Ready to Shelve your Dreams and Give Up?

(Book cover illustration -- "Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog, by Pam Torres)

Have you reached that point in your career where you're ready to put it all behind you? Perhaps your business hasn't taken off as you expected. You may be putting in the time without seeing results. The numbers may not be adding up. Your exposure hasn't brought the sales. It isn't that you're not working your tail off. It's that your emotional and physical stamina may be waning.

Don't give up just yet. This could be the lull before the storm when things begin to pick up. Or it may be that you have more to give than you think.

Examine your initial business plan. Is there something you can tweak? Are you putting in as much time to develop your business as you did in the beginning when you were full of enthusiasm? Is your lack of success a clue that your approach needs to be modified for a changing market?

(Illustration for "Madison Morgan")

Self-examination is imperative. Are you giving it all you've got or are you worn out? Do you simply need some motivation and inspiration? This is why sales conferences and group think were invented. Perhaps you need a "jolt out-of-the-blue" from an uninvolved mentor to take a look at what you can no longer see. Is there something you're missing? What could you do differently?

When we dig in our heels and refuse to seek help either from stubbornness or independence, we may lose the opportunity that could make all the difference. Even an honest appraisal, although brutal, may at least help us in the vital decision making.

There is no shame in defeat if you've done all you can to succeed. Chalk it up to experience and try again. Successful business owners fail many times before they finally succeed. A new product, a new partner, a new approach may provide the winning key that opens the door to success.

(Two mischievous boys get their comeuppance)

If you believe deeply in your own success, even discouragement will not deter your efforts. But if you're teetering on the brink of shelving everything you've worked for you definitely need an objective expert to either confirm or negate that opinion.

I heard the billionaire Mark Cuban say on Shark Tank that the most important component of a successful business was to love what you do. Without that driving force a business may crumble in on itself. But with a fiery passion eventually you're sure to succeed. Even if your first business fails, your vigorous efforts provide the needed steps for your next attempt. Effort and vision are never wasted.

(Back cover of "Madison Morgan")

Are you Satisfied with Average?

Key West Sunset

Water is so relaxing. Hearing it tumble over rocks, flow into rivers, trickle into brooks and streams is the best way I know to fall asleep. Its movements can also be hypnotizing as you watch the way it rumbles and rolls over hills or slowly meanders into low-lying crevices and gullies.

Water follows the path of least resistance. It doesn’t run up hill without a fight. We can learn a lot about life by watching this liquid essence travel. What keeps it going?

1.    A strong source

2.    A Constancy

3.    A Tenacity

4.    A Clarity

The same vital traits you and I need to keep pushing ahead. Without them we would sink to the lowest level and settle into the comfortable ruts of familiarity. With them we can rise to the highest level of our abilities.

Effort is nothing more than a methodical plodding toward your end goal. There is nothing magic about achievement. It is hard work made visible. Sometimes it’s luck; but without the talent and skill to back it up, overnight success may be exposed for what it is – a sham.

"Mount Rainier"

Where is your source, your fountain of inspiration? Where does your energy, your power and motivation come from? Only by understanding the source of your strength will you be able to access and use it. 

Some people call their source a muse. Others credit God or the gifts that they have been given. Whatever drives you, recognize where it comes from and learn how to harness its power in your life.

Review again water’s four traits above. Constancy is a given. Unless you keep on keeping on your skill will not be developed nor will it improve. Only through practice and effort can you achieve a professional level of perfection and polish. Skill is not a gift. It is learned through perspiration and hard work. The more you do something, the easier it becomes to repeat. Repetition expands success.

Tenacity means you don’t give up easily. Water always finds a way. So when your ego gets knocked down, get back up and try again. You are on a journey. Don't let others or your own defeat deter you from your goal.

Clarity is essential. A muddy or congested waterway eventually slows down. It may also widen or overflow its banks and lose its original path. If you can’t see your way clear to forge ahead, you’ll get bogged down or lost in overwhelming detail. You need a clear plan. You need oversight and a glimpse of the “big picture.” Once you know what you want and where you are going, the thrust of your passion and your desire will propel you forward. Let yourself go!

(Overlooking a water spillway)

Nail it Down, Make it Clear, Let it Happen!

"Swamp Angel" oil on canvas 16x20

The title: “Nail it down, make it clear and let it happen” is good advice whether you’re a fine artist, a performing artist or a writer. If you don’t nail down those ideas, they may scamper away forever. A brief note, a sketch, a few notes on a blank staff or a melody that gets stuck in your brain are sure to bring your thoughts back for testing.

Good ideas need to be tested. Either they blossom or they don’t. If they seem to go nowhere, they are probably just wisps of imagination. If your idea sticks and mushrooms into viable substance, it may explode later in a magical way.

