Selling Art, Not Selling Out

Author: Kevin Chung (Page 19 of 21)

“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.” – George S. Patton Quote Art

“I don’t measure a man’s success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom.”
– George S. Patton

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General George Patton was especially equipped to judge the spirit and fight within a person. During his tenure as a General of the U.S. Army during World War II, he famously defeated German forces in France and Germany. His military leadership helped tilt the tides of war. He was known for his unrelenting discipline and his battle philosophy was notorious: “We shall attack and attack until we are exhausted, and then we shall attack again.”

[bctt tweet=”You shouldn’t give up because you think you’ve hit bottom”]

It is with this same spirit that we must tackle our toughest problems. You shouldn’t give up because you think you’ve hit bottom. It is in those moments that you discover your true character.

We must overcome obstacles despite all odds. We must posses that fighting spirit. We must continue on and never give up.

Will you give up or will you bounce back higher than ever?

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Photo by archer10

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Quote Art

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Print available on Storenvy.

This quote is often misattributed to Winston Churchill. Learn more about its origins on Quote Investigator.

Success

Most people think success is a destination you can reach. “If only I was as successful as she is.” What you don’t know is, that person you look up to is thinking the same thing. We think “making it” is a tangible status you can achieve but it isn’t.

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day-in and day-out.”
– Robert Collier

[bctt tweet=”Instead of thinking of success as a destination, think of it as a mindset”]

Instead of thinking of success as a destination, think of it as a mindset. Success as a mindset means always trying your best. It means moving forward despite the obstacles. It means learning from your mistakes. It means you are always growing.

Failure

[bctt tweet=”Failure is far from fatal, it is a way to learn from your mistakes”]

People think failure is the worst thing that can happen to them. They think failure is impossible to overcome. Failure is far from fatal, it is a way to learn from your mistakes.

Things fail for a reason. It usually comes down to a lack of foresight, a lack of preparation, or a lack of execution. Instead of seeing failure as an insurmountable obstacle, think of it as a lesson learned. What can you learn from your failure? How can you improve next time? After each failure, dissect what went wrong, and avoid doing it again.

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed”.

– Michael Jordan

[bctt tweet=”You need to think failure as an outcome rather than letting it define you”]

An important thing to remember about failure is it does not reflect who you are. People too often attribute failure to themselves. When things go right we feel invincible but when things go wrong we feel worthless. You need to think failure as an outcome rather than letting it define you. Your projects and goals can end in failure, but don’t attach that failure to yourself. It is hard to become better when you always blame yourself.

Courage

The most overlooked attribute of successful people is persistence. Anyone can be successful if they never face adversity, if things never went wrong. The true test of character occurs when things don’t go exactly as planned. During these moments you have two choices. You can pack your things up and go, or you can suck it up and find a solution.

So many people quit just on the edge of success. It is within their grasp but instead of staying the course, they choose to give up.

If you have done your homework and know your idea can work, you can’t give up. Did you know Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star because he lacked imagination? What would happen if J.K. Rowling had given up on Harry Potter when so many people told her to? How much different would the world be if great people had given up instead of challenging themselves?

We live in the greatest time in human history. We owe it to ourselves to do what we love. So, the next time you feel like giving up, think of Walt Disney and J.K. Rowling. Think of the greatness they achieved and the gifts they gave to the world. You can give your gifts to the world too.

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“Life is long if you know how to use it.” – Seneca Quote Art

“Life is long if you know how to use it.”
—Seneca

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You are sitting in a cubicle, anxious for the day to be over. You look at the clock and it feels like time is going backwards. You dread every second you have to be there, but you have to make a living somehow. Is this how life was meant to be lived?

We have all felt this before. Whether you’ve had a corporate job or not. The feeling is the same. Any time you are doing a job that doesn’t align with your values, you feel your life being slowly sucked away. We only have a finite amount of time on Earth. How can we make use of the time we are given?

You’ll hear many people say follow your passion. While this may sound like a good idea, you can’t make a living off of passion alone. If you are passionate about eating ice cream on your couch, can you make a living from it? I wish. Unfortunately you can’t.

Instead you must find your purpose. This might sound the same as a passion, but there is a distinct difference. Passions are all about you. I’m passionate about sports, reading, photography, and music to name a few. But those passions don’t have an affect on others. Purpose fills a need.

My purpose is helping artists promote themselves and their art in an authentic way.

Artists have a negative attitude towards marketing and selling their art. I want to change this mindset through my knowledge of web design, marketing, and psychology. I want to help artists share their gift with the world.

Since I started helping artists, I have felt a renewed sense of purpose. I am no longer letting life just pass me by. I have found a way to live a long life and make use of my own gifts.

