In the video below I will show you the “secret” way of embedding your videos in an email. It’s a great technique to learn as people just cannot seem to NOT click on the big play button. And that’s good news for your marketing campaigns!

As more of you are doing more and more video it’s just a natural extension to add/and promote your videos to your email subscribers. As you’ll see, it’s basically a pretty easy process to do and once you know it you’ll have it in your arsenal of techniques to use.

Check out the video below and, of course, would love to hear your comments.

Selling art (or really selling anything for that matter) is mostly viewed as the activity that is the hard part, the part you don’t want to think about. But what if we “re-framed” selling (and sales) to ourselves as something fun and even joyful? This article will explore 7 ways to do this.

It’s no big secret selling art (or anything for that matter) is looked upon as the most distasteful or greedy or the last thing anyone would want to do.

Why is this so? well, the salesman stigma is everywhere. It’s in the culture, in the movies (Wall Street, Glengarry Glen Ross, Fargo, etc.), it’s in the books (Death of a Salesman), it’s on TV. It’s the lowest rung on the social ladder. You’re sort of now lumped in with the greasy-haired used-car salesman. It’s looked upon as a not very honorable profession.

It’s no wonder it’s got such a bad rap. People (and Artists in particular) don’t even want to deal with selling or commerce or the global marketplace. They hate selling.

So how can we “re-frame” this to ourselves. Is it really possible? Is it possible to have fun (and even joy) when talking about and selling your art or program or product or whatever you have created?

I think so. I really do.

Here are a couple suggestions to help re-frame selling to yourselves.

1. Focus on what you have to give – it’s easy to feel like your conning someone or you’re not totally congruent when you’re thinking about your commission or what you’re going to get out of the sale. Focus totally on service Meaning focus on them NOT you). How can you best serve this person (or organization) by providing them with the most amazing art ever (yours!) View your phone call to them as a benefit to THEM. They never would have found out about your stunning art if it wasn’t for you sharing it with them. Come from service and everything will magically fall into place.

2. Don’t worry about closing – Closing (the end of the sale) is often seen as the real hard part, that is, when you have to initiate a YES or a NO. A lot of people don’t like that feeling. But actually if you have shown (or “painted’) the vision for your potential client “the close” almost happens by itself because at that point the are probably saying “So how can we move forward with this?” or “What do I have to do next?”

3. Don’t be afraid of client questions – Let’s face it you’re GOING to get questions, concerns, etc. Questions are a good thing. They help you explore and give you insight into where the customer is at. It’s information that can help you zero in on the value you can provide. By creatively listening you can provide greater service to the client by customizing and tailoring your product to their specific needs.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – Question help you zero in on what your potential art client wants (or doesn’t want) Don’t be afraid to be direct and honest. For example, questions like “What do you see?” “What is that I’ve shared with you that you have interest in” “What do you hesitate about?” “What do you see value in?” Let the client start to move the conversation towards greater value for them.

5. Move the sales process along – Have a clear vision of the steps a client needs to take once they’re interested and want to move forward. Have that part of the process rehearsed and totally choreographed. Don’t have them go away and think about it. Say, very matter of faculty, “This is what you need to do next . . . get the deposit, then this happens, then this, etc. etc.” Move them along quickly.

6. Help your potential clients “see” the future – As artists we really help “paint” a picture of what your art or service or product will be like to them in the future. This is where, we, as artists can really use our artistic sensibilities to our advantage. Help them feel the good feelings, help them “see” the pictures on the wall and the beauty and harmony that will result. By changing ones relationship to time you help your clients make different decisions.

7. Practice sales and selling – Sales just don’t happen. You have to “create” them. And you create them by having conversations. Have more conversations to potential clients and you’ll most definitely have more sales. Also, set up a climate so you can sell. Make it fun! Set up charts, have a huge goal board, commit to contacting x number of people per day, make a game out it, etc. Set up an environment so you can really put power into your performance on a consistent basis.

Practice these on a regular basis and you’ll soon be looking forward to your next conversation(s) about sales of your work.

Image above:
Paul Cezanne
“Apples, peaches, pears and grapes” 1870
Oil on canvas
Collection: Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia

I know, I know, it’s been a while since I last posted here. But I have an excuse. I have been working to get the Art Marketing Association off the launch pad. Well, I am happy to say today we have finally achieved lift off!

What The AMA Is

The Art Marketing Association is an international organization dedicated to assisting artists, artisans, craftspeople, photographers and galleries to improve their marketing skills and to hone their efforts to become more profitable, thus helping to share their message with the world.

