THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH
THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH [T-H-I-N-K]
Van Gogh painted The Starry Night in a mental asylum.
Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol while broke with a pregnant wife and four kids.
Sylvestor Stallone had $100 to his name when he wrote Rocky.
James Cameron wrote The Terminator while broke and sleeping in his car.
J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter as a poor single mother on welfare.
Most people think stress is the enemy of great work. The truth is that stress has created more greatness than taking it easy ever will. When your back is against the wall, when the stakes are high, when there’s no way out but through --- that’s the moment when you may end up doing your best work.
Personally, I create better with a deadline. I use a timer in my studio so that I don’t linger or get fussy when I paint. Stopping at 90% is my goal because that last 10% is usually when you kill a good painting.:)
EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES [k-n-o-w]
—including me.
My email provider went bonkers a couple weeks ago because I was pushing the wrong settings/buttons on my phone! If you received more than one email, please accept my apologies. No one likes a crowded inbox.
RECALIBRATE YOUR YEAR [g-r-o-w]
We’re nearly half-way through 2025 — are you where you wanted to be? If not, it’s time to evaluate and re-calibrate your year!
It’s important to tweak your yearly business plan along the way as an artist. Doing it right after the first quarter doesn’t give you enough information to adjust, while waiting until after the third quarter is a little too late to make a big enough difference. This is why the half-way point, typically at the end of June, is a great time to check in with your art business plan. I’ve created a FREE “Evaluate & Re-calibrate Your Year Guide” to help you. Click the link below to download it: