Sometimes we wish for something to happen, but when it finally does, we can feel, oddly, let down.
I was reminded of this the other day when I ran into an artist friend who had recently sold several paintings from a new series of work she had developed over the past year. I knew this was a huge step for her. She had bravely embarked on a new direction with her paintings and worked for months with little outside support. Few people had even seen the work. But now, she had shown someone, and they bought several. I thought she would be happy, but she wasn’t. Not entirely. After the sale she felt bad because she might not have charged quite enough for her work. Maybe this was true. Or maybe it wasn’t.
So how do we decide what we should celebrate and what we should feel reserved about? What is a Yes! And what is a No?
Here is the litmus test I use to decide whether I should feel good or not so good…
This test works on anything you desire in your Art, your business or any aspect of your life. When one of those steps happen, whether it is selling a piece of your Art for the first time, getting accepted into a juried show or perhaps just making Art thatyou love more than your old work, you need to ask yourself two questions…
[Tweet “”Do not squander your successes when they occur by wanting even more.” – Nicholas Wilton”]
1 Has this step ever happened before?
2 Is this step heading in the right direction?
If you answer “No” to the first question and “Yes” to the second, then congratulations! There is no need to feel bad. You already won. In the case of my friend who perhaps could have sold her paintings for a little more, this reservation shouldn’t take away at all from the incredible feat of selling the work. Had she ever sold any of this new body of work? “No!” Does she want to sell more work in the future? Yes!
Therefore, run, don’t walk, directly into your studio, use this success as newfound energy to make even stronger Art. Do not squander your successes when they occur by wanting even more. Take small bites, enjoy them to their fullest and get ready for the next, remarkable step to happen.
Use these hard won steps as celebratory reminders that you are making progress and your dream is actually coming true.
Have any of you experienced something similar to my friend? If so, what did you do afterwards? Did you find you were you inspired, discouraged, or did you feel something else?
In gratitude, Nicholas
8 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
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I try to remind myself to lower my expectations and raise my performance. If I focus on the process, and doing the best I can today, staying out of the results; I find the outcome more rewarding and can muffle the niggling voice of doubt and feelings of disappointment.
That is good- ” lower expectations, which then will usually raise performance”…I find this true too.
I try to remind myself to lower my expectations and raise my performance. If I focus on the process, and doing the best I can today, staying out of the results; I find the outcome more rewarding and can muffle the niggling voice of doubt and feelings of disappointment.
That is good- ” lower expectations, which then will usually raise performance”…I find this true too.
staying positive through my art practice as a professional painter can be tricky & challenging.
things i do to help me stay positive are:
stay in touch & communicate with other painters who are like minded
keep educating myself whether it be by taking a workshop or visiting a museum or going to an opening
reading positive quotes & stories by other painters
teaching
trying out things that are outside my comfort zone
reminding myself that it is the everyday mundane habits of my work week, the will to keep going – this is what really counts.
the selling of the work, while exciting is fleeting, & when it happens should be celebrated, but so should getting up out of bed & going to the studio even if i don’t feel like it or i’m experiencing a down or a slump.
that desire to keep going should be celebrated just as much as selling a painting, even though it can be hard & sometimes i need to be my own cheerleader.
questions i ask myself when i am painting:
do i like the current direction of the work & where it is headed? is there a cohesive theme?
am i proud of the work?
does the work reflect my ideas & my excitement?
can this work lead to a new body of work which can branch off into more work?
does the work excite me & make me want to share it with others?
do i secretly feel giddy & happy when i think about the work i am working on?
am i experiencing a kind of painting high & rush while i am working?
am i being lazy or stagnant in anyway or am i really pushing myself to do what i want & not
what feels comfortable or safe?
am i being true to myself or am i trying to be someone else, someone i am not?
another helpful tool is looking at amazing paintings by other contemporary painters.
this is always a nice kick in the butt because it gets me even more curious about the process of paint & encourages me to want to push myself further & learn more.
i think if this person can do it, so can i. it might take a while, but eventually i will get there with time, practice, & patience. so easy in theory, but very challenging in practice. but when it does happen, so rewarding.
staying positive through my art practice as a professional painter can be tricky & challenging.
things i do to help me stay positive are:
stay in touch & communicate with other painters who are like minded
keep educating myself whether it be by taking a workshop or visiting a museum or going to an opening
reading positive quotes & stories by other painters
teaching
trying out things that are outside my comfort zone
reminding myself that it is the everyday mundane habits of my work week, the will to keep going – this is what really counts.
the selling of the work, while exciting is fleeting, & when it happens should be celebrated, but so should getting up out of bed & going to the studio even if i don’t feel like it or i’m experiencing a down or a slump.
that desire to keep going should be celebrated just as much as selling a painting, even though it can be hard & sometimes i need to be my own cheerleader.
questions i ask myself when i am painting:
do i like the current direction of the work & where it is headed? is there a cohesive theme?
am i proud of the work?
does the work reflect my ideas & my excitement?
can this work lead to a new body of work which can branch off into more work?
does the work excite me & make me want to share it with others?
do i secretly feel giddy & happy when i think about the work i am working on?
am i experiencing a kind of painting high & rush while i am working?
am i being lazy or stagnant in anyway or am i really pushing myself to do what i want & not
what feels comfortable or safe?
am i being true to myself or am i trying to be someone else, someone i am not?
another helpful tool is looking at amazing paintings by other contemporary painters.
this is always a nice kick in the butt because it gets me even more curious about the process of paint & encourages me to want to push myself further & learn more.
i think if this person can do it, so can i. it might take a while, but eventually i will get there with time, practice, & patience. so easy in theory, but very challenging in practice. but when it does happen, so rewarding.
as always very insightful and encouraging
as always very insightful and encouraging