That’s the mission and that’s our goal. I get kinda tired of hearing artists whine about not making enough money, not being able to sell their work, etc. I can see that it was way more difficult 10 years ago but today times are different. You literally have EVERYTHING you need at your disposal to be successful. YOU are the one in control nowadays. It’s YOU who will determine your artistic success (however you define that)

What The AMA Will Do For You

It’s a place to go that is bursting with new, relevant and USEABLE information including informational videos, monthly expert audio cd, power-packed screencasts, step-by-step courses, articles, ebooks and other amazing content from world famous artists and marketing experts who know how to market and sell art. It’s all right there for you to watch, read, listen and interact with. It’s an inspiring, one-stop place that covers a broad marketing spectrum.

The AMA is designed to give you the information and the tools to succeed. I don’t actually know of hardly any sites that actually help artists in the way the AMA is. When I went to school at Pratt a number of years ago I don’t remember them having 1 class – ok, I take that back, I think they had one class about art and business. I mean once your out of school you had no idea what to do. They never factored commerce into the equation at all!

Another thing makes the Art Marketing Association unique (and exciting) is it’s world-class faculty of experts. These are artists and other experts who are leaders in their field and have agreed to share their knowledge and expertise with AMA members. And make no mistake they are are not some theorists or academics living in ivory towers. They are “in the trenches” daily and know what to do and what works. That is, how to sell, market and make money.

Faculty members include the #1 expert in Art Licensing,Tara Reed. One of the savviest online video marketers working today, Perry Lawrence. The king of celebrity marketing, Jordan McAuley. World-renown Fine artist, marketing (and social media marketing) diva, Lori McNee. We are also extremely lucky to have “The Mindset Maven,” author, speaker and coach PJ McClure .

Also the amazing Sian Lindemann who will bring her amazing track record of success to the AMA via artist career development and gallery relations. Marcia Yudkin is one of the most highly sought after marketing experts in the world. She will be bringing her expertise to the AMA via marketing via publicity. Ben Settle is also with us. Ben is a direct response copywriter, web entrepreneur and email marketing specialist.

Doug Farrick, president of the AMA, will offer his expertise in the area of entrepreneurship, marketing and business systems. We also welcome Bert Grimm. Bert is a master Ebay seller, marketer extraordinaire and also a WordPress expert.

New areas of expertise are being considered so expect to see new AMA faculty members in the coming months. Remember, these faculty members know their stuff. That’s why they were selected. You’ll get access to their knowledge and wisdom via becoming an AMA member. It’s like having your own exclusive mentoring group at your disposal!

What You Need To Do Next

Here’s the deal: Be one of the 1st 77 to sign up and you’ll get the 1st 30 days for just $1 to check out everything we have. You be the judge. That’s right – 1 measly dollar. Listen to the interviews, watch the screencasts, read the articles, download the ebooks, etc. etc.

Feel free to ransack and pillage the AMA. We believe that much in the value of the content. If you choose to continue, do nothing and your card will be charged the nominal amount of $19 per month (after the $1.00 30 day test-drive!). If you feel the content is not for you, no hard feelings, just shoot us an email and we’ll cancel your membership immediately.

If you have any questions feel free to reach out and contact us. We want YOU to benefit and be part of this elite group!

You might think becoming rich as an artist is a rather vain goal but with money comes power, influence and additional resources (including people, environments, etc.) – so who’s to say really?!

I’m in touch with a number of “famous” and very wealthy artists and one thing I know for sure is that they think differently than the mainstream crowd. That’s a secret right there you may want to ponder.

But if you do want to become a wealthy artist, or heck, just to experience it for a while, what might you do to manifest that? When you really begin to dive deeper into that question you will begin to realize there ARE certain tactics/strategies you can begin to implement to make substantial profit from your work.

You may not like them but that doesn’t mean they won’t work. It may not even be a matter of liking them just the fact they are so foreign and seemingly “not us” (more about that later) So let’s begin. What are some of the strategies you might begin to entertain if you wanted to become a wealthy artist?

Well, the first thing I would do is find a number of “models of success.” What does that mean? That means I would find a number of artists who are ALREADY wealthy and figure out what they are doing differently than you. Not only strategically but tactically as well. Your gonna find a lot of gaps – but that’s ok.

Now that you have “profiled” a handful of successful and wealthy artists I would come up with a kind of diagram that highlights certain common denominators, like: style of work, price of work, medium, do they have teams, work alone, how is their work shown, who shows it, how is it distributed, etc.etc. etc.