When you're ready, take that sketch, that idea and develop it on paper or canvas. Make your vision as clear as possible. What your inner eye sees must be understandable to others. Giving your idea clarity becomes your first draft or your “working model.” Once you have it nailed down and visibly clear, you’re ready for the next step.

"Reggae Night" acrylic on canvas

At this point, being fluid is the key. If you’re too rigid, your efforts will become stiff and unbending. When that happens, your idea may become trite or stagnant. Freedom to float around the edges and let your inspiration lead you is crucial. Gut instinct and the willingness to take a risk or a daring leap is what separates a good artist from a great artist.

Acting or creating in a daring way is scary. You’re thinking, “Am I on the right track?” “What if this turns out to be a bad idea?” What will other people think?”

Self doubt is your worst enemy. Fear can keep you from discovering what’s just under the surface and within your grasp. Don’t get “stuck on stupid!” Believe that you are just as good as the next person in bringing a conception to fruition. Obviously training and skill assist you in this journey and make it easier to bring your passion to life.

When I started my artist blog, I wanted it to be different. Sure I was interested in featuring my art and enticing people to go to my online galleries, but I was in hopes of more. I wanted to inspire other artists, especially beginners with high aspirations, to overcome their fears and succeed.

My initial purpose was to motivate people not only to be better human beings, but to trust in their own inner voice. 

It’s sad when people give up. Even those who have become a success often give in to self-induced doubts fearing that they’re not good enough to be “up there.” 

 If you can hold on until you get past those dark days, there is usually a light, a glimmer of hope at the end.

What a shame to give up just weeks, days, hours, minutes before the light dawns and you see your way clear to turn your dreams into reality. Plant your feet on a solid foundation, dear friend, and hold on for dear life!

(Joseph Campbell's quote inspired this painting) "Release -- My Trail of Tears" 30x24 mixed media

When you feel “Used Up,” Reach out -- Look up

"Swamp Angel" 16 x 20 oil on canvas

That’s exactly how I’ve been feeling of late: used up. I can blame the flu that bogged me down and left me in a puddle of self-pity, or I could take the advice of Julia Cameron, the author of “The Artist’s Way” and “Heart Steps; Prayers and Declarations for a Creative Life.”

According to Julia’s publisher: “Heart Steps is Cameron’s key to open the door to a more creative world; grounded in her personal methods of inspiration . . . this book is a powerful, practical, and intimate guide to ever-expanding productivity.”

In Julia’s own words, she discovered that “God, or “Mind,” was deeply, personally interested and interactive in our lives – if we would just speak the word that opened the door that opens the heart.”

"Leap of Faith" 16 x 20 mixed media on canvas

So begins her step by step book of prayers and inspiration. Some people prefer to call their inspiration a “muse;” others the “Universal Spirit.” Practical people simply call it God. Whatever works for you, Cameron’s guide to inspiration is sure to motivate you to get in touch with a power greater than yourself.

She begins by quoting Sonia Choquette: “The Power of the word is real whether or not you are conscious of it.  Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize. Behind every word flows energy.”

Self declarations and positive statements said aloud to motivate the brain and in turn modify attitudes and actions is not new. This type of “behavior modification” has been around since the 60s and 70s. What is new is Cameron’s attempt at using it to enrich what she deems “the creative life.”

"Robin Hood" 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas

There is much to be gained from her book. My only objection is that she skirts timidly around the premise that there is an actual God, who is our creator, and cares enough about us to want our success and happiness. Our belief hangs on a thread of fear and doubt that if removed can open our minds to the endless possibilities that the universe holds. If we can tap into that, who can stand against us or hold us back?

Julia Cameron is a teacher, a poet, a playwright, fiction writer, and essayist; she has extensive credits in film, television, theater, and she is an award-winning journalist. If anyone could tell us how to tap into creative powers she could.

“The refusal to be creative is an act of self-will,” Cameron says, “and is counter to our true nature. When we open to our creativity, we are opening to God’s good, orderly direction. As we pursue our creative fulfillment, all elements of our life move toward harmony.

“As we strengthen our creativity, we strengthen our connection to the Creator within. Artists love other artists. Our relationship to God is co-creative, artist to artist. It is God’s will for us to live in creative abundance.”

Link to Cameron's Home Page: http://juliacameronlive.com/ 

"Vikeholmen Lighthouse" Skudeneshavn Norway 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas $300

Who is more Talented (Qualified): The Graduate or the Gifted?

"My great granddaughter, Kayla, looking through a door window. I'm going to turn
this into a painting titled: "Looking Outward" (implying looking toward the future).

A debate is ongoing in "Linked in" about this question: “Do you need a degree to be a successful artist?”