[bctt tweet=”If you want to find your purpose, and live a long fulfilling life, see what needs are not being filled”]

If you want to find your purpose, and live a long fulfilling life, see what needs are not being filled. One that comes to mind is emotional connection. We live in a world that is more connected than ever, yet we all feel an emotional disconnect.

You as an artist are especially equipped to fill this need. You can create emotional connection with your audience through your words and your work. Filling this need will not only enhance your own life, it will enhance the lives of everyone who encounters your art.

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“The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.” – Anton Chekhov Quote Art

“The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.”
― Anton Chekhov

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Artists have a gift. With a single stroke of the brush, they can tell an entire story. They can make someone laugh or cry just by putting their pen to paper. Their music can bring joy or sadness.

So why do we celebrate when someone says they want to be a doctor or a lawyer, but feel sorry for them if they say they want to be an artist? There is a stigma around being an artist. They think we “sit around all day and paint pretty pictures.” They think we will starve while trying to find success. There is no room for these thoughts.

[bctt tweet=”By asking questions, we create conversations”]

By asking questions, we create conversations. We make people think about themselves and their place in the world.

Asking questions also opens people up to new possibilities. Books and movies are not only great entertainment, but they also shape our future. How much of the technology we have today was inspired by a great artist’s mind?

[bctt tweet=”Artists have the ability to change the world”]

Artists have the ability to change the world. We can change a person’s mind without saying a thing. It is time we show people what it means to be an artist.

We must show people how our work inspires movements, how it can lift you up when you are down, how it asks questions about ourselves.

Here are some ways we can be an artist that asks questions instead of answering them:

Seek Knowledge

The best way to ask better questions is by learning. Every time you learn something new, you should have more questions than answers. How does this information fit into your views? How can you reflect that in your art?

Become Curious

[bctt tweet=”Curiosity should be the lifeblood of an artist”]

Some artists choose to live in a bubble. They paint the same pictures. They do the same things. They stick to their guns. Don’t be that artist. Curiosity should be the lifeblood of an artist. What new ideas can you explore? Become curious and learn to ask why.

Explore the World

[bctt tweet=”Go see what the world has to offer”]

We live in a world where you are constantly connected. We can spend our entire life staring at the screens in front of us, or we can explore the world. Exploring the world makes you question how much you know. So go see what the world has to offer.

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“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela Quote Art

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
― Nelson Mandela

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There is a deep fascination with the impossible. If we turn the clock back just 100 years, a relatively short time in human history, there are many things that would have seemed impossible. One hundred years ago, there was no internet, there were no electric vehicles, there were no iPhones, iPads or computers. If you would have told people living in 1915 what we have at our disposal now, they would think you are crazy.

Likewise, in the sport of running, the four minute mile seemed like an impossible barrier to break. Up until 1954, no one had run a mile in under four minutes. Since Roger Bannister broke it that year, 18 others have broken the previous record. In sports, many records seem unbreakable, until they are broken.

[bctt tweet=”In order to achieve the impossible, you must believe it is possible & pursue it with everything you have”]

The point is, don’t let conventional standards make you believe things are impossible. The “impossible” is achieved all the time. Whether it’s in technology, sports, or art, people are constantly achieving the impossible. In order to achieve the impossible, you must believe it is possible and pursue it with everything you have.

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Photo by Izzard

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” – Pablo Picasso Quote Art

“The chief enemy of creativity is good sense.” – Pablo Picasso

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Whenever I have an idea that is out of the norm a nagging voice pops into my head, “That’s a dumb idea.”

I once had the idea to help people find where they can buy things they found on Pinterest or Tumblr. All you had to do is upload a photo, tag it with keywords, and tell others where you found the photo. Then the community tell you where you could buy it. I decided against investing money into building it and a few years later, multiple companies built it.

In college I had the idea for a helmet that would record exactly what you saw, and it would save it for you to watch later. A few years later, GoPros came out.

In both cases my “good sense” told me not to pursue my ideas. Both times, someone else did. I’m not saying these ideas would have succeeded. I will never know if they would have.

[bctt tweet=”Good sense and creativity mix like oil and water”]

The point is not to lament my mistakes. The point is good sense and creativity mix like oil and water. If you want to come up with creative ideas, don’t let good sense get in your way. Who knows how many great ideas have not been pursued because someone was afraid their idea was dumb.

[bctt tweet=”If you want to be creative, let ideas come to you”]

If you want to be creative, let ideas come to you. Don’t knock them down. Pursue the ones that have potential even if your mind tells you they won’t work.

