelleschi lost the greatest competition of his lifetime but 20 years later, his art becomes the face of Florence.  


We will all experience some failure in our lives.  If you want to feel good in lieu of defeat, keep a positive mindset - always.  Never let a setback take you away from all you believe is coming to you.  Many times what may seem to be a setback is actually setting you up for the next big thing.  Never let fear or doubt destroy your career.  Stay on the path and expect something greater.

Brunelleschi's Great Dome 

Summer 1995 while studying in Florence, Italy

The Separation of Beliefs and Business

The following email is from an unsolicited guest of my website and this blog.  While I could easily go down the same road of negativity and immaturity, I would much rather use this as a teaching moment.

The email I received 5/16/2011.  All personal information has been removed.

Eric.

I love your incredible art. You are very talented and in fact I was reviewing it as i had hope to include it in our arts magazine.

However, I was so disappointed reading your blog that I had to change my mind.  Shame on you for such a simplistic conversation about success and for using such unworthy men  as Trump and Simmons for examples. Simmons claimed to have bedded 4600 women and is completely narcissistic and vulgar. Trump, marries and divorces beauty queens and has entered American politics a  carnival barker.

And of course all three examples you used are men.  Get real and grow up.

For some reason I receive emails like this time to time.  When I did the "Fire Sale" in 2010 you should have seen the tsunami of positive vs. negative correspondence I received online and offline.  The problem with this email, and there are many, is that this person has an agenda.  She feels her opinions warrant her berating an absolute stranger.  On one hand she likes what I do, on the other hand I am being told to get real and grow up. AND, I am being told whose business practices I can emulate.  Where to start...

Who I choose to emulate and why:

First, I will make no apologies for whom I choose to be inspired by or write about on this blog.  It is important for artists to look up to someone and I don't believe they have to be artists.  Great historical icons are born in every profession, race, gender and time.  Find who resonates well with you and model your dreams using their past successes as support for your unique ideas.  

As examples of modern day icons, I choose to study the successes of individuals like Gordon Ramsay, Gene Simmons, Steve Jobs and Donald Trump.  They are all major success stories. These men worked hard at honing their skills, came from humble beginings and were told the odds were against them. They did not come from parents in the business or from wealthy parents. However, they had a dream, a desire to better than those who went before them and refused to allow their shortcomings define their future.
I see myself in them. I have never been evasive about my childhood. I did not have wealthy or artisitc parents. I did not have a mentor or ability to attend the "right" art schools. I could not ride off my daddy's name. No one in my family paved a way in the art world for me. In all respects, I should not have achieved a fraction of what I have-artistically or financially. 


• In the case of Gordon Ramsay he has impeccable standards that ALL of us should have in this profession.  Have you seen what people have considered "ART" in the last 100 years?  We have nothing to lose by adopting a high level of quality in what we do.  It only adds to our credibility and helps with sales.


But, it's not just Ramsay's standards that impress me. His work ethic and ability to admit failure is remarkable. He is never embarrassed about the past but instead, he looks to those past failures as a guide without shame.  


• Gene Simmons has had more success in marketing his band, his family, and his persona (is there anything he hasn't tried to sell) better than any musician in history.  I don't care what he's done in bed or with whom.  That isn't the issue here on my blog, anymore than the length of his tongue or the band KISS.  Gene Simmons has a direct and unwavering way of doing business.  He feels he is the best and he deserves the best.  Imagine if more of us treated ourselves this way.  I'm not talking about being an egomaniac.  I'm talking about asking for nothing but the best for yourself.  You'll find that if you come to expect it, then it will happen. Mediocrity is a dirty word. It will yeild substandard results. However, if your expectations are to just be a marginal artist, than by all means adopt the attitude of mediocrity. To those who desire success and happiness, ask for something as great as you truly are.  


• As for Donald Trump, I couldn't think of someone more confident and driven than he has been from the beginning.  Read "The Art of the Deal" and see how he began as an entrepreneur.  The ways in which Trump would look at a project, and reach for an impossible dream is inspiring enough for anyone, especially an artist.  Again, I could care less about what he does with his wives, supermodels, his show, politics or his hair.  To look at those things alone and to miss what is important is foolish and ignorant.  Look at the greatness in the man and adopt that into your life.  Dream big and you will achieve it.

Reality check artists - WE ARE ENTREPRENEURS.  We should strive to emulate ANY and all success stories we see in order to model ourselves after success.  I could care less who you choose.  It is important that you find someone that is greater than you are.  You don't have to agree with every part of them but you must find some quality in them that resonates well with you.  They don't even have to be popular.  Remember that many people you may look up to blazed new paths and at times, they were probably very unpopular but their perseverance made them who they are today.  This will ring true for you if you dream big and stay the course.

Conducting yourself as a professional artist from the perspective of appreciation

Clearly I can see that this email has little to do with this blog.  It has more to do with an insecure person in a pseudo place of authority that is trying to teach me a lesson.  It has more to do with art world political correctness and misguided, fanatical feminism than actually judging me on the quality of talent, let alone my character, which she clearly has no knowledge of.  And before people accuse my of being a fervent anti-feminist, allow me to qualify. I strongly believe in equality but I am far too business minded to dismiss a successful individual based on how he/she conducts his/her private life. I challenge anyone to tell me that Madonna is not a brilliant business woman because she divorced several times and has affairs with younger men. Do not allow fanatical beliefs to interfere with the reality of where you want to go. This mindset will only hinder your possibilities and prevent you from learning. Maintain an open and rational mind. Formulate an intelligent opinion based on facts and not passion.   


We are in a profession where we pride ourselves on openness, diversity of opinions, and camaraderie, yet, this email is an example of the opposite. This has the same tolerance in it as when I was told in college that "if you paint in the style of realism you will never have a career."  Yes, that is a quote.  Apparently diversity is OK, just as long as you don't disobey the rules of diversity.  She is certainly entitled to her opinion, though in my opinion, she is critically wrong. 


I also want to point out that this email is a perfect example of poor business practice. Never, ever, alienate a future business potential based on politics, ideology or religion. Simply, this is immature, dangerous and a perfect recipe for failure. You must remove your belief system from business. You must never project or judge. This woman has shot herself in the foot so to speak. I will never entertain doing business with her primarily because of her unprofessionalism. 


And lastly, when writing an email please proof read. When I receive any sort of correspondence from an individual who refuses to adhere to grammar, I dismiss them. This again, is an example of professionalism. I am not trying to be a jerk but to remind you that first impressions are everything. Whether you are soliciting a gallery or responding to a potential client, you must be mindful of how you are presenting yourself! Failing to capitalize pronouns, using texting lingo or failing to adhere to basic grammar may be the professional death of you.  

Throughout your career be true to yourself, speak from your heart and do things that resonate with your true purpose here on earth.  Repeat that long enough and be inspired! Allow your confidence to be impenetrable and emails like this will roll off of you because you are so much larger than the person throwing the proverbial rock at you.