Why is it hard being an artist? What can you do to acknowledge the struggle and the reward. It’s time to remind yourself that you are doing well and celebrate with a fellow artist.
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This week’s hot tip is about acknowledging what it’s like to be an independent artist. I’m John Paul Fischbach. I’m the CEO, chief alchemist here at the Auspicious Arts Incubator, but also a working, living, breathing, independent artist like you. So as an independent artist, you’ve chosen a life that is exciting and rewarding at best, but also is challenging, overwhelming, and sometimes difficult to explain. It’s not easy being an artist.
So, what’s on that list of “It’s not easy being an artist?” Well, sometimes it can feel like things aren’t moving fast enough and that you aren’t doing enough. So I acknowledge that this is how it feels on the inside and sometimes, this can be a motivator as you relentlessly pursue excellence. But sometimes, it’s just a pressure that feels like too much. Julie-Anne Black, our producer of bold and irresistible communicators has a phrase that I love, “No one will ever know how hard it is to be you.” I love that phrase.
So when you feel like you aren’t enough, look back at hot tip Number 130 called “You are enough.” It’s a great exercise to tackle that issue. Sometimes you just have to remind yourself that you are not lazy. You need to remind yourself that you work and you do projects, and that you support yourself, and that you make art in all the time that is available to you. And you try to maintain healthy relationships with the people that you love, and that’s a lot. So lighten up on yourself. Maybe it’s okay that that things still hasn’t been done, that there is a to-do list of career, business, art stuff that is too long and feels incredibly heavy. It’s okay that some things on my life list just keep getting shoved to the bottom. You’re not lazy. You’re doing an incredible lot and you need to remember that.
So here’s what I want you to do this week, think of an artist friend of yours that you admire and respect. Take out your phone and text them right now, right now, do it. Take your phone, text them this message, “You are an awesome artist. Let’s get together and reward ourselves for being artists. Will you join me?” Send. Seriously, do that right now. Sure, we are independent artists, but we are also interdependent artists. Book time with your friend this week to share all the stuff that you’ve done and are continuing to do. You have to reward the positive behavior if you wanna keep growing and achieving. So lighten up on yourself, appreciate yourself and your friend, and acknowledge that it’s not easy being an artist. But you’re doing okay and you’re doing a lot. If this hot tip was really helpful, please, share it with a fellow artist, the one that you texted maybe. And then I’ll see you next week.
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