The post Beyond Motivation: Deadlines and Accountability Drive Action (ep. 198) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>What’s on your calendar that you’re excited about?
What shows, workshops, or events have you committed to that are going to motivate you for the foreseeable future?
If you’re saying, Not much, you have a problem.
You need plans on your calendar that spark anticipation and enthusiasm and come with built-in deadlines. And, more than anything, you need accountability.
Let’s talk about why you need plans, deadlines, and accountability, and then I’ll tell you how they work for me and my clients on a practical level.
Time-Wasting Shenanigans
When there are no big plans on the horizon you may flounder—finding it easier to procrastinate.
Without something to work toward, you lull yourself into the same routine day in and day out. You check social media, post to Instagram, send a newsletter, work in the studio. Repeat. Repeat.
You also get tangled up in news, as I have recently spent far too much time looking at headlines related to the election here in the States. Or you begin organizing everything in your house, which, of course, you reorganized two months ago when you had the same urge.
If neither of those, you might find yourself trapped in other time-wasting shenanigans. You’re dealing with the everyday. Going through the motions.
There’s zero motivation. Most consequentially, you’ve lost your North Star, the reason and the way for moving forward.
The bottom line is that you might be marking things off the list, but you aren’t moving the needle. You’re falling into a cycle of procrastination and stagnation, hindering your artistic growth and business potential.
I couldn’t write about this if I haven’t experienced it myself.
Listen to this Episode of The Art Biz
Identify Your Motivation
What motivates me these days is a deep desire to serve people. It just so happens that my chosen people are artists. I have so much experience that I know can help.
And I have thousands (literally thousands) of business tips and strategies on the blog, podcast, YouTube channel, and in my online classes that I’ve been leading for more than 2 decades. [ Check out my Essentials for Artist Success and planning workshops that are always available. ]
This is all in addition to my book, which had 3 separate print editions and one digital-only edition.
One of the ways I believe I can be of highest service is to make sense of all of this information for my students and clients. To bring it together and connect it so that it’s more useful. This is a huge motivator for me.
But there is no deadline attached to it. It’s ongoing—alongside, I might add, new and updated articles, podcasts, and videos that I continue share every week. It’s a moving target!
I have to find some way to prioritize it, and I promise I’m getting to how I do that.
Challenge Yourself for Growth
I’m doing it a little for myself because it’s my legacy and I have a deep desire to know that it means something. I want to see how it all works together—kind of like when you curate an exhibition or installation of your art and find new connections among pieces. But mostly I’m doing it to facilitate a better learning experience for my clients and students.
Here’s the thing: Nobody asked me to do this. The enormity of this project rests solely on my shoulders.
This also means that nobody is waiting on it.
But the WHY behind it all—my motivation—is powerful. Plus I am a sucker for a good challenge to continually improve myself and my work.
And I am a firm believer that postponing action is only postponing any potential positive results.
Your big challenge might be an upcoming solo exhibition, creating a new online course, or revamping your website. Of that list, only a solo exhibition has firm deadlines that come from others who are waiting on you to deliver images, text, and the artwork itself.
The other two—an online course and revamped website—have self-imposed deadlines. There are ways to make those seem more urgent, so let’s talk about deadlines.
The Power of Deadlines
By way of example, I want to share all of the deadlines that lend structure to my calendar.
- I publish a podcast and video every week and sometimes include an updated blog post and weekly newsletter.
- I have twice-weekly meetings with a team member, for which I need to prepare by reviewing tasks and projects.
- I write a Monday bulletin for our members.
- I host almost-weekly live sessions with my students and Accelerator coaching group.
It’s undeniable that deadlines provide strong motivation. My students and clients tell me that they feel more driven when a deadline is in place. Without an upcoming exhibition to mount or a commission to finish, they flounder. They’re not motivated. That’s why it’s vital to always have something to look forward to on your calendar.
I was just reading that, early in his career, artist Paul Rucker scheduled 1 exhibition a month—presumably to build momentum and have those deadlines. One per month! That’s dedication!
By example, I schedule classes, podcast episodes, and events without planning every detail because I know the deadline will drive me to completion.