I think there are a few books out there now that do this for writers. They kinda put all the most popular literary conventions into one master plan – which has PROVEN to be successful – time after time. Your doing the same thing.

Another thing you’ll notice is that they’re *almost all* master marketers. They know that mastering marketing (and sales) is the key to the kingdom and they spend hour upon hour contemplating distribution systems for their work. Want to make substantial money? Get better at marketing.

What else? most (not all) of the obscenely rich artists I know have built mini-conglomerates. They have more than just their art. They have created a brand that allows them to license their work to other entities, such as vineyards, restaurants, housewares and other related products.

They use their creativity to look beyond their mainstream business to the “business within their business” – they look at “What other businesses or ventures or relationships would be synchronistic or complementary to what I’m already doing?” This one question alone can bring you an entirely new, surprising and possibly very lucrative ventures (or adventures!)

Of course, this might sound “pie-in-the-sky” for a lot of you reading this but, taste aside, you can begin to “re-invent” yourself as a widely popular (and rich) artist. Don’t think for one second you are “stuck” with some kind of permanent personality. “I’m a sculptor and do X kind of work” – That’s what you’ve done. It’s not a curse that you have to live with if you don’t want to or if it’s (or your lifestyle) not energizing you

It’s all invented anyway. Made up. So create a personality, brand, persona and have fun with it. Re-invent yourself as wildly, successful and wealthy artist. It’s yours for the taking.

Image above:
“Betty” 1988
© Gerhard Richter, 2009
Oil on canvas

There are many, many ways you can motivate yourself as an artist. Here are just a few ideas to get you inspired and motivated at the same time.

1. Translate your work into another medium

This one is always a big motivator for me. It is so easy to create the same type of work time and time again. Why? because it’s easy. It’s what you know how to do. But perhaps try something different. Try, for example, to translate your work into another medium. If your a painter translate your recent work into a drawing or watercolor. If your a sculptor, translate your 3d work into a 2d one. You get the idea.

I love doing this for a number of reasons. One it allows you to almost instantly create more work. Second, it allows you to get lost in the physical process of creating the work. You don’t have to re-envision the whole composition.

No one does this better than painter Jasper Johns. Johns, who made the US flag quite famous continually “re-purposes” either parts or often times (in the case of the American Flag) the entire composition. See the many versions of Jasper Johns flags. You can easily do this as well.

2. Go to a museum

I always get motivcated by going to museum shows. I was recently in NYC and went to see the show “Abstract Expressionist New York” at the Museum of Modern Art. It was a fabulous show. Nothing like seeing those amazing Rothkos, Pollocks, DeKoonings, Klines, etc. paintings up close and personal. You can really see (and feel) the commitment and conviction in these seminal works.

Of course, not everyone has availability to NYC or other metropolitan areas but there are always good, local museums in almost any part of the country. It’s really beneficial, I believe, to really slow down, get outside of yourself and immerse yourself in anothers work – whether or not it’s the same medium you work with. Just allow whatever inspiration is there to bubble up.

3. Sell your work

Nothing more motivating than selling some of your work. It’s immediately gratifying and motivational that other people find value in your artistic expression.

What to do? List a few pieces on Ebay, enter some local shows, add some Paypal buttons to your website, contact friends who might be interested. There are tons of things you can do to sell more of your work. Just realize it doesn’t happen automatically. YOU initiate the conversations that result in sales.

Once you see that $500 (or whatever) in your PayPal account or an email inquiry to purchase one of your works you will be motivated beyond belief to create more and more work to sell.

4. Aim High

I wrote about this in another article here on this site called, Aiming High – Lessons from “The Boss which is an article on Bruce Springsteen and how, when creating the album, Born to Run, he set out to create the great American Rock Album. It’s an amazingly inspirational story to see how he set out to create something great, something powerful, something memorable.

And you can do the same. What about creating something great. Not just “another” painting or sculpture or drawing. Ask yourself what qualities, themes, materials would I need to touch upon to create this. It’s really asking these big questions that will create great work.

Challenge yourself to – up it a notch – to really raise the stakes in your work. Aim high. Once you begin operating from this new paradigm you’ll reach a new level of motivation.

5. Change your pace

This one is fun. Try to change the pace at which you create your artwork. If you tend to take a long time (say 3 weeks to create a painting) try to create one in a day. Or maybe a 10 paintings in 10 days. On the opposite side, if you create your art quite quickly the try slowing down. Try to become more intricate in your process. See what it reveals.