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Success vs Value – Albert Einstein Quote Art

“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

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Success is something we all strive for. Growing up, all I wanted out of life was to be successful. How could I not? In school we are measured by our grades. So I got good grades. Then you need to get into college and graduate in four years. So of course I went to college and graduated in four years. The next big challenge on your way to success is getting a good job. Check another one off the list.

By these standards, I should be a success, but I didn’t feel successful. There was something missing. That was until I started to share my knowledge with others. Since I started my blog for artists, I have felt a deep sense of joy that I never felt before.

[bctt tweet=”If you are even a single step further along your journey than someone else, you still have massive value to provide”]

When you start writing, you wonder why anyone would ever listen to you. You think “I’m not an expert.” That may be true, but we all underestimate how much we know. If you are even a single step further along your journey than someone else, you still have massive value to provide. If you can save a single person from going through the same frustrations as you did, it would be worth it.

[bctt tweet=”Having a small following does not exclude you from providing value”]

There is nothing like receiving the gratitude of another person. Having a small following does not exclude you from providing value. Every compliment I receive for my writing fuels me to write more. If we are all going to live in this world together, we might as well help each other make the best of it.

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Photo by Edward Simpson

Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. Quote Art

“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

(This quote is often attributed to Carl Sagan, but it is unknown who actually came up with it.)

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Who are the most revered people in history? The trailblazers, the explorers, and the discoverers are all revered, and for good reason. They helped break new grounds in geography and science and forever changed the world.

In the middle of the 20th century, we were in the thick of the Cold War. It was an arms race to see who could be the strongest nation on Earth, but it was also a race in space exploration. A brand new frontier was being explored. It led to the first people ever to go into space. We had men walk on the moon. The impossible became possible.

[bctt tweet=”What discoveries can we make that will forever change the world? “]

As artists, we need our moon landing. What discoveries can we make that will forever change the world? You might be telling yourself “I just want to create.” Creation is great, but most of us are just scratching the surface of what art can be.

[bctt tweet=”Go out and see what incredible things we can find”]

We need to discover and uncover new methods of communication. Can we build something like the Holodeck in Star Trek? What immersive experiences await us? Instead of treating art as a product, we should go out and see what incredible things we can find. We need to make the unknown, known.

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Photo by Takashi Hososhima

Life – James Dean Quote Art

“Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” – James Dean

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This is a call to all you dreamers out there.

We live in a world where what once seemed impossible becomes possible. All of the world’s known knowledge is at our fingertips. We can travel across the globe in hours. We can talk to others who speak a foreign language without having to learn it.

[bctt tweet=”What can you do to bring a positive change upon the world?”]

We live a world filled with potential. There has been no greater time in history than the present, and we must not squander it. What can you do to bring a positive change upon the world? Sure, not everyone can build the next Google or Facebook, but who says we have to.

[bctt tweet=”Our dreams are only limited by our faith in accomplishing them. “]

Our dreams are only limited by our faith in accomplishing them. Instead of complaining about your present situation, find a way to change it. Make lofty goals, and do everything you can to achieve them. They may seem impossible at the moment, but work at it each day, and you will come that much closer to achieving it.

[bctt tweet=”We only get one life to live. We might as well make the best of it.”]

In order to do that, you must get started. Don’t wait until tomorrow, or next week, or next year. Get started today and you can be on your way to achieving your dreams. After all, we only get one life to live. We might as well make the best of it.

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Talent vs. Curiosity – Albert Einstein Quote Art

“I have no special talents, I am just passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein

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We are taught that talent is everything. Only virtuosos will be able to fill a concert hall. Prodigies are held up to an impossible standard by the rest of society. What if that didn’t have to be the case?

[bctt tweet=”Talent only plays a small roll in our ability to be successful”]

Luckily for all of us, talent only plays a small roll in our ability to be successful. Have you ever wondered what happened to those child prodigies when they grew up? Some grow up and live up to those lofty expectations. Others go on to lead a life like most people. What differentiates those who succeed and those who don’t?

[bctt tweet=”You must possess some combination of talent, grit, passion and curiosity to succeed”]

If you are a child who is amazing at playing the piano, but have not desire to do so, will you continue to play? Probably not. You must possess some combination of talent, grit, passion and curiosity to succeed.

[bctt tweet=”Reach back into that childlike curiosity and learn from the world”]

As artists, you must be a student of the world. Find out what makes you tick, and pursue that without abandon. Reach back into that childlike curiosity and learn from the world. Question things. Experiment. Don’t give up.

[bctt tweet=”Talent without passion and curiosity is meaningless”]

Talent without passion and curiosity is meaningless. Stop worrying about how much talent you have, and let your passion and curiosity guide you.

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Photo by ApertureVintage

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