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Plan your Art Career – Success Principle Number One

Plan your Life Path

(THIS POST IS PART 1 OF 10 POSTS ON THE 10 SUCCESS PRINCIPLES FOR ARTISTS)

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”  Epictetus

I’ve always envied people who knew what they wanted to be at a young age.  They are the ones who find success at a young age, doing what they dreamed of as a child.  I never latched onto any dreams, because I wasn’t very good at making decisions back then.  I sort of floated through jobs, not really doing what excited me.  Now that I’m older, I finally understand the principle of creating your life to be what you want.  And I’m living my own dream life, writing and traveling the way I want to.  If only I had known this secret when I was younger…

The most successful artists in the world know that you can create the life you want.

It happens this way:  First decide what you want, then take action to make it happen.

At the age of sixteen, the now famous marine artist, Wyland, had tried his hand at odd jobs.  After getting fired from his third manual labor job, he decided to be an artist.  He committed to this decision, and it took him ten years to be able to earn a decent living at it.

Being a professional artist was the only option he gave himself.  He had no “plan B”.  He was dedicated to his decision.  Wyland is now the top marine artist in the world, selling paintings for up to a million dollars, and saving marine mammals with his Wyland Foundation.

THE FIRST STEP TO DESIGNING YOUR LIFE IS TO DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT.  To get what you want, you have to know exactly what that is.

My artist husband, Drew Brophy, was the one who taught me that you could create your own life.  He always says “Maria, anything you want is right there.  All you have to do is decide what you want, and then grab it.”

He should know.   He decided as a teenager that he wanted to live a life where he would create art and travel the world surfing the best waves on the globe.  “Nobody lives like that” one teacher said.  His guidance counselor also tried to discourage this plan, as well as other well-meaning adults in his life.  But being the rebellious guy that he was, Drew was determined to carry out his dream.  He eventually became a successful surf artist who travels the world with his family, living the life of his dreams.

Some of us just can’t decide. Many forces hold us back from making a solid decision.  One is our parents.  We don’t want to disappoint.  The other is the fear of failure.  Another is the reluctance to make a commitment.

You’ll have to squash your hesitations and decide, if you want to be the one who determines your path. Otherwise, your path will be chosen for you by default, and probably not how you want it.

THE MAGIC OF WRITING IT DOWN:

Magic occurs when you write things down. The intentions you write end up happening over time.  It’s a secret shared by many successful people.

The act of writing down what you want helps to cement it in your subconscious mind, which makes you more aware when opportunities arise that will help you reach these goals.

Answers will come to you while you’re singing in the shower or walking your dog or staring at a flower.  You’ll seem to attract people and things that can help you get to where you decided you want to go.

To help you get a clear vision of what you want as a career artist, get a piece of paper and write a list.  Break it down into categories:

• What type of Artist do you want to be?
• What do you want to be known for?
• What impact do you want to make on the world with your art?
• How much money do you want to make from your art?
• What is the ideal lifestyle for you as an artist?

For each category, envision the ideal situation for yourself in a paragraph.  Write exactly what you want, no matter how big it seems.  Trust that you can make it happen.

ONCE YOU’VE DECIDED, MAKE A COMMITMENT.

I’m going to say something really crazy right now:

Don’t have a “Plan B”.  Burn all bridges behind you.  That way you CAN’T fail, because you’ll have to figure it out.  You are fully capable, and once you find that trust in yourself, you’ll make it happen.

Make every day count towards your plan.  Find out what you need to do to make it happen.

And then do it.

Maria xxoo  (Photo credit:  www.fotosearch.com)

PS:  This is Principle 1 of the 10 Success Principles for Artists feature.  I will post each principle on Tuesday morning of each week.  To make sure you don’t miss the other 9 posts, please sign up for the e-mail deliveries.

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