But we also have to look out for what could happen with too many obligations on your schedule. The constant barrage of looming deadlines for shows will wear you down, and it’s crucial to note that not everyone is fueled by a busy schedule. For some people having too many obligations is too much. If this is you, at some point, you’ll tank, close the binds, and curl up in a fetal position on your studio floor.
We need to have some kind of check on our commitments.
This brings me to what I think is the biggest secret for getting things done: Accountability—both internal and external.
Internal Accountability
A deadline, whether it is self-imposed or handed to you by someone else, is, ultimately a form of accountability. Like me, you’re probably pretty good at following through on these time-bound commitments.
Self-accountability for such projects might be as simple as setting milestones, breaking down the tasks into a manageable schedule, and conducting a weekly review of the project to make sure you’re staying on track. If you follow through with all of those steps, you’re in good shape.
I give you a process for honoring these commitments and the ones you make to yourself in my planning workshops.
If you aren’t familiar, my planning workshops are sessions I lead 3x a year to help you make a plan for the upcoming season and beyond. AND to make sure that you aren’t over-committed—that you have just the right level of challenging projects and space for creativity and self-care.
The next sessions are coming up, and you can save a little when you sign up early. So you want to be sure to be on the notification list. Add your name to that list or sign up now if registration is available when you read this.
After one of my planning workshops, Margaret Galvin Johnson wrote to me: “I’ve gotten more done in the past few days than I have in the past few weeks.”
And from Mai Wyn Schantz: “I haven’t felt this focused and inspired in a long, long time! I needed some structure and organization to get going and stay on track for the months to come.”
While it’s relatively easy to motivate ourselves to do tasks when others are waiting on us, it’s more difficult to stay the course without the built-in accountability of a deadline, so let’s talk about …
External Accountability
There are tasks that, let’s be honest, we’d rather not do, and this is where we need accountability from outside of ourselves.
If you need additional accountability for your project deadline, you have at least 3 options.
1. Find an accountability partner.
The most important thing to know when working with an accountability partner is that you both need to be on the same page and committed to one another’s progress. As partners, you rely heavily on one another and are somewhat responsible for one another’s success (or failure).
I have a mastermind partner and my assistant who have served as accountability partners for me. I meet twice weekly with my assistant to review the progress of all projects, including my big project for this summer.
2. Hire a coach.
This is a high level of accountability because you are making an investment. You have regularly scheduled calls and check-ins with your coach and know you must be prepared because you don’t want to waste your investment or your coach’s time.
3. Join a group with built-in accountability systems.
In the Art Biz Connection community, we have weekly check-ins where members update us on their progress and share their intentions for the following week. We also have group calls scheduled months in advance, so you know that you need to do the work by a certain date if you want support from our artist mentors and other members.
[ The starting point for all of my programs is with the seasonal planning workshops that I mentioned. ]
Postponing action is only postponing potential positive results.
Deadlines and accountability are not merely organizational tools—they are fundamental drivers of creative progress and personal fulfillment. The path to your success as an artist and human being is paved with deadlines met and commitments honored.
Deadlines provide the framework within which your vision takes form. They combat procrastination and instill a sense of urgency, transforming aspirations into concrete plans.
Accountability, both internal and external, reinforces this framework, providing encouragement and support.
By embracing these principles, you transition from a passive dreamer to active creator, consistently moving toward the realization of your goals.
The post Beyond Motivation: Deadlines and Accountability Drive Action (ep. 198) appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>My book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio, is broken up into actions rather than chapters.
While I’m a champion of moving forward, I also slow down to read, research, and learn, which is crucial because my superpower is teaching.
While I could easily bliss out on months of research, the fact is, at some point (not too late in the process), the learning phase must make room for the action phase. No matter how much you research, it doesn’t do you any good until you put that knowledge to work.
I think we stay in information-gathering mode rather than taking action for one of two reasons:
1. We’re afraid to make a mistake (failing), or ...
2. We don’t have enough fire in the belly to get moving. We aren’t hungry enough.
Let’s look at these separately and try to move past them.
