A powerful distinction I heard Steve Chandler say recently is that of “Coming From” versus “Getting To.” It is amazingly powerful. Let me explain.

A way to think about this is to compare resolutions versus goals or intentions. With resolutions you are “resolving” to “come from” rather than “get to” as you do with goals, intentions, dreams, wish lists, etc.

However, with goals, intentions or anything like this the problem is that you perceive things as as always out there, in the future as something you have to “get to.”

In this thought pattern we are somewhat disempowered or disconnected from the power in us because what we think we want is out there is some distant future and, of course, we don’t have what we want yet. Therefore I am deficient because I don’t have it yet.

Resolutions, on the other hand, are something that come from inside you. ie; “I am internally resolved to do something” or “I resolve to complete 10 pieces of artwork for my new series” These are things you generate inside you and YOU take them to the world.

An example of this might be the statement, “I resolve to have sales over $50,000 of my art this year.” Well, in order to do this you make a resolution. You can create daily process goals to re-enforce this. Such as, “I will do one marketing activity a day for 1 hour a day minimum” and you build this into your day as a practice.

But see the difference. The power comes from inside you, from your resolve. You are “coming from” a place of power not wishing or hoping or intending someday “it” will come to me. How do you know? because you created it this way. You are “living” your resolution daily.

So many people are beholden to faulty thinking. They flock to seminars, buy courses, buy books, consult others because they want to “attract” something – be it more money, a better relationship, a new career, whatever.

It’s all really very negative and stressful because it re-affirms and confirms, psychologically, that I am missing something and the bigger the thing we are trying to attract the bigger the bigger the “hole” or space is inside of me psychologically.

If you don’t have truly have your resolutions broken down into a true resolutions, in other words, a place I can come from today then I don’t have the power. It’s not in me. It’s outside. It’s missing.

The question is, “What kind of day would I have to lead in order to produce the conditions I would love to have” so you can do them today. You don’t have to put them out to some distant future and hope that they find you. The power is inside you. It always has been.

So ask yourself the question, “Where do I want to come from? Do I want to come from a place of prosperity, productivity, creativity, energy, etc. and what activities do I need to engage with daily so my outcomes happen naturally with much less stress.”

Victims tend to have a habit of just the opposite. They are always looking for a place to “get to.” ie; “I don’t have it yet but really need/want it” It really is self sabotaging behavior and not something we want to engage in.

So the final question is, “Who do you resolve to BE (in your next project, state or condition) and how are you going to be to create the behaviors to make it happen?”

Image above:
Will Cotton
“Custard Cascade” 2001
Oil on linen, 108″ x 144″

I wanted to discuss a bit about creating a masterpiece but a masterpiece of a different kind. I’m referring to your creativity. I have been thinking quite a lot about what legendary college basketball’s coach John Wooden was often fond of saying:

Make every day your masterpiece

Of course, there is the play on the word masterpiece but it goes a lot deeper than that. For me, it’s about focus. It’s about making today (which is made up of a bunch of tiny moments) the ONLY thing we focus on.

Too many times (And I am MOST definitely included in this group) we always seem to be waiting – to be in a holding pattern for something to come along or happen. We’re waiting until we acquire more skills or have more confidence or can find some extra money or make just a few more social network contacts who will expose the greatness in us.

And a lot of this is never really conscious it really just a record groove or pattern that we have gotten used to. And patterns can be changed – that’s the good news.

But back to making every day your masterpiece. I encourage you to play around with this thought. In everything you do (and certainly in your art) stay present. Don’t worry about “The Future” just this day.

Focusing and worrying about the future is so ingrained in so many people that it is hard to see for yourself. You don’t even know your doing it.

For me, I had a coach help me through this (which is a great way to really make serious progress in your life) but there are other ways as well, like: monitoring and heightening your awareness where you will soon be able to catch glimpses of where your thoughts habitually “live.”

