Category: Shop (Page 6 of 9)

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather Quote Art

September 20, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 1 Comment

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” – William Feather

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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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Photo by Sean Hobson

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates Quote Art

September 12, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates

Print available on Society6.

I’ll admit it. I don’t know all the answers. Anyone who tells you they know all the answers is lying.

As someone who is trying to help artists market themselves and their work, you might assume I know every aspect about marketing. I can tell you this right now, I don’t. If you are looking for a guru who can give you all the answers, you will be looking for a very long time.

We all look to the experts to figure things out for us. We want to do as little work as possible. This is your wake up call. If you want to find success, you must first acknowledge you don’t know everything. Next, you must admit that you will never know everything.

Some people may find this idea a burden. They want to take shortcuts. They want to know it all and they want to know it now.

I, on the other hand, think this idea is liberating. Sometimes the biggest burdens are the burdens of knowledge. When you know all the answers, you are less willing to take risks. You are less willing to break from convention. You believe your way is the right way, even if better alternatives exist.

Not knowing all the answers can lead to spectacular results. Here are some reasons you should admit to not knowing:

People will respect you more

When you are honest with others, they respect you more. It is better to tell people when you don’t know something than to make it up.

Don’t try to make yourself looks smarter by making it up. If people find out you were being dishonest, they will resent and lose respect for you.

When someone asks you a question, that you don’t know the answer to, simply tell them you don’t know, but you would like to find out. It will make you look better in the long run.

You can learn from others

We only have a finite amount of time on Earth, which means we can never know everything. Instead of trying to learn everything ourselves, we should lean on the knowledge of others.

No matter how much we think we know, there is always something we can learn from other people. Don’t close yourself off to the knowledge others can give you.

One of the best ways to do this is through Masterminds. Napoleon Hill found that the most successful people in his lifetime made use of a Mastermind. People from Andrew Carnegie to Henry Ford made use of this extraordinary tool.

Instead of trying to figure everything out on their own, these men relied on the wisdom of others. This allowed them to grow some of the largest, most successful businesses of their times.

By opening themselves up to the knowledge of others, they were able to solve problems they couldn’t figure out on their own.

It allows you to experiment

Every great discovery and invention started with a question. It was the result of someone not knowing something.

Just look at the scientific method as proof. Everything we know about science is based off of a question. Before we can claim something is true, we must first experiment and review the results.

If we were didn’t test our hypotheses, people would still believe the world is flat. We would still think the universe revolves around the Earth. We would still be experimenting with alchemy.

Through experimentation, we have made many new discoveries and debunked old theories. This is only possible by admitting we don’t know everything.

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“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle Quote Art

September 7, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 2 Comments

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Print available on Society6.

It was only after writing every single day did I become a more consistent and better communicator. Two years ago, I barely wrote at all and I was definitely not writing down ten ideas a day.

Since then, much has changed. I write at least 100 words every morning. Writing each day has helped clarify ideas I have in my mind. It has helped me grow an audience of dedicated artists who want to share their art with the world.

The blank slate is a terrifying thing. It is only when you begin to fill it that the world makes sense. Would I be able to get my ideas out there if I didn’t write daily? Probably, but, those thoughts would not be as refined. The habit of writing has helped bring incredible clarity into my life.

Before I found James Altucher’s ten ideas a day, I always had trouble coming up with ideas. Occasionally one would come into my head but it would die just as quickly.

Writing down ten ideas a day has made me an idea machine. It has shown me how to break projects down into manageable and actionable pieces. It has allowed me to write some of my most popular posts. It has given me direction when interviewing people for my podcast. If I didn’t practice this daily, I would not be where I am today.

[bctt tweet=”You can not achieve excellence without habit.”]

You can not achieve excellence without habit. Shakespeare did not write his plays in a single day. Mozart did not compose concertos in a night. Michelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel over a weekend.

Habits create the foundation of greatness. Don’t believe in the exaggeration of the overnight success. People do not achieve success instantaneously. They achieve it through consistent and focused repetition.

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Painting by Raphael

“The Earth without art is just eh.” Quote Art

August 30, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 1 Comment

“The Earth without art is just eh.”

Print available on Society6.

