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