Steven Shewach is the creator of Bogus Belief Busters, an idea dedicated to bringing self-help to the masses. He is also the author of Man Date, a manual for men on how to make meaningful relationships with fascinating dudes without being weird or awkward. In this episode Steven talks about how he plans to help people overcome their bogus beliefs, his thoughts on masculinity, and how he turned his life around after being a self-described asshole.
Author: Kevin Chung (Page 13 of 21)
“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Maximus (Gladiator) Quote Art
“What we do in life echoes in eternity.” – Maximus (Gladiator)
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In ancient times, people were obsessed with legacy. People were not just representing themselves in the sphere of public perception. They were representing the legacy of their family name. They wanted to live a life their ancestors could be proud of.
Somewhere along the lines, we lost touch with the idea of legacy. When going through life, we often focus on the future. What can I do to become a full time artist? How do I get my work in front of more people? Where’s the best place to market my art?
[bctt tweet=”We are so absorbed with our future that we rarely stop to think about the legacy we will leave behind”]
We are so absorbed with our future that we rarely stop to think about the legacy we will leave behind. After all, it is hard to think about life after death. No one really knows what happens to us when we die. The only thing we can do is live the best life that we have.
The perfect embodiment of this idea is the late Scott Dinsmore. Scott believed the world would be a different place if “we all did work that actually mattered to us.” That is a powerful idea.
Through his site, Live Your Legend, Scott inspired thousands of people to find their passions and live life on purpose. He built a community with meetups in 150 cities and 48 countries around the world. He gave a TEDx Talk that has millions of views. But in the end, his greatest legacy was the impact he made on other people.
[bctt tweet=”Instead of always thinking about ourselves, we need to look at the impact we are making on others”]
Instead of always thinking about ourselves, we need to look at the impact we are making on others. Are you making a positive impact on the world? Are you doing everything you can to make your ancestors proud?
When you die, will your life be something you can be proud of? What legacy will you leave behind? After all, “What we do in life echoes in eternity.”
“I know writing helps me build a connection with my fans, but I don’t know what to write about.”
As artists, all we want to do is work on our craft. The canvas calls to us like a newborn baby calls to her mom. We don’t want to step away from our art because that’s the thing we know how to do best. Others keep telling you to “Tell your story. It’s what people want to see.”
You might think “I’m not a writer.” or “I don’t know what to talk about.” Is writing about yourself and your art really that important? Yes, and I’ll tell you why.
Let’s say you have two similar paintings. They are equally beautiful and they are the same price. Next to one, all you see is the artist’s name and the title of the painting. Next to the other, you see the same thing, but there is also a description of the piece. It talks about the emotions and history behind the work. It tells you the artist’s perspective and why she created the piece. Which painting would you rather buy?
I’m guessing the painting with the story. As humans, we are born to like stories. It has helped our civilizations survive and thrive. You can use this tool of story to draw people to your art.
If you need help figuring out what topics to talk about, here are seven topics to get you started.
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” – Paulo Coelho Quote Art
“People are capable, at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.” – Paulo Coelho
Print available on Storenvy.
As creatives, we are often thought of as dreamers. We dream of our art being “discovered”. We dream of people clamoring over our work. We dream of a life where we can just create.
The thing is, we are dreamers, but often times, we are not doers.
A little over a year ago, I was a dreamer too. I dreamed that I could help artists get exposure for their work. I dreamed that I could help artists in the subject they are most uncomfortable: marketing. I dreamed that I could have my own podcast and share my thoughts with the world.
I am no longer just a dreamer. I am a doer too. Instead of letting my dreams die, I took action on them. That is the only reason you are reading this. Without action, I would be like many creatives, dreaming my life away.
[bctt tweet=”Dreams will get you nowhere without action”]
There is nothing wrong with being a dreamer. In fact, I would argue it is absolutely essential for artists to be dreamers. The problem is, you can’t just be a dreamer. Dreams will get you nowhere without action.
The only thing that separates those who succeed from those who don’t is taking action and not giving up. When I embarked on this adventure, I didn’t have everything planned out.
Often times we want a perfect blueprint of what we should be doing and when we should be doing it. We want someone to tell us exactly what to do without figuring it out for ourselves.
[bctt tweet=”The path to success is not linear. Nothing is ever perfect”]
I’ll tell you this, the path to success is not linear. Nothing is ever perfect. If you have been waiting for the perfect formula to bring you success, you will be waiting a very long time.
And that’s a good thing. If life were a formula you could just follow, it would quickly become dull. Life is about the journey, not the destination.
I’ve talked to many creatives and one commonality they all have is their unconventional paths. No one told them what to do. They discovered it on their own.
