As I was coaching a painter yesterday, she was expressing concerns about her success.

“I might not meet the deadline I defined in my SMART goal.”

My advise to her, “The key to success is relentless focus on a clear goal and the quality of your relationships.”

I pointed out that because she even has a SMART goal, most artists don’t, she’s making tremendous progress.

If she simply maintains her relentless focus on her SMART goal, she will not be able to help but to reach it.  So there’s no reason to give up or be discouraged.

This painter’s next step is to simply examine her action plan and determine what adjustments she can make to reach her SMARTER goal on time.

S Specific
M Measurable
A Attainable
R Relevant
T Time Bound
E Evaluate
R Reevaluate

So that she can shift from disappointment to inspiration, I’m encouraging her to review her accomplishments.

• Before she had a number of scattered bodies of work.  Now she has created a whole new body of work and a Blue Ocean Strategy that has filled her with more creative inspiration and energy than ever before in 30 years of painting.

• Before her number one concern was focus.  She now reports that has never been more focused.

• Before she had no concept of how to market her work. She would create art, try to market it, it would not work, she would become discouraged, and then she abandoned it.  Now she has more hope and commitment than ever before.

• Before she was unsure of how to clearly communicate the value of her art.  Now she has a unique value proposition and she is beginning to capture her target market’s interest in her art.

• Before she was uncomfortable with the idea of networking.  Now she has joined a welcoming organization and she is building new business relationships.

These accomplishments are all hers.  I’m just the experienced coach.

She has to lift the weights, run the laps, and watch her diet.  This artist has to take focused action.

Yesterday I was coaching a very talented musician and vocalist.  By many measures this artist is already successful.

But he’s hardly spending any time actually making or recording music lately because he has way too many balls in the air.

Several of the balls include either leading local choirs as a volunteer or working for little money.

This would be cool if he had enough time and money to do that and make his music.

But the truth is that right now his art and his finances are suffering.

So we created a SMART goal and an Action Plan for this artist so that he could eventually work approximately three hours per day giving private voice lessons and he will have the rest of the day to devote to his one most important creative project.

How? Like this…

First, I recommended that this artist make a list of all of his projects and then rank them. You can do this too:

1. List each project.

2. Put a dollar sign next to the ones that are making you money now, or that ones that represent the fastest path to cash.

3. Estimate how much money each project is actually making you today, not what it might in the future.

4. Estimate how much time you invest in the project each week.

5. Put three stars next to the three projects you really love.

6. Put three stars next to three projects that, if they went away tomorrow, you would not miss.

7. Don’t forget to list the hours that you must sleep, eat, take a shower, get dressed, and clean your house.

8. Now add up the money you are making.

9. Add up the time you are spending.

10.  Now decide.  What you are going to cut for now and what you are going to keep? Determine your top three priorities.

What did this artist conclude?  He had 33 projects.  Yes.  That’s right, 33.

Is it any wonder that he was completely overwhelmed and not making enough money or music?

Think of a clock. It’s the shape of a pie.  There are only so many hours in the day or the week.

You can only slice that pie so many times, so many ways, and if you slice too much you wind up with mush.

Second, we determined a plan of action.

1. He will reposition his private voice lessons to reach a wealthier market and raise his rate.

2. He will run more workshops, consistently, to promote the repositioned private voice lessons.

3. They key is to maintain the right amount of consistent focus on the workshops to keep three hours of private voice lessons booked.

Notice I said “one most creative project.”  One step at a time.

You can’t sing two songs at once and you can only focus your passion on one project at a time.

Ancient Greek mythology tells of the Muses, the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge.

Let’s face it.  Our creative inspiration can ebb and flow.  But if you’re making your living from your creative output you can’t always wait for the Muses to show up.  We need to get crackin’.

I don’t believe in forcing one’s creative expression.  If you’re just utterly exhausted or you are just not feeling it, then you’re not.

But I have found that nine times out of ten, if I just show up in front of my easel, supplies out and brush in hand, the Muses shows up.  Yes.  The energy to create appears.

This discipline is vital as I have a commissioned based art business and I have deadlines and obligations that must be met.

Now there is that one in ten chance that I’m still not going to feel it. That’s fine.  I just let myself off the hook, go rejuvenate, and come back later.

Do you know what rejuvenates you? Is it a bubble bath, a walk around the block, a good book, and chat with a friend?

If the muse is not there then just go plug into what gives you energy or what relaxes you.

But if you are not feeling it, just try.  Prepare to create and then see if the muse shows up.

If you keep an open mind, the energy can show up.  If it’s just not there then go refuel.

Sometimes I’ll say something to an artist that I’m coaching that strikes a cord of truth in them that brings their thoughts, and therefore their actions, into clear focus.

That’s what happened after I responded to Nicolette, “Fear creeps in when you’re not present.  Stick to your plan, stop trailing off into the future.”

