Fur In The Paint

Once Yearly Butt kicking.
Another year has slipped by and I find myself shifting from my usual comforting, supportive role, into a more cantankerous mood. It’s time again for the once yearly butt kicking. This is certainly not aimed at everyone, or at any one in particular.

This is for all those who want “something,” (in this instance, I am talking about artists and their art related business resolutions, though it’s certainly applicable to other things as well) but just can’t quite get up the motivation to do it.

Why do so many people fail to achieve the goals that they set for themselves? Goals are nothing more than a commitment to change a behavior. (Ahhhh . . . and there’s your answer.)

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard an aspiring artist say, “I want to be an artist. All I want is to be able to paint all day”.
My usual answer is “You and me both, honey.”

We as artistic people, on the whole like comfort. (change is decidedly uncomfortable.) We like easy. (Change is rarely easy.) We would really like it if someone attended to all those pesky little things (like marketing and accounting) that we would prefer not to do. After all, we’re artists, not bankers. (Am I right? Someone give me an “Amen.”)

But here is the hard cold truth. There is on a very rare occasion, an artist through little or no effort of their own, make it BIG. (I’m guessing you have a better chance of getting struck by lightening or befriending a badger.) For most of us, any success is through hard work and tenacity.

That doesn’t mean you won’t get your feeling hurt, or you can’t throw yourself a pity party from time to time. But what will separate you from all those others bemoaning their fate, is that you will get back up and keep trying. If something doesn’t work, try something new.

Reasons for Failure

• Comfort and Difficulty. Two sides of the same coin really. We like the way we do things, but we still want better results. Whats that old adage? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again, but expecting different results.
• Worn Out or In A Rut Are you feeling like you’ve been doing the same thing so long, in the same way, that you can’t change? Well here’s the thing. The world around you continually changes. Unless you change with it your artistic career will suffer a slow death.
• Denial Making excuses for failures, like “the economy.” While a recession may be a fact, it is also a fact that many artists are flourishing right now, while other languish. Who do you want to be?
• Lack of Commitment. Know what your limits are, but also push yourself to be better and do more. Anything less may not be enough during these trying times.

The only really good reason to not follow through on a resolution is because you have tried it and it didn’t work or it didn’t meet expectations. Even with this, it’s failure might have more to do with implementation that the actual idea.

How To Succeed

• Try something new. If your asking yourself why? See Comfort and Difficulty above.
  
• Create a list of changes (resolutions/goals whatever you prefer to call them) you’d like to make in 2009, Set a few easier more achievable goals. Success breeds confidence which in turn brings success. (Nice little cycle of life thing going there.)
• Rank them in importance. Then add baby steps (to keep it from seeming too overwhelming,) on how to achieve the desired change.
• Be Realistic. Growth often takes times. Create a timeline.
• Post the list where you will see it often.
• Now do the work and be tenacious!

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