Say to yourself “Just for today I am going to go all out. I am going to bring everything to bear on this (in this example) work of art. I will leave nothing behind. All will be revealed. Today is the best I will ever have”

You will be creative in all aspects of your day. It won’t be a flatline line existence. You will rise up and above with creative thinking and action. The focus will be creating (not reacting) all day long.

How often do we actually do that? I dare say – not much. But it’s a practice. Something to do regularly. For me, anyway, this was a true mindshift. What it did was allow me to slow down and really focus on a few things. My productivity and energy really skyrocketed as I was no longer diffusing my energy but focusing it with laser-like precision.

It’s just one day. You are born in the morning and you pass away at night. That’s it. Today (and only today) is your opportunity for the greatness IN you.

Image Above:Roy Lichtenstein: Brushstroke Still Life with Lamp, 1997
Screen-printed oil based enamel ink and hand-painted magna on a honey comb-core aluminum panel in artist’s wooden frame.
49 1/2 x 68 in. (125.7 x 172.7 cm)

Take the time to inventory your current skill set at least every 6 months. Then make a plan to upgrade and/or learn new skills. Here’s a few suggestions to help.

What skill set do you currently have as an artist? Are your skills up-to-date with other top performers in your niche? Is your craft refined? Do you have the necessary business and marketing skills? What about social media skills? Presentation skills? etc. etc.

In my opinion, you really need to be *constantly* updating (and upgrading) your skill set. After you take an overall evaluation you’ll be pretty clear WHERE you need to invest your effort and practice.

Keep in mind, this is NOT an exercise to make you feel bad or to compare yourself with others. It is simply a inquiry process to excelerate your progress.

Best way to do this is to make a written list of all the skills you currently possess. Then make a list of the skills you would like to learn/improve in the
next 6 months.

It could be learning/improving in any number of areas including: presentations, public speaking, persuasion, video, advanced Photoshop, marketing, business systems or others.

I believe it is important to give yourself a time frame to complete. It really helps to focus and increases your motivation.

Most importantly do something TODAY to start moving in that direction. Whether it is calling a local college for a course schedule, ordering a book from Amazon.com, taking some online training modules or something else. Movement is key.

I always like to think that you get somewhere in 6 months anyway so why not improve/learn along the way.

You’ll look back 6 months from now and be pleasantly surprised at the progress you’ve made.

Image above: Diebenkorn, Richard
Untitled (Ocean Park #13)
Gouache and acrylic on paper
25 x 36 inches

Artist business systems is something I have been thinking about in detail for a while now. I am actually creating a CD training product on it (will all be visual screencasts of different business systems YOU can easily implement) for the soon-to-be-launched Art Marketing Association. (Until then, check out our Facebook page at: Art Marketing Association Fan Page)

You might think think business systems for artists is a pretty boring subject. And it can be if not fully understood properly. But a short definition is creating business systems to that allow you to streamline business and optimize your profitability.

What exactly is a business system? really anything that can be measured. We are talking about things like customer service, list management, inventory, finances/billing, social media, telecommunications, organizational strategies, etc.

Granted, it can initially seem daunting to realize how much stuff any small business owner (artist or not) has to deal with on a regular basis.

The nice thing about systems is that once you set them up – you’re done. You can focus on your creativity and art production. Of course, that’s the beauty of setting up business systems.

So how would one get started? I would take an inventory of everything that that you currently have (and might want to implement) in the near future. Take it out of your head and put it on paper so you can have an objective view of what you’re dealing with.

For example, do you have a system in place for collecting names? Either via your website or if your in the real world and get a business card. What is your process for doing this? Is it manual? Is it automated? if not, why not?

I happen to mention collecting names because it’s definitely one of the first systems I would recommend deconstructing.

Keep in mind, this is NOT an exercise to beat yourself up because you don’t have a lot (or possibly any) set up. No worries. But start. Map out a plan to implement or revise one system a month. At the end of 12 months you will have totally transformed your business!