Embrace Mistakes
You can’t learn simply by reading books and taking classes. The ultimate test of your knowledge comes when you implement.
The only way to grow is to take what you’ve read/heard/seen and put it into action. When you do this, you find out how it applies to your specific situation.
Yes, you’re going to make mistakes. A lot of them. Mistake-making is part of the process.
But you won’t fail. You’ll only fail if
The post Taking Perfectly Imperfect Action appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>My book, I’d Rather Be in the Studio, is broken up into actions rather than chapters.
While I’m a champion of moving forward, I also slow down to read, research, and learn, which is crucial because my superpower is teaching.
While I could easily bliss out on months of research, the fact is, at some point (not too late in the process), the learning phase must make room for the action phase. No matter how much you research, it doesn’t do you any good until you put that knowledge to work.
I think we stay in information-gathering mode rather than taking action for one of two reasons:
1. We’re afraid to make a mistake (failing), or …
2. We don’t have enough fire in the belly to get moving. We aren’t hungry enough.
Let’s look at these separately and try to move past them.
Embrace Mistakes
You can’t learn simply by reading books and taking classes. The ultimate test of your knowledge comes when you implement.
The only way to grow is to take what you’ve read/heard/seen and put it into action. When you do this, you find out how it applies to your specific situation.
Yes, you’re going to make mistakes. A lot of them. Mistake-making is part of the process.
But you won’t fail. You’ll only fail if you don’t learn from those mistakes and try again.
Instead of fearing failure, you should reward yourself for every action you take – no matter how small or how uncertain you are of the outcome.
Light The Fire
I can teach strategies for building an art business, but I can’t light the fire within you. That desire to thrive burns inside every successful entrepreneur. If you want to earn money from your art, you must tap into this.
Your fire is your art. It is your raison d’être. Your art is what should snap you out of bed in the morning.
You keep your appointment with your muse in the studio because you have something to contribute to this crazy, wonderful world of ours. You have something to say that can’t be conveyed with words.
I know the fire for your work is inconsistent. Enthusiasm ebbs and flows alongside the rhythms of life. As long as you have a lot more flowing than ebbing, you’ll be rewarded with a long and satisfying career.
If you find yourself in need of rekindling that flame, ask yourself these powerful questions:
What if I made all of this art, grew an impressive inventory of work, and no one saw it? Would I be satisfied?
What if I finally attained my heart’s desire and retired from my day job – but then realized I had to start from scratch because I didn’t have anything in place for an art business to flourish? Would I be okay with taking at least three years to get my new career off the ground?
How do I want to be remembered by my family and community? As someone who waited until everything was perfect? Or as someone who took risks and went after her dreams?
Decide
What have you been thinking about for too long without taking action on it?
What reasons (or excuses) have you used to justify the inaction? If you’re okay with your reasons, that’s great. If you believe you are hiding behind them out of a fear of failure, perhaps it’s time to move.
Your first step is to decide. Then you can act – and be divinely content with the imperfect process.
It’s gonna get messy, but you’re an artist. You’ve faced bigger messes and made masterpieces out of those.
The post Taking Perfectly Imperfect Action appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>How does your family describe you?
How do your students describe you?
How do you describe yourself?
All of those descriptions might be true, but they might also mask your potential.
If you grip too tightly to the stories of who you think you are, you’ll never be open to what you can become. [Tweet this]
For example, you know me as someone who is a no-excuse-action-taking-don’t-stop-working kinda gal. I have never had a problem taking action.
My reputation so precedes me that often the first thing many people do upon meeting me is apologize for their lack of action.
It’s cool with me if I inspire the need for action in artists, but I have many other sides and so do you.
We get to make our own self-portraits.
Who Do You Want to Be?
A number of years ago, I began
The post Self-Portrait: What You Do and Who You Want to Be appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>How does your family describe you?
How do your students describe you?
How do you describe yourself?
All of those descriptions might be true, but they might also mask your potential.
If you grip too tightly to the stories of who you think you are, you’ll never be open to what you can become. [Tweet this]
For example, you know me as someone who is a no-excuse-action-taking-don’t-stop-working kinda gal. I have never had a problem taking action.