Not long ago I produced a DVD called, Oil Painting Tools and Materials, and it seemed like it took me forever (actually it was like 6 months I think) and I loved the process but when I recently spoke with a talented friend of mine his goal is to produce a DVD week. I was floored when I heard that! I couldn’t belief the audacity (and the the power) in that goal.

Immediately my mind was set on fire. Can this actually be done? How would one do that? What process would I have to create to accomplish researching, writing, shooting, editing and producing the DVD. The specific answers are not important but what it did to motivate my thinking was amazing.

6. Dig deeper into your craft

Not long ago I did a tremendous amount of research into Van Gogh’s materials relating to a project I was working on. I called the Tate Gallery in London to speak with a conservation specialist, communicated with a number of other experts in museums through out the world to find out his exact materials, color palette, type of supports and painting techniques. It was immensely informing and enlightening at the same time. I felt like Sherlock Holmes trying to get to the bottom of some great mystery.

However, it really deepened my understanding of Van Gogh’s craft. His craft, of course, was an Alla Prima style of painting which encourages spontaneity sand is much much different, than say the process of Rembrandt who orchestrated translucent layers upon layers of oil paint.

So I encourage you to find out more about your materials or research famous art that particularly intrigues you. Find the best in your artistic niche and learn from them. Many of them have workshops and working seminars that can teach you more about your particular craft.

As your understanding increases your art will become all the more richer and deeper.

7. Re-Arrange your studio or working space

I do this about every 6 months or so. Kinda of a “out with the old in with the new” type of philosophy. It’s extremely liberating to rid yourself of old stuff (or stuff that just doesn’t serve you or your goals anymore) Or maybe just re-organize your current space.

There is always something to moving stuff around to. I know it’s a very Feng Shui thing but you do create new paths for energy to flow. I always feel fresh and newly inspired when a new “Spring” or “Fall” cleaning or new arrangement has occurred. I bet you will too.

For me, cleaning, re-arranging or organizing is always a way to invite “instant motivation” to embark on a new series or just create space for something new to happen.

Image above:
Joan Snyder
“Big Blue Two” 2010
Oil, acrylic, herbs, seeds, paper mache, twigs on linen; 63 x 96.”

It might be a good idea to give all your recent communications a quick review. Are they simple, clear and easily accessible? If not, here are a few suggestions that may help.

Most of us today are so pressed for time that we are always looking for the shortest route possible.

And there is such a proliferation of information begging to command our attention that we often choose what is easiest (and quickest) and takes less effort.

Of course, that is why such popular services like MapQuest exist, why almost all magazines today are designed via mini “sound bites” and why Apple places a premium on simplicity and clarity.

I was just looking at some old magazines the other day and the visual layout is completely different – once linear, they are now modular.

This is particularly important with anything that has a high percentage of text. This includes brochures, sell sheets, magalogs, proposals, emails and the like.

I am always a bit surprised when some of my coaching clients send me an email that stretches from one side of the email browser to the other.

Try using more: sidebars, subheads, quick summaries, “what’s ahead” content, informational bullets, drop quotes and “mini-profiles” in all your communications.

As artists/designers we are particularly tuned into this but we can all improve and refine our communications with these principles in mind.

If it takes to much “perceived effort” to read something, believe me, people will not do it. So think about giving your clients clearer and easier access to information.

You will find, slowly and surely, an increased response to your communications.

Image above:
4th Grader Art Assignment
“Lighthouse in Winter” 2010
Tempera and collage on paper
Courtesy: Linesdotsanddoodles

Part of my job when I coach and advise people in the arts is to help them see possibilities they might not see by themselves. That’s really the beauty of coaching – 2 minds working together to bring out the best in a person – whatever goal or outcome they are seeking.

Recently I was working with an individual artist who wanted to have more success selling her artwork. The work was great, that was not the issue at all, only the marketing and commerce part. So the work we did together was very successful in terms of seeing new possibilities in marketing/selling/promoting her work.

For those of you who have not really experienced coaching before there are a lot of misperceptions around it. Like: I have all the answers and I am just in the role of “advice giver” or we re-live past events and try to understand them better. It’s not this at all. It’s more of a powerful “co-creation” where the person being coached is really open to shifting to a new way of being.

Anyway, one of the things we worked on was really trying to see a wider playing field. This was actually first introduced to me a number of years ago by reading Dr. Joseph Parent’s book*, Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game in which the author shares the concept of being too “ball-bound” – for those who don’t know golf there is a type of contraction (and rigidity) that happens when you become fixated on just the ball.

