Someone said recently, “Define your goals as clearly as your fears.”  Amen.

As a result of my recent interview with Jonathan Fields for the Good Life Project I heard from many artists who where inspired by my artistic and entrepreneurial journey.  Musicians, painters, photographers, all sorts of creatives expressed their gratitude.

This month marks then end of my sixth year in business as an artist. As I reflect upon my journey, I remember how scared I was when I started. 

I moved to a very expensive city, San Francisco, where I had no personal or business contacts and I had no plan.

But after a Blue Sky session I determined my potential target market and then I arrived at a very clear guiding goal, to earn over $100K in my first year in business painting. 

This SMART goal not only shaped my daily priorities it focused my actions and steadied my fearful mind.

My actions where fueled by desire to become a successful artist and fear that I would fail.

Having lived with anxiety for a good part of my life, it was time to embrace a new relationship with fear so that it could become one half of the fuel mix needed to rocket me to success.

Jonathan Field’s 10 Commandments of Biz of Good Life Project, includes “Thou shall train thy Mind in the ALCHEMY of FEAR.”

Fear is our friend or our enemy depending on how we direct the energy.  Fear kept, and still keeps me, moving towards my target. And I burn off the excess energy with long runs.

Don’t avoid your dreams because your scared, go for it because you are scared.  Use the fuel.

As this year comes to a close, I encourage your to define your goals as clearly as your fears.

If you are going to be afraid, be afraid of never trying your level best to have what you desire in this life.

Don’t take time and opportunities to move for granted.  Nothing lasts forever.

I’m featured on this week’s episode of the Good Life Project.

Dear Good Lifer!

So excited to be sharing the first in a series of episodes filmed around the famed Bay Area in northern California.

San Francisco painter, Ann Rea, was deep in a hole. Depressed, anxious, working in a career that was leaving her empty and heavily medicated, she turned to painting as therapy. And everything changed.

What started as a return to sanity grew into a salvation and a calling. But to turn it into a living, Ann came face-to-face with the “gallery system.” Something in her gut told her it was not for her. Too little control and power.

So, she decided to do what everyone else said was un-doable. She went around the system and created her own path to become a successful painter, entrepreneur and now mentor to other artists trying to do the same.

In this week’s episode of Good Life Project, we dive deep into her journey.

Click here to watch it now>>>

If you’ve got any artist friends who are trying to figure out how to make a living, be sure to share Ann’s inspired story with them.

With gratitude,

Jonathan

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do.”
— Georgia O’Keeffe

This wisdom from Georgia O’Keefe reminds me of my friend Jonathan Fields‘ newest book.  But Jonathan takes O’Keefe’s wisdom to another level of practical understanding and application.

Go get his book. “Uncertainty: Turning Fear and Doubt into Fuel for Brilliance.“

Disclaimer, I am biased because he profiled me in his first book, “Career Renegade.”  Another recommendation for Artists Who THRIVE.

Back to Ms. O’Keefe.  She spoke my truth. When I was working at my last JOB, my manager’s nickname was actually Snotty Scotty. I did not bestow this name upon him; he had clearly earned the title before I met him.

One fine day I arrived back home from my two hour, one way, commute from San Francisco’s financial district and I had just had it.

I could not return to such a soul sucking existence when unexplored options were available to me.  So I decided that I would quit my job, sell my home and move to San Francisco where I would paint full time and I would make money.

“Oh really?” That’s what the disbelievers said.  Worst-case scenario I would find another job.

But I had to go for it.  I didn’t want to have any regrets.  My late and dear cubicle mate Angela was reminding me of this every day.

I was indeed terrified.  I had no plan, no network, no experience running a business, and most importantly no example to follow of an artist actually even considering their creative endeavor as a business.  It was a constant stretch of thinking and faith.

The fear itself was energy. It was fuel.  And I applied it to determine a SMART goal, using my project management skills to outline and execute an action plan, and to secure resources.

Tony Robbins says, “You don’t have to be rich, you just have to be resourceful.”

Initially I really did not know what I was doing and I really did not know how I was going to get there but I knew what I wanted.  And knowing what you want is half the battle.