My reputation so precedes me that often the first thing many people do upon meeting me is apologize for their lack of action.
It’s cool with me if I inspire the need for action in artists, but I have many other sides and so do you.
We get to make our own self-portraits.
Who Do You Want to Be?
A number of years ago, I began seeking a new spirituality that aligned with my personal growth.
“Seeking” isn’t really the right word. It’s more like I was hoping to become more spiritual. As if suddenly I would start being filled with spirit and attain enlightenment. Ha!
I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that my spiritual desire wasn’t fulfilled because I wasn’t doing anything to make it happen. I wasn’t living in my action-oriented mode. I was only hoping for spirituality to happen.
I want to share a quote that is meaningful to me, and I hope it serves you:
The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do.
(As best I can tell, this quote can be attributed to fitness guru Bill Phillips.)
Think about it. You are in control of who you are – of how you show up in the world.
What are you doing that is contrary to who you want to be? For example: Gossiping, complaining, watching too much bad TV, or eating the wrong kinds of food.
Most importantly: What are you doing to support who you want to be?
And … Action!
I have since done something about this desire to live a more spirit-filled life.
The first thing I did was to initiate 99 days of prayer after reading this inspirational blog post that challenged readers to take action on something they’ve been procrastinating.
I have also been working with spiritual coaches, reading books to nourish my soul (I highly recommend The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World), slowing down, and resuming my yoga practice to create more space in my life.
I still have a long way to go on my spiritual journey, but I am committed to a daily practice. And it is a practice.
When you are creating the new self-portrait of who you want to be, negative thoughts and beliefs bubble up. Outside forces test your resolve. You must be committed to the practice.
It’s one step at a time, but your life vision won’t take shape without action – no matter how much hoping you do.
What Do You Do?
Please don’t misunderstand my action-oriented approach to mean relentless marketing. This isn’t the case.
What is most important is that you take responsibility for your future – without complaints or excuses. You do what is required to be the best possible you. So …
Who do you want to be?
What is missing?
What’s stopping you from being that person?
What could you do immediately to be the person you want to be?
What are you waiting for?
One precious life is all you have. Don’t hope it away. [Tweet this]
Challenge: What do you commit to doing for the next 100 days that will get you closer to who you want to be?
The post Self-Portrait: What You Do and Who You Want to Be appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>What I mean is: if you say that you want a successful art career, are you doing what it takes? Or are you exerting the minimum effort without any thought of your future?
If you say you want one thing, but aren’t taking action to support that one thing, you are out of alignment. You’re confusing the Universe – probably because you have mixed feelings yourself.
If you proclaim that you want a successful art career, I have six questions to to ensure that your actions align with your dreams.
1. Do you maintain a regular studio practice?
I don’t mean to imply that you have to be in the studio from 8:00am to 5:00pm every day for six days a week. I’m just asking if the art is getting made.
Without the art, you are not an artist. Without the art, you have nothing to promote.
Without the art, a successful art career just ain’t happenin’.
2. Are you promoting your art consistently?
Or are you promoting your art only when you feel like it?
Consistent promotion doesn’t equal bombarding your list and followers with your art. It’s about having a schedule and sticking to it rather than marketing whenever it strikes your fancy.
If you’re a dabbler, you have the luxury of marketing whenever you want to.
If you want a successful art career, you have to get over the idea that
The post Aligning Actions with Words = Success appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>What I mean is: if you say that you want a successful art career, are you doing what it takes? Or are you exerting the minimum effort without any thought of your future?
If you say you want one thing, but aren’t taking action to support that one thing, you are out of alignment. You’re confusing the Universe – probably because you have mixed feelings yourself.
If you proclaim that you want a successful art career, I have six questions to to ensure that your actions align with your dreams.
1. Do you maintain a regular studio practice?
I don’t mean to imply that you have to be in the studio from 8:00am to 5:00pm every day for six days a week. I’m just asking if the art is getting made.
Without the art, you are not an artist. Without the art, you have nothing to promote.
Without the art, a successful art career just ain’t happenin’.
2. Are you promoting your art consistently?
Or are you promoting your art only when you feel like it?