Nicolette is an artist client, turned graphic designer, who wants to return to fine art.

She hasn’t worked on her fine art in several years so she needs to get back into her creative flow to build a representative body of new work.

Frankly, she’s been dragging her feet a bit on getting this work done. Her mind has been winding around her unique value proposition, target market, and distribution channels.

She is thinking about selling her work before she’s actually made it.

Is it any wonder that the work isn’t yet done and she’s beginning to freeze up in fear?

Look. I’m not a life coach, but I do know from my own experience as a fine artist and entrepreneur that fear and frustration, creep in when you are not present.

Why is she not present?  She’s not focused on the task at hand, which is simply to produce a dozen pieces that are strong representations of her new artistic concept.

That means she may need to produce 30 pieces and scrap 18.  Her perfectionism had better make a quick exit.

Once this “product development” is done we can examine potential markets and value propositions.

Until a cohesive body of work is complete, focusing on marketing would make a case of the tail wagging the dog.

Or another way of saying it is, focusing on marketing before finding your artistic voice, is placing the cart is before the horse.

Take it one step at a time.  Focus on completing each step in your Action Plan within a reasonable amount of time and then get on to the next step.

I’m not sure why so many creatives are tortured by planning but once they learn this skill they soar.

As I matured as an artist I came to recognize and respect that creative freedom springs forth within the boundaries.

As my creative self evolved I became more self directed and more clear about my artistic inspiration.

With maturity and confidence I was clear about and able to define the boundaries that I wanted to explore.

It has been within these self-imposed limits that my creative process flourishes.

Yesterday morning I heard a comment on the radio that mirrors this idea:

“You limit things so that you can explore their universe more thoroughly.”

Why is this take on creative freedom relevant to the business of art?  Because in order to succeed in business one most offer and communicate a well defined value proposition to a target market.

So for example, what if a musician asserted that they were a country musician and an opera signer?  It’s just hard to buy.  Right?

Can you enjoy or be inspired by an eclectic mix? Certainly.

Can you become known for both? Not likely.

Artists have to pick their lane.  This is not only a law of creativity but it is also true of business and marketing.

Now laws are indeed made to be broken.  So often, not always, once an artist has established a clear market niche they can experiment and maybe even cross over to another genre.

Bottom line.  Know thyself.  If you know yourself others can know you.  And to know you is to love you.

Since I did not go to business school, and I have a long commute over the Golden Gate Bridge to Wine Country, I keep a number of business books on my iPhone.  This is often referred to as DTU (Drive Time University.)

One of my favorite audio books is by Russell Simons, one of the very wealthiest and most successful pioneering hip-hop media and fashion moguls.

I also happen to like him because, like me, he’s down with practicing yoga, meditation, anti-censorship, and he does not reserve his political or social opinions.

Simons’ book is called “Do You, Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success.”  It’s no surprise that Oprah gave him the first part of the title.

“Do you”, delivers the value proposition.  He mixes his personal philosophy and world view and breaks down how he’s applied this to building his empire of successful brands and cultivating artist’s careers.

In the world of art, what counts is unique expression.  So if an artist tries to be anything but their authentic self, they will fall short and be subject to constant comparison or remain simply irrelevant.

By “Doing You” an artist sets themselves apart, offering their market unique value.  A student in one of my Artists Who THRIVE seminars reluctantly asked, “Is there really enough opportunity for very many “Blue Ocean Strategies.”  My answer is a resounding. YES!

Does that mean that every artist with a unique and compelling expression has a market?  Not necessarily.  The artist must know, articulate, and deliver value to a target market.  The value is expression that touches, inspires, and moves that market.

It’s only when an artist remains true to themselves, their unique essence, their vision, that they stand the very best chance of connecting with and inspiring others.

And that, my friends, is the name of the game in the world of art.  And I believe it’s also the name of the game in the world of business.

My advice is “know thyself” and take Mr. Simons’ advise. “Do you.”

Your success can be measured as an average of those closest to you.

As you strive for more success you may find that some in your circle will prop you up and encourage your endeavors and some will try to bring you down.  They will do this sometimes consciously, sometimes not.

Let’s face it, most people do not possess the focus and courage required to be an entrepreneurial artist and your desires and new behavior can make them uncomfortable.

Based on my personal experience, my ambitions and successes intimidated some in my circle, made others jealous, yet inspired the rest.   Because of this I was faced with two difficult choices.  I could accept their negativity or release them.

I realized that while embarking on an ambitious life-changing goal I could not afford to be influenced by negativity.  So I fired some and I minded what I shared with others.

This is a difficult realization.  But I was more committed to my success and well being than I was committed to accepting the negativity of others.

And eventually those in my circle whom I fired were replaced by much more positive, successful, and like minded people.

As my artist clients determine their focus and experience success they are in a delicate state.  They want, and they deserve, encouragement and support.