Dr. Parent recommends broadening your perception so you “own the space” not only of the ball’s position in space but where it’s going (that is, the vast space the ball will be flying through) See the difference your perception can make?

So that’s what we did – together. We explored what was happening now. In this case the “traditional” avenues of gallery representation and website and a few Google Adwords. And none of this was bad in and of itself it just that there are so many new and innovative ways to market your work nowadays it’s staggering – like use of video, your own web TV channel, licensing your work, *effective* use of social media, online art “events” and on and on.

We chose a few of these that most resonated for her and created a workable plan (based on her work and goals) and one where we built in daily accountability and measurement. So, it’s worthwhile to really try to see (or envision) a broader horizon, one that works for you and your goals. It’s so easy to look at your world myopically. But it’s worthwhile to “try on” a bigger vision – one that is not “ball-bound”

Keep in mind, this is NOT a skill that only a few possess. Everyone has access and the capability to morph their vision into reality. In this case, my coaching client wanted to morph more money into her reality via her art. Wasn’t a big deal (who says it has to be) just a slight shift that coaching helped to facilitate.

Coincidentally, the other large project I am involved with, the launching of the Art Marketing Association, by design, has many courses and programs on the specifics of marketing and selling your art (specifically for artists) in new and innovative ways and from some of the top marketing experts in the world. This will truly help you expand your vision of what is possible in terms of profiting greatly from your artwork. I will be revealing more details as we get closer to launch.

*By the way, I would recommend this book for anyone – not just golfers. It is very easy to look beyond the golf metaphor and apply the concepts to almost any area you are looking to improve (or feel blocked in)

Image above:
Alex Katz
“Blue Umbrella” 1972
Oil on canvas, 96.1″ x 144.1″

In a recent coaching session, someone asked me if they their art photography represented their actual work. I knew this person’s work (as I have seen the actual physical pieces) and, honestly, they really didn’t do the work justice.

That led to my thinking . . . how many others’ digital images of their artwork are just not “cutting the mustard?” And after some research I found this to be more common than I thought.

This is something to really consider. Have you really done your work justice through the digital photos taken of it? Were the photos professionally done? Did you do them by yourself? Do you have the proper equipment?

Especially in the hyper social media world of today where one photo can instantly “ripple” across many sources simultaneously, you really need to make sure you are positioning your art images in the best possible light.

I have personally always shot my own work and invested in the equipment to do so. But it IS a learning curve and if you are more of a “hands off” type of person, that’s fine, just try to take the time to educate yourself what is involved in creating the best possible images of your work.

Of course, you have different challenges for different type work. For example if you do 3-d type of work you need to factor in other things, like: angles, lighting source(s), background, type of material being photographed, etc. compared to say a relatively flat (no immediate raised surfaces) painting or drawing.

One thing I did when I was first learning to photograph my work was to hire a professional photographer and learned as much as I could from them by asking tons of questions – about reflections, about surfaces, about lighting, about equipment, about color, etc. This really gave me a “fast track” education into what I needed to do to get the results the professional photographer did.

Granted, it was a fairly “expensive” education but, then again, in retrospect, in was well worth it as I have used and practiced the skill of photographing art numerous times over the years.

It really comes down to knowing the difference between a good quality digital photo and a not-so-good one. I would recommend a honest, ruthless inventory of your current digital assists. See what you have currently. How is the color/lighting? Can they be improved? Does it do the piece justice?

Finally, keep in mind, your digital images are “always” selling your work. Once you have created quality digital images then go to the next step. Get them out there! It is so easy to set up a Flickr portfolio, or set up a blog portfolio or other types of online portfolios.

And, as you create new work, create new, great photos of them. These are your “mini” salespeople – working hard – selling your art – while you sleep Don’t be afraid to get them out into the internet ether. Put them everywhere. You never know who will see them or want to contact you because they love your work – oops, I mean the digital images of your work!

PS: Here are a few resources that will help in learning art photography best practices:

http://www.betterphoto.com/exploring/shootingPaintings.asp

http://www.dallasartsrevue.com/resources/How-to-Photo-Art.shtml

http://mgreerphoto.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-photograph-artwork.html

http://photography.about.com/od/photographybyoccasion/qt/artworkphotog.htm

Image above:
Sally Mann
Photograph
Candy Cigarette, 1989, from “Immediate Family”
©Sally Mann. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery.

There are many, many secrets to becoming more profitable as an artist but a big (and often overlooked one) is your productivity. How much do you actually get done in a day? Or is your time mostly spent spinning your wheels and not really getting focused.