When we are children, we think the adults have it figured out. We think there is this magical switch that turns on and we’ll know exactly what to do. If you haven’t figured it out yet, that switch doesn’t exist.
[bctt tweet=”If you have a dream, there is only one thing left to do: take action”]
If you have a dream, there is only one thing left to do: take action. Instead of hoping your dreams will come true, make them come true.
Tim Lawrence is a copy editor, writer and adversity researcher. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Barclays Center, and Lincoln Center, and has copyedited for New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling authors. In this episode, Tim talks about growing through adversity, the benefits of a minimalist lifestyle, and the power of listening.
Brad Beckstrom has built a career in advertising, but has found happiness in living lean and his creative pursuits. On his blog The Frug, Brad talks about what it is like to live lean, work lean, and travel lean. In this episode, Brad talks about what it was like going into advertising and owning his own agencies, how he began living lean, and his creative quest to take 100,000 photographs.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill Quote Art
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill
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Like I have talked about many times before, failure is not something to be ashamed of. Each of us encounters failure in some form or fashion throughout our lives. Artists from Walt Disney to J.K. Rowling had to go through hardship to find success.
Here are just a few notable examples of people who have failed:
Walt Disney
Early in his career Disney created an animation studio called Laugh-O-Gram Films. This studio became loaded with debt and ended up bankrupt. He could have quit after this failure, but he chose to go Hollywood instead. There Walt and his brother Roy set up another studio.
Now, Disney is one of the most iconic brands in the world, and his characters are nearly universally recognized.
Steven Spielberg
Spielberg may be known for his many blockbusters, but he hasn’t always been so successful. Before becoming the icon he is today, he was rejected from the University of Southern California School of Cinema Arts three times for having poor grades.
Spielberg went on the create some of the most iconic movies in film history. In 1995 he was rewarded an honorary degree from USC, and in 1996 he became a trustee.
Harrison Ford
You may know Harrison Ford as one of his many iconic characters like Han Solo or Indiana Jones, but Ford was not always a successful actor.
Ford began his acting career as a contract player earning $150 a week. Initially, he did not find much success. One studio official even told Ford he would never be a movie star. Before catching his big break, he had to become a carpenter to supplement his income.
Ford is now one of the most well known actors in Hollywood and has acted for over 40 years.
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was the editor-in-chief of the Darthmouth humor magazine Jack-O-Lantern, and was kicked off the staff for breaking the Prohibition law. So he began using the pseudonym “Seuss.” He later became known for his pen name Dr. Seuss.
Seuss spent years making a living by drawing cartoons for advertisements and magazines. On his boat trip back from Europe, Seuss, the rhythm of the ship’s engine inspired his first book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. This book was rejected 27 times.
Seuss was going to destroy the book until he had a chance encounter with a friend who had just become editor at a publishing house’s children’s section.
That moment changed his life. The book became a sensation, and he wound up publishing over 60 books including The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham.
Stephen King
Stephen King may be known as one the the greatest horror writers, but it wasn’t always this way.
When King left university, he got a teaching certificate, but wasn’t able to find a job initially. So he had to work at a laundry, where he wrote short stories on the side.
King even threw away his first novel, Carrie, because he became discouraged writing. His wife retrieved it from the trash and encourage him to finish it. That ended up being the tipping point of his career.
Since completing Carrie, King has written over 50 novels and nearly 200 short stories. He has sold over 350 million copies of his books and many of them have been adapted into films and mini series.
J.K. Rowling
Before J.K. Rowling found fame with Harry Potter, she considered herself a failure. She had a failed marriage. She was jobless and raising a child by herself. She was clinically diagnosed with depression and contemplated suicide.
Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter book while on welfare. You might think after the outrageous success the books had that publishers would have killed for the chance to publish the book. You would be wrong. The book was submitted to twelve publishing houses, all of which rejected it.
We know the rest of the story. Rowling ended up writing seven Harry Potter books in total, which turned into eight films. According to Forbes, she became the first billionaire writer and the second-richest female entertainer.
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These stories show the failures of some of the most well known artists of our time. Each one reached a low point in their careers, but was able to overcome them and move on to great things.
[bctt tweet=”Failure is not uncommon, it is inevitable.”]
If you are to learn anything from these people it’s that failure is not uncommon, it is inevitable. It is only by making it through these failures that one will find success.
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Thanks to Business Insider for the list of failures.
Mark McClung is the creator of My Daily Mark, a blog dedicated to helping people, especially high school students, take action in their lives. In this episode Mark talks about the lessons he has learned, why you need to find your passion, and leveraging projects to your advantage.
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth Quote Art
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” – Babe Ruth
Print available on Storenvy.