But they find that some in their circle, friends and family, not only don’t offer this but they bring them down.

Life is short.  Accept or let go of those in your circle who do not support you and trade up.

Successful and positive people hang around with successful and positive people.

Salvador Dalí

So you know how it is, we have a huge “to do list”.  And all of these “to-dos” can easily become overwhelming.

In fact, I’ve noticed that when you ask people “How are you doing?, they often reply with, “I’ve been soooo busy.”  Is that our new greeting?  I sometimes think, “Well, are you too busy for me?  Maybe I should go?”

All of these “to-dos” can also encroach on our precious creative time.  My suggestion is to edit your “to-do” list by a very simple rule.  First, which of these “to-dos” are income-generating activities?  Then which ones are marketing activities?

Next.  Sort these income generating action items by how close they are to a path to cash.  For example: meeting with a collector is closer to generating cash then updating your eCommerce site. Right?  They are both important, but which one deserves your immediate energy and attention? If you don’t have an eCommerce site and you don’t have a potential collector to meet with, then you need to work on activities to launch  eCommerce site.

The next way to cut this list down is to examine which action items can be delegated.  Could this action item be handled by an intern?  A virtual assistant?

I expect all of my artist clients to maintain a calendar and that they budget their time as carefully, if not more, than their money.  Why?  Because you can make more money.  You can’t make more time.

This calendar also helps draw boundaries around creative time.  I find that I’m most creative and energized in the afternoon.  So after noon, on Tuesday through Friday, administrative and marketing activities stop and creative time begins.

I guard my creative time.  Obviously that’s because this is how I want to focus my life force and so that I can create an art inventory of quality.  And so that I can generate revenue and keep painting.

My creative output also cuts a path to valuable intellectual property, a la reproductions.  And intellectual property is an asset that generates income that does not have to be traded for time.  And that is the best and the fastest path to cash.

Get help, all the help you need to make success and happiness in your life and business. Particularly if you’re not sure of how to get there.

No single person, no matter how capable, has enough time to do everything, nor can they master every skill.  If you are trying to do this, you’re doing it the hard way and the wrong way.  You don’t have to hire an entire team all at once. But if it will cost you less money, and or time, and it will help you make more money in the short or long term, get help.

I consider myself pretty well rounded and capable but to support my art business I currently have a:

1. Bookkeeper
2. Business Attorney
3. Social Media Consultant
4. CPA
5. Data Entry Assistants
6. Virtual Assistants
7. Event Assistants
8. Personal Stylist
9. Webmaster
10. Local Framer
11. Order Fulfillment Framer
12. Fine Art Photographer
13. Graphic Designer
14. Sales consultant

All of whom are better at what they do than I’ll ever be. It costs me less in the long run to hire them, as needed, and it certainly takes less time. And it gives me more time to paint and to sell what I paint.

I’ve also hired life coaches to help take me from my miserable corporate cubical dwelling self to the life I have created for myself now.  What I was doing then certainly wasn’t working and I appreciate the benefit of their wisdom.

And I’ve hired marketing and business consultants to help me construct my business.

Bottom line.  I’ve invested in my business and myself.  I heard Warren Buffet once say that the first and best place to get a return on your investment is yourself.  I agree.

I have also fired people.  My suggestion. Make your expectations very clear.  Hire slowly. Fire quickly.

We all need help. And we can get to where we want to go faster with the help of experienced guides.  It’s a sign of strength to admit this and it’s an act of power to take action and actually get the help that you need.

If you would like help building your art business you are welcome to apply.  Learn more here.

When I coach artists and hear them engaging in a fearful and confused chatter, I know immediately why they are generating such pessimism.  They are not focused.

On the other hand, my artist clients who have clear goals, and updated action plans, who are working their plan every day, don’t complain.  They don’t fret.

Why is this?  I believe that if we give our mind time and space to drift, it will.  And when there’s work to be done, and we are avoiding it, or we don’t know how to tackle it, our minds will often drift into a very dark space. And then, “As you think, so shall you become.”

My artist clients who are focused have a system in place to keep themselves focused.  They have a road map. And they follow this map yet remain flexible and constantly adjust their course.  But they always know where they are going.

How do we construct that road map?  First you have to know where you are going.  And then you define a SMART goal, specific, measurable, attainable, results oriented, and timely.  Then we outline what milestones must be met in order to attain that specific goal.  Then we define what action steps must be taken, and resources secured, to meet each milestone.

It’s all very systematic, a blend of right and left brain thinking.  And a big part of my coaching is just teaching this system so that they can continue to use it long after I’m gone.

I’ve drawn on my project management experience when I was a corporate cubicle dweller.  As much as I hated it, project management has served me well and now it helps my artist clients get things done and become successful too.

Creating a road map towards your goals breaks down what can seem like an insurmountable task to degrees that are manageable on a daily basis. And not so scary after all.