Like I mentioned, I am putting together a program that I am positive will be downright mandatory if you are serious about creating a real business around your artwork. And it’s a lot easier than you think. And often much of the software to set up a lot (not all) of these systems are open source so the are no cost.

In the program I will be giving my best recommendation for the systems I and many other successful business owners have implemented. So it will be a cinch to follow and you will be amazed at the quantum leap your art business will be in for.

I am curious however, what *specific* business areas you are struggling in more than others. Is it billing? collecting names, website traffic? social media management? If you would, please comment on the post or write me directly at: doug@dougfarrick.com and I will personally be happy to answer your question(s) “offline.”

Image above:  Barbeque 1982, Oil on Canvas by Eric Fischl

I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Murray’s paintings. Maybe it is just the fun, the outrageous forms and colors, the silliness, the fine art – everything sort of coming together in one piece.

And they always look (and feel) like they were fun and engaging to work on. It is the sheer physicality of her paintings that really impress upon you when you see them “live.”

She always felt to me what a committed painter should be – smart, daring, resolute. And she pulled from everywhere – from Cezanne, from Pollock, from comic books, cartoons, to ordinary, everyday items like plants and coffee cups. Nothing was out of bounds.

She left the art world way too early (at 66) a number of years ago.

The painting above, called Excavation, by Willem DeKooning was the painting Elizabeth mentioned in the video above.

There is some additional info and an insightful interview with Elizabeth about her early painting influences at the site below.

Elizabeth Murray Interview

Elizabeth Murray Biography

Elizabeth Murray, 66, Artist of Vivid Forms, Dies

If your new to oil painting (or even if your an experienced oil painter) you need to be aware of the proven, harmful, health effects that working with solvents can produce.

Keep in mind, when working with solvents, is that they have a more more insidious cumulative effect than they have short-term – although you certainly can have some down right harmful short-term health issues.

That being said, you can make better choices. In my continuing research, more and more options are becoming available. There truly is a good, bad and ugly of solvents and this is critical stuff to know.

Just as an example, turpentine is one of THE worst solvents you can use. It has a low PEL (Permissable Exposure Limit) which can be translated into how much exposure you can have without creating adverse health effects and high evaporation rate – meaning the minute you smell it it’s already in your bloodstream.

Just these few distinctions can go a long way toward making more informed decisions regarding the oil painting solvents that you use on a regular basis.

I go into much more details (including my best recommendations for solvents based on extensive research) in the solvents section on my DVD, Oil Painting Tools and Supplies*, so if you feel inclined, feel free to check it out.

In my experience there is a lot of mis-information about oil painting and solvents. From which ones to use, to which ones have more serious health hazards, to “green” alternatives and more.

This is important stuff and it pays to get a true, unbiased look at the solvents you are using.

* Currently on sale through this site. Save 25% (or $11.00) off the Amazon price. Offer good until June 1, 2010.

If your an artist, you might want to consider how you can use the Pareto Principle to your advantage in your art business to make a quantum leap in your finances.

The Pareto Principle says this (via Wikipedia) “The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes.”

Of course, the key being “80% of your results (ie; money and wealth) come from 20% of your efforts”

So are you willing to look every 2 weeks (at most a month) to really look at your day-to-day activities. Be honest with your self and really ask “What do I do during my day?” with the realization that’s it’s only 20% of what I do that results in 80% of the money or wealth that comes to me.

Therefore you want to keep re-adjusting what I do so MY day is focused on high return activities and not low return ones.

For example, I have a very successful artist friend who spends roughly 3-4 hours per week going to the art supply store and buying his own supplies. I just had to scratch my head. I just asked him “What is your return on that? How much did that activity make you?”

Bottom line his answer was “really nothing” he just thought he had to. And I mentioned (which were fairly obvious) that he had a number of options to convert his time to HRA (high return activities).