Babe Ruth was one of the most prolific hitters in baseball history. In 1923 he broke the record for most home runs in a season. He also had the second highest batting average that year.By the time he retired, he held the home run record at 714.
These statistics may be well known, but what isn’t as well known is, he also had the most strikeouts that year. Not only that, he also held the record for the most career strikeouts at 1,330.
[bctt tweet=”Great accomplishment does not come without great failure”]
Both of these records lasted many years before they were broken. The point is, Babe Ruth was not afraid to strike out. He realized that great accomplishment does not come without great failure.
This quote also comes in many variations. The words are different, but the message is always the same. Without risk, there is no reward.
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” – Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg went to Harvard, one of the most well respected schools in the entire world. He could have played it safe and gotten a degree, found a good job, worked for 50 years, and retired.
Instead, he started working on a little project in his dorm room with a few classmates. They began sharing it on other campuses, and it became so successful that they dropped out of Harvard and brought it to Silicon Valley. That was the start of Facebook.
“Never was anything great achieved without danger.” – Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli is considered the “father of modern political theory.” He was a diplomat in the Florentine Republic for 14 years while the Medici family was out of power in Florence.
When the Medici family returned to power, he was suspected of conspiracy, sent to jail, tortured, and exiled. While exiled he wrote one of the seminal works of political theory: The Prince.
In The Prince, Machiavelli writes about monarchical rule and man’s ability to determine his own destiny. The book is known for showing politicians how to be ruthless, self-serving, and cunning. It even inspired the term Machiavellian.
[bctt tweet=”You should not be afraid to disturb the status quo”]
Machiavelli’s story shows that you should not be afraid to disturb the status quo. He could have sat by and let circumstances happen to him. Instead, he stuck by his ideals, even though he was punished for them, and is now immortalized through his work.
“The greatest risk to man is not that he aims too high and misses, but that he aims too low and hits.” – Michelangelo
Michelangelo is often cited as one of the most influential artists of all time. He has created some of the most recognizable pieces of art known to the world.
This only happened because he was willing to take risks with his art. Two great examples of this come in the form of his statue of David and his fresco painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Before Michelangelo created the statue of David, two prior sculptors attempted and abandoned it. A committee consulted several artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, about creating the statue. Yet Michelangelo, who was only 26 years old at the time, convinced the committee he deserved the commission.
This feat is so impressive because the statue stands at 17 ft tall and was made from a single giant piece of marble. It is now one of the most recognizable figures in the world.
The ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel is an equally impressive feat. Although he was known as a sculptor, not a painter, Pope Julius II commissioned him adorn the ceiling with twelve large figures of the Apostles. Michelangelo negotiated a much grander scheme. He eventually created the painting with over 300 figures.
It took four years to complete the massive, complicated painting. An estimated six million people visit the chapel each year to catch a glimpse of the painting.
If Michelangelo did not take risks, these two complicated and spectacular pieces of art would have never been created.
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[bctt tweet=”No one ever made something great without taking on great risk”]
These are just a few notable examples of what can be achieved when you are willing to take a risk. No one ever made something great without taking on great risk.
[bctt tweet=”Don’t let the fear of failure prevent you from achieving greatness”]
There is so much we can learn by studying those who came before us. Don’t let the fear of failure prevent you from achieving greatness. Don’t be fooled by the safety of the status quo. You have to be willing to strike out if you want to hit a home run.
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather Quote Art
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather
Print available on Storenvy.
How many times have you given up just when you were on the cusp of success? You know you could do it, but chose to give up instead. It happens to many of us. It is often the factor that separates success from failure.
I have given up on many projects. I wanted to build a website where people could discover where to buy things they saw on Pinterest or Tumblr, but I gave up. I started a blog where I posted something new I learned that day, but gave up on that too.
I have quit on many projects without success. Could they have succeeded? Quite possibly, but I chose to move on to something else instead.
What separates someone who succeeds from someone who fails? Persistence.
The problem many of us have is, we give up when things don’t go the way we planned. We look at the success others have and wonder why we aren’t getting the same results.
We need to stop looking at others and focus on ourselves. We choose to ignore the hard work that others had to put in to get where they are. Instead, we choose to envy their status. This is an unhelpful and self-destructive practice.
Instead of envying what others have, congratulate them and figure out what you can do to find the same success. Don’t aspire to be a second rate version of someone else, choose to be a first rate version of yourself.
How do you do this? By putting in the work. Instead of giving up at the first sign of failure, choose to move on.
Malcom Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours to master any skill. Have you put in your 10,000 hours? Have you put in the hard work necessary for success? Will you choose to hang on while others let go?
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