Drew is painting me a Buddha. I’ve waited a year, but since I’m not a paying client, it always gets put to the side! This week, he’s finally drawn up the sketch, which means he’s close to starting the painting. The Buddha painting is symbolic to the peace that we both needed to cultivate, following… Continue reading
Browsing Category Philosophy
Success Formula From Live Painting Artist Michael Pukac
“I do a lot of research on other artists.” Michael Pukac, successful Los Angeles artist. One of the best ways to create your own success is to emulate someone else who’s already done it. Study them and their formula. Then put it to work for yourself. I’m going to share with you an inspirational story… Continue reading →
Disregard Obstacles and Break on Through to the Other Side Part II
“I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood.” Audre Lorde Drew and I were driving up to San Francisco when I received a blog comment from a reader that hit… Continue reading →
What to do when life gets messy like peanut butter
“God is spreading grace at the world like a five year old spreads peanut butter; thickly, sloppily, eagerly. And if we are in the back shed trying to stay clean, we won’t even get a taste.” Donna Schaper in Stripping Down. Life can be messy. Things don’t go as we planned. We disappoint ourselves. Or,… Continue reading →
When Disaster Strikes Say Thank You
“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Walt Disney In the movie “The Castaway,” Tom Hanks’ character confides that while he was marooned on an island for all those years, he almost gave up hope. But he just… Continue reading →
Break on Through to the Other Side
“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.” Epictetus WORKING FOR THE WRONG PEOPLE, DOING THE WRONG THINGS, FOR THE WRONG REASONS: In my former life, I worked for the wrong people, doing the wrong things, for all the wrong reasons. For fifteen years I slaved in… Continue reading →
Smile and you’ll get more customers
“A warm smile is the universal language of Kindness.” William Arthur Ward There are some areas of Europe where if you smile too much, they think you’re drunk. But in America, if you want to make and keep customers, you have to smile. It’s that simple. My sister just opened a store called Christine’s Consignments… Continue reading →
The Illusion of Rejection and How to Deal with It
“I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” Sylvester Stallone I received an e-mail from an artist pleading “How do I deal with Rejection? If one more gallery tells me no, I’ll quit being an artist and do something I hate.”… Continue reading →
Is it okay to copy and sell another’s work? Plagiarism and the Golden Rule
How do you determine the difference between inspiration and plagiarism? It’s easy, but don’t ask me to explain it. Just like Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said of Pornography, “I don’t know how to define it, but I know it when I see it.” One of the oldest sins in art is knocking off… Continue reading →
Focus on Desire Not Fear – Jump on that Horse
“The key to success is to focus our minds on the things we desire, not things we fear.” Brian Tracy Starting big projects is so much easier than finishing them. In the beginning, we are excited at the idea of creating something that others will love and enjoy. The excitement comes from visualizing what the… Continue reading →
Is your art an Influence or a Knock Off?
“We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” Goethe When your artwork or style is copied by another, do you get angry? Or do you view it as influencing the world with your art? I’m going to tell a story about the circle of influence and irony, and how this post was sparked by… Continue reading →
Stupid Advice From Smart People
Art by Hugh MacLeod. Sign up for his daily cartoons here. Why do I always use Hugh’s artwork in my blog? Because he uses a Creative Commons License, which gives permission to use his art on blogs. Brilliant! (This post is re-printed from a previous post on DrewBrophy.com) Some “well meaning” people will give advice, not knowing… Continue reading →