And please don’t get the idea that I know something you don’t. I have been one of the biggest time-wasters ever so I know all too much about this. However, I did become more aware of this over the years and now I actually DO get things accomplished and out the door.

Before I discuss the main idea of this article I did want to mention something that has shifted my thinking about productivity and that is the idea of “doing” versus “learning”

Many of us (of course, me included) spend a lot of out time learning, studying, trying, attempting but at the end of the day what do we have to show for it? Sometimes nothing. But when I started to perceive myself AS a doer, as someone who does accomplish and finish things, it almost magically became easier to BECOME that kind of person.

Amazingly, all the learning, trying to become better at, taking courses, etc. just sort of fell by the wayside. I now happily live in the land of “doing.” It’s all about completing and finishing projects – which, of course, leads to making more money.

But back to the main idea of this article and that is to become more profitable you need to become a better planner of your time. What does that mean? it means you need to PLAN high priority activities and schedule them on your calendar. I don’t care what system you use – doesn’t matter – you can you a notebook, a leather bound planner, a software program, your iPhone, whatever.

But you have to get into the habit of planning your day, your week, your month, your year. For now start planning your week. And to do this the secret is to block your time. It’s certainly not a mind-blowing secret but it’s just so happens to be the one principle highly successful people (like YOU) use to accomplish great things.

It’s easy to say, “yeah, yeah, time-blocking on my calendar – big deal” but look at your last week. Did you actually time-block those activities that were important? How many deliverables did you produce? How many blocks of time did you devote to your art marketing?

Keep in mind, this is NOT an exercise in trying to make you or anyone else feel badly. We all start fresh and anew everyday. I find Sunday day or evening to work best for me as far as planning the week goes. It is typically a pretty calm day and allows me to “see” the week ahead and what I want to accomplish or what project I want to work on.

You can simply start with a sheet of paper and make a list of some projects or tasks you would like to complete or begin. The next step is to try to break break down those bigger projects into steps. Don’t worry if you don’t know all the steps in advance, by beginning you figure them out as you get into action and start moving.

Next, time-block those activities into whatever scheduling system works best for you. Most importantly, you need to honor those time blocks. If someone asks you out for coffee the day you have an important activity scheduled you simply say, “I would love to but I cannot at that time. Can we re-schedule for later in the day, say around 4pm?”

It’s important to keep this commitments and the more you do it the easily it becomes. Give it a try. It will soon become the habitual way you work and you won’t be distracted by a million little things. You will be focusing on those things most important to you and your art business.

Image above:
Frank Auerbach
“Primrose Hill” 1971
Oil on board

If you really think about it all we really have is just one thing to do. But somehow we like to create drama and stress with the thought(s) that we are “overwhelmed,” “swamped” and “crazy busy”

Now you can take the stance of being a victim of circumstances. That it’s not really you at fault but your circumstances – ie; “the weather is bad so I was late,” “I just have too many other things on my plate,”, etc. etc.

This mental position leads to victim thoughts like “I’m overwhelmed,” “I’m swamped,” “There are only 24 hours in the day, you know!”

What this can often be attributed to is really a lack or purpose problem. Say for example you have to complete a painting in 2 days so you can can get it to the gallery the day after.

You now have a purpose. If someone calls and invites you out to lunch you will say, “No thank you. I cannot now as I need to finish this painting for my show. Let’s do it next week at the same time, ok?” Your purpose has trumped any other circumstance that might get in the way. You become relaxed, focused and clear.

Additionally, you want to see yourself as a finisher – as a finisher of things. Otherwise it is easy to keep opening up unfitted business all the time. Soon all your activities go this way: totally fragmented, lopsided, unfinished, not beautiful and relaxed but just a ragged attempt to complete an activity.

Next thing you’ll tell yourself is that you are overwhelmed or have no time or are super stressed. Then you’ll see it as there is something wrong with you. Then you’ll tell yourself you need to get a book or go to a seminar. Nonsense! Don’t play that viscous game with yourself because you’ll NEVER win.

However, here’s what happens when you complete things. You get strength, energy (and wholeness) by finishing things and projects. So practice completing things- that’s the 1st step.

Secondly, remember, the ultimate time management system is to only have one thing to do, ever. Understand that is all you ever have to do. The rest is just swirling thoughts.

So slow down realize you only have to do one thing – slowly, full focus, full creativity, full energy. Nothing else matters.

Remember the game is not how many things you can get accomplished but how well you accomplish your 1 thing.