The obvious one being to order them online (saving all the travel time, etc.) another being to hire a part-time assistant who could do that activity as well as others.

Many people (including you) as so very good at certain things (like art producing, marketing – the 2 most important) but just waste their time doing activities they are not good at and waste their time with activities that return them nothing.

The breakthrough is to admit that 80% of what comes in results from 20% of what I do.

Look, really look, with a brutally honest eye at my last week’s activities. Can you now see that you wasted a lot of time? That you wasted a lot of hours chatting on the phone, getting supplies, cleaning, organizing, reading, researching, answering email, – “oh, here’s another one, have to answer that. Ding. Another one. Have to answer that one, too.”

Now you have a virtual “time-suck” that you’ve spiraled down-into and, again, results in nothing.

It’s sort of like if you work half-days you would get more HRA because your forced to concentrate on these HRA’s. Ever notice how you get 3 day’s work into one the day before you go on vacation? That IS the 80/20 rule because you are focusing on only the most important (and high priority items) the rest can fall by the way or be delegated.

So the trick is to take that “day before vacation” and expand that into everyday. Take a survey of your activities over the last 30 days and expand your high-return activities.

You might even consider shortening your day. Instead of 8 hours try working 6 so you can focus even more. Make a written list of no more than 3 high-return activities per day.

Also, take that activity survey on a regular basis ( I recommend every 2 weeks – no more than a month) so your art business is dealing in primarily high-return activities.

This survey might also include noting how systems or business processes can be implemented to make an even smoother business of your expanding empire. I will be touching a lot more on business systems in the coming months.

Final thought: 80% of what comes in results from 20% of what I do.

Image: “Learning Russian Music” by Howard Hodgkin

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.

Want to try a fun experiment? Try being unreasonable once a day. That is, try asking for something unreasonable. Something you previously considered too “outrageous” to ask for before.

This will really stretch your boundaries as to what is possible.

Now the interesting thing is that the thing you are requesting might only be unreasonable to you. Maybe you are in the exact right place and right time for your request to be granted.

Now I have been doing this for a while and have received complimentary rounds of golf, hotel stays and most recently the largest paying consulting contract ever – just because I asked.

The trick with this exercise is to really have fun with it. For example if you happen to find yourself talking with a television reporter for some odd reason, why not ask if you can have your own television show? I recently read where this actually happened!

Keep in mind, it’s important to be OK (and not be attached to the outcome) with someone declining your “unreasonable” request because by it’s nature it’s unreasonable (but so what!)

So the main thing here is to really go out and ask for what you want in life. You’ll be utterly amazed at the surprises in store for you. Especially if you don’t put undo importance and meaning to people declining your request.

Just to get you thinking I’ll put together a small list to get your brain working in this direction. Also it might be a good idea to put up a little post-it or note on your computer as a visual reminder to “be unreasonable once a day”

1. Ask for a huge sum of money
2. Ask for time off
3. Ask him/her out
4. Request a partnership
5. Ask for a gallery deal at that blue-chip gallery
6. Ask that your debt be forgiven (or at at least a few months)
7. Ask that rock-star artist for advice
8. Request a book deal
9. Ask for a TV show
10. Ask for a complimentary resort stay

Obviously this is just the tip of the iceberg. You are only limited by your imagination. The funny thing is, the more you do it the more fun and the more of a game it becomes.

George Bernard Shaw, the great playwright became a very wealthy man by penning powerful, compelling plays. He always said our first duty is not to be poor but also said,

The reasonable man adapts himself to the conditions that surround him . . . The unreasonable man adapts surrounding conditions to himself . . . therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

Note: Painting shown “Chinese Dancing” by American Artist, Brice Marden.

This video above is not specifically art-related but it has a fundamental and powerful message by Apple founder, Steve Jobs, and that is to follow your heart – no matter what.

He tells 3 stories from his amazing life. That’s it. But they are very powerful, compelling and well worth your time to listen (it clocks in at about 15 minutes)