The initiator of that question was not necessarily supporting this idea, but simply generating discussion. She even suggested that perhaps amateurs and those less educated should stay out of the market and away from art shows. She wondered if just anyone who applies paint to canvas should be allowed to call themselves an artist.

This topic got my blood and that of others to boil. For one thing, the insinuation disregards innate talent, self-education obtained through taking classes, and the hours of practice and skill obtained through one’s own efforts.

"A friend gave me an old window I am going to use as a frame. The child will be
painted on the surface of the glass in oils."

Even though a good art education gives you a wonderful foundation and a solid infrastructure of knowledge to hang your hat on, rarely does someone begin a successful career the minute the miter board comes off and the gown is retired.

My journey was long and hard fought. While raising six children, my time was not only limited, but so was the money. Extra funds went into piano lessons and athletic activities for the children. When I had more time, the extra money went into their college educations

.

I had an insatiable appetite for learning. Since we made many trips to the Public Library in those days, selecting books I could read to my children and those they could read on their own, I checked out books for myself, and read those I couldn’t while we were there.

"I'm going to use this scene as a background; painted separately on canvas that
will be attached from behind, creating depth."

I know from previous experience that in classes at university, your mind may wander, and you may get distracted. You prepare for tests rather than for life. When you’re self-taught, the motivation is a driving force from within. It’s a hunger that propels you from one step to another. To say that this kind of learning is inadequate or invaluable is like saying that life itself is a waste of time.

Every experience we have, every piece of knowledge we retain and remember is valuable and adds to the enormous amount of information a person obtains over a lifetime. Additionally, when the mind is focused on the prize, or on the subjects that are loved, information is hungrily consumed and digested. Skills are developed through diligent practice and painful but revealing error. Time is used wisely because to waste it would corrupt the passion that is a driving force.

To say that we have no right to practice what we’ve worked diligently to achieve is ludicrous, with or without acquired credentials. Someone remarked that in order to call yourself a Doctor, you must have paid the price or you can’t practice medicine. If you don’t have a law degree, you cannot then become an attorney. Does art then fall into this same category?

"This small dog will be included in the background. He
is looking up at the child, wanting to come in."

The detractors have a point, to a point. But in the arts, innate gifts and hard work trump all. There is something to be said for obtaining a degree. It tells the world that you spent time and money to gain knowledge in your field. The diploma allows you to teach with authority.

But a bird doesn’t fly until he flaps his wings and leaves the nest. And what about those child prodigies you see on “America’s got Talent?” How does a 13 year old child sing like a professional without training? How does an artist touch the hearts and minds of viewers without a degree?

The soul is the instrument upon which God plays. Who can explain beauty except from personal perception? Who can measure inborn talent in the quest for perfection? To limit the scope of who has a right to perform and when is to stifle all that we cherish about free speech and self fulfillment.

Since this is a "mixed-media" project, the dog and background will be painted in acrylic on canvas. The child in oil on top of the glass. I also want to add a folding drape over the blanket and onto the frame, to give the whole window a three-dimensional look.

"fabric soaked in Elmer's glue and water will be added as a drape, to create a
three-dimensional matching blanket overflowing onto the frame."

The Best Laid Plans often end-up Topsy-Turvy

"Three Juvenile Blue Jays" pencil drawing

There’s always a big “let down” after the holidays. The stress and excitement which builds and then climaxes is over. The tension is released, the fun is gone, and the aftermath of pine needles, discarded wrapping paper, and clutter smacks us with reality.

The best cure is to look forward. Focus on goals and plans. Lift up your spirits by remembering what makes you tick and what provides motivation in your life. Eliminate regrets. We can’t change yesterday, but tomorrow is like fresh fallen snow. What will your imprint be? What mark do you want to leave and how will you express yourself on this pure clean slate?

We all need a fresh start. We need to have purpose and vision in our lives. The New Year is a perfect opportunity to have both. Shame or guilt strangles hope and enthusiasm. Leave it behind and step into the future free from shackles, doubt and fear.

If you can’t walk alone, get help! We all need something to anchor our souls and give us strength. A friend, a mentor, may help you cross over into the realm of possibility. Education can provide knowledge and self-confidence. Skills can be increased through practice and persistence.

My husband’s granddaughter has not only completed her college degree, she is in her third year of dental school. Her goals are clear; her determination is strong. She shared that out of her class, several people have dropped out. So close, yet so far from their goal. To quit that close to the finish line is sad. How many of us stop and get discouraged before we reach our goals.

The New Year provides us with the opportunity to eliminate “could have beens” and “would have beens” from our lives and our vocabulary. Don’t end up looking back on your life and saying “what if” I had done this, or “what if” I had done that. 

As Coach Lou Holtz once said, “Just do it!” He went on to say: “Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.”

Happy New Year everybody and forgive this late blog. My computer was down for a few days, but now we’re back!