Consistent promotion doesn’t equal bombarding your list and followers with your art. It’s about having a schedule and sticking to it rather than marketing whenever it strikes your fancy.
If you’re a dabbler, you have the luxury of marketing whenever you want to.
If you want a successful art career, you have to get over the idea that marketing is optional.
3. Are you networking?
A successful art career implies you also want a successful business and successful businesses don’t wait for people to come find them. They pound the pavement and the virtual space.
Are you getting out of your studio and meeting new people? Or are you waiting for them to find you?
4. Are you writing and speaking about your art?
Or are you hoping that the work will speak for itself?
As a former museum educator, I am well equipped to dispense this wake-up call: Your art never speaks for itself – especially to novice buyers and collectors.
Part of the job of successful artists is to write and speak articulately about the work.
This helps to educate new art buyers without being condescending. And curators and gallerists at the highest levels of the art world expect it of you.
5. Are you planning sufficiently?
If you say you’d like to earn more money as an artist, are you creating a plan to increase your income? Or are you just hoping it will happen?
Nothing tells the Universe, Hey! I’m ready!, like making a plan. Without the plan, the powers that be don’t take you seriously.
Put your pen to paper and chart your course.
6. Are you implementing the plan?
All of the planning in the world won’t do you one lick of good unless you work the plan. Don’t allow the plan to stay in a document on your computer.
Keep your plan in front of you, turn it into a wall poster or tattoo it on your forearm. Do what you can to see that your plan stays top of mind.
Most importantly, take action. Every little step gets you closer to your dream.
Your Turn
Your actions speak louder than words.
Are you walking the talk?
What needs to change in order for you to be in alignment?
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]]>The post Read Listen Watch Do Write Teach appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Of course you don’t. Being an Art Biz Success reader, you know better.
Libby Hintz shared a recent Aha! moment about this:
I realize it really does take someone saying something more than once for me to absorb what is being taught to me.
I have bought your book and read it; I have taken the three-week online marketing class; I have attended a workshop; and now I have taken the 13-week Art Biz Bootcamp. By the time Bootcamp rolled around, I do believe that I was ready to heed the lessons but I also feel that the 13 weeks was a great format for me to learn in. By giving me a lesson and actions each week, the seven days gave me space around the questions and allowed me time to make some decisions before the next lesson was coming to me.
We learn something from each new encounter with a subject. In particular, we learn better when we engage another of our 5 senses or see the topic in a new, or even slightly different, format.
If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll relate to one of my tweets: “The more I know, the less I consider myself an expert.”
There’s so much to learn, know, and do. Every step forward reveals even more options, and we only begin to understand the implications of an action after we have been implementing it consistently.
Rather than giving up on learning a business skill, such as making a video or improving your blog, I suggest diving deep into the subject. Half-hearted attempts produce half-hearted results.
Here’s how to immerse yourself and really learn how to promote your art effectively.
Read
Read about best practices in business books, on blogs, and in magazines.
Read lessons for your classes and comments on blogs.
Listen
In my experience, the order of reading and listening is interchangeable. Sometimes I listen to audio before I read a transcript or summary (my preference). Other times, it’s the reverse.
Listen to classes, podcasts, and other recordings. Listen to audio books.
Soak in the lessons.
Watch
Watch videos online and lectures at an art museum. Watch slide presentations.
What to the speakers do and say to connect with you? What could they do better?
Watch the masters. Sign up for their lists. Notice how the artists and marketers you admire are using social media, blogging, and connecting with their audiences.
Do
Ultimately, it comes down to DO-ing. All of the reading, listening, and watching is for naught if you don’t implement what you learn.
Implement the best of what you read, listen and watch. Implement it before you forget about it or the next bright shiny idea comes along.
Tweak it to fit your needs and decide if it’s something you’ll use to continue to improve your circumstances.
Write
Write about your experience in your journal, on your Facebook page, or on your blog.
Documenting what you have learned will make it more real. There is great value in seeing on paper or on the screen what you have accomplished.
Teach
I learn something every time I teach a class. In fact, I learn lots of somethings!
