The Right Mindset
Overcome Obstacles - AGE
“I’m too young.”
“I’m too old.”
These two excuses, especially the second one, are far too common in all of life. Somehow we’ve bought into the American lie that youth is to be more desired than anything and that at a certain age, we shouldn’t attempt new things. I’m certainly glad Colonel Sanders didn’t subscribe to that [...]
Overcome Obstacles - INEXPERIENCE
When I decided to turn professional, the first thing I did was call an artist friend of mine who had been professional for many years. I asked him what I needed in order to turn professional. Here’s the list he gave me.
1. God-given talent.
2. Desire.
3. Commitment.
God-given talent - I was sure that I had this. [...]
Learn from the Best
Who are you studying?
Everybody has heros. We all emulate other people. The up-and-coming basketball player may model his game after Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant.
When it comes to oil painting, we too need to learn from the best.
Let me ask you a few questions:
From an art standpoint, who is your hero?
Who are you studying?
Who [...]
Beat the Critics Part 3
The Self
It’s easy to blame our problems on other people. In fact we’re very skillfull in blaming people and circumstances.
For example:
“The judges are out to get me.” “My family doesn’t believe in me.” You can fill in the blank. There is no doubt that you will have to overcome the criticisms and concerns of others, [...]
Beat the Critics Part 2
The Family
Your family (and also your friends) can be either the most supportive group you have, or the most discouraging. For me it was a total mixed bag.
My mother, among a few others, was by far my biggest source of encouragement. In fact, she was encouraging me when I didn’t want to be encouraged. There [...]
Beat the Critics
1. Beat the Critics
You probably already know this, but not everyone shares your dream. In fact, when you begin to think outside of the traditional boxes, you’re going to be branded as potentially weird or crazy.
I’ve found that as I have pursued my art, I’ve had to overcome three different sets of critics. I’m going [...]