To bring the lesson full circle, teach someone else how to do what you have learned, either in person or through your writing.
Libby (quoted above) read my book, attended my live workshop where she listened to me and watched a lot of slides, and took my three-week classes. But it wasn’t until she participated in Bootcamp that the lessons began to stick for her.
What does it take for the knowledge to sink in for you?
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]]>The post Implementing Is Worlds Beyond Knowing appeared first on Art Biz Success.
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Alarms should go off whenever they find themselves thinking “Yeah, I already know that.”
These are dangerous words because they are often used in place of action.
“I know that,” when referring to ideas for improving your business, is completely different from “I am doing that.”
Self Check
Did you just hear about it in a class?
Did you read about it in a book?
Are you embracing it as a good idea?
Or are you actually implementing the concept?
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]]>The post Are You Walking the Talk? appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>It’s not who you say you are, it’s what you do.
This is easy enough to digest because know this to be true. We know actions matter more than words.
Still, are we walking the talk?
The Titles We Give Ourselves
Students in my Cultivate Collectors class are, today, answering the question, “What do you do?” It’s a lesson for developing their 10-second introductions.
You can try it, too.
Answering this question helps you go beyond the title “Artist” (or whatever you call yourself) and get to the heart of what makes you you.
But how you answer this question (What do you do?) is less important than doing what you say you’re doing.
Reality Check
If you say you’re an artist, but you can’t seem to make the commitment to studio work, are you really an artist?
If you say you are grateful, but you don’t thank people properly, are you really grateful?
If you say you live up to your commitments, but you’re missing deadlines and making others wait on you, are you really reliable?
If you say you have an art business, but you aren’t trying to make money, are you really in business? Or is your art a hobby? (By the way, neither is better than the other, but you must understand the difference.)
Act On Your Words
Something that people say to me repeatedly is that I model the behavior I teach others. Nothing pleases me more than hearing this.
I do my best to see that my actions are in line with what I teach. I wish I could say that this happens all of the time, but I know it doesn’t. I know I come up short here and there, so I will continue to improve.
I have a few thoughts on how you might ensure that what you do is more important than who you say you are.
- If you say you’re an artist, commit to your studio time.
- If you say you are trying to make money, share your art with the world consistently and enthusiastically.
- If you say you are trying to make money, see that your business systems are in good order and that they support you rather than cause you headaches.
- If you say you support other artists, attend their openings, send them congratulatory messages, and promote their art on Facebook and Twitter.
How do you walk the talk?
Remember, it’s not who you say you are, it’s what you do.
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]]>The post Do Something — Anything appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>I signed up for your emails, because I feel I SHOULD be doing marketing, but it all seems so overwhelming and what I really want to do is PAINT (which doesn’t happen often enough, as it is). I’m sure you’ve heard all this a million times. It’s a very common malady, but wanted to communicate my frustration. I keep thinking “someday.”
My feelings about this email are complicated and intertwined, but I’ve tried to break them down below.
- I get it. I know there’s a lot to do and much of it doesn’t sound that fascinating. It is overwhelming. We’re all overwhelmed these days. Not much you can do about it except to take little steps of progress.
- I’m not going to say that you should or shouldn’t do this or that. If you choose to do this or that, I might tell you how I think it should be done. It’s up to you to make it your own.
- Not everyone is ready for this stuff. In every newsletter and blog post, I share tips for when you are ready. Work on what you need right now and save the rest for later. That’s what the blog search function (upper right) is for.
- Not every talented artist has the stomach for promoting the work, keeping track of finances, showing up at openings, and other things required for a successful career. Make sure you want it bad. You’re going to have to work your butt off.
- Of course you should be making art. The studio discipline must be in place. If you don’t make art, you aren’t an artist. It’s simple, really.
- The alternative to doing something is inaction. The alternative to marketing your art is waiting for something to happen and watching opportunities to pass by. I’m pretty sure you don’t want this.
beginning
biz basics
biz basics
Bottom line: Do something. Anything! Every little action — whether it’s selecting artist software, updating your fan page on Facebook, or sending a newsletter — takes you closer to your life dream.
One thing at a time. Now would be a good time to begin.
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