This is one of the most accurate descriptions of art I have ever seen.

Think of a society without art. This includes everything from drawing, to sculpting, to film making, and writing. What would life be like without these things?

When you finish a day’s worth of work, where do you turn? When you are free to enjoy an activity over the weekend, what do you do? Most likely to something that involves the arts.

[bctt tweet=”Art has the ability to transcend time and cultures.”]

Art has the ability to transcend time and cultures. It has the ability to bring to people together. It has the ability to leave you in awe.

If you ask people to name the most famous people throughout history, many will turn to the arts. How many artists can you recognize without saying their full names? There’s Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Picasso to name a few, and those are just the painters.

These artists have stood the test of time because they have left an immense impact on the world. People resonate with their messages.

Their work can be understood without knowing anything about the artist or the time period they lived in. How many other occupations can say the same?

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Photo courtesy of NASA via DVIDS

“One who makes no mistakes makes nothing.” – Giacomo Casanova Quote Art

August 23, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 5 Comments

“One who makes no mistakes makes nothing.” – Giacomo Casanova

Print available on Society6.

The blank slate is one of the scariest things an artist faces. Every time I create something new, I can’t help but feel a little worried.

I am worried that my work won’t be good enough. I am worried that people won’t like it. I worry that people will criticize it.

These are mostly irrational fears. I know that. But that doesn’t mean my mind is immune from having these thoughts.

One of the causes of these fears is the perfection curse. As artists, there is always something we can nitpick about our work. We are our own worst enemies.

We want to create art that meets our own lofty expectations. This means, we tweak a work to death. We want to get it just right before we let it out into the world. Although this may seem admirable, it often causes us to sit on certain pieces for far too long.

[bctt tweet=”You can try all you want, but you will never attain perfection. “]

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nothing is perfect. You can try all you want, but you will never attain perfection. Let go of the notion that your work should be free of mistakes. Embrace the mistakes instead.

You need to know when something is good enough. I love the idea of iteration. Release your work and get feedback from it. Learn from your mistakes, and improve upon them.

[bctt tweet=”If you are afraid to make work without mistakes, you will never make anything.”]

If you are afraid to make work without mistakes, you will never make anything.

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“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” – James Oppenheim Quote Art

August 16, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.” – James Oppenheim

Print available on Society6.

Throughout modern human history, we have had one thing on our minds. That thing is happiness.

In the very beginning, our pre-historic ancestors survived however they could. They were hunters and gatherers. Happiness was probably not high on their list of priorities.

Then we discovered agriculture. This allowed societies to form. Since that time, we have been working our way to discovering how we can achieve happiness.

In 1943, Abraham Maslow published his paper “A Theory of Human Motivation“. In it, he represents human motivation in a pyramid shape called Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It works its way from our most fundamental need, physiological, to our most fulfilled need, self-actualization.

[bctt tweet=”Often times we seek happiness before we are ready.”]

What does this have to do with happiness? Everything. Often times we seek happiness before we are ready. We look at successful people and yearn to be like them. Yet we ignore our most fundamental needs.

Before we can reach a state of self-actualization and happiness, we must fulfill the hierarchy of needs.

Physiological

Physiological needs are the physical requirements we need for basic survival. This includes air, food, and water. Without these things we can not survive.

Safety

Once we have our basic needs met, we look to fulfill our safety needs. This includes personal and financial security, health, and emergency funds.

Love and Belonging

No matter what people tell you, we all want to feel a sense of belonging. We want to feel loved. When people do not get this, they become susceptible to loneliness, anxiety and depression.

Esteem

Next comes respect and self-esteem. We want to be accepted and valued for our contributions to society. Often times we seek this from our jobs. We want to feel respect from our peers, but more importantly we want to respect ourselves and our own achievements.

Self-actualization

Once we have achieved esteem, we want to reach our full potential. In order to accomplish everything we want, we must be everything we can be.

—

[bctt tweet=”Don’t look towards others to achieve happiness, look within yourself.”]

Happiness can not be reached by looking into some distant future. If we want to to reach self-actualization and possible self-transcendence, we must fulfill our own needs. Don’t look towards others to achieve happiness, look within yourself.

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Photo by Allen Lai

What do you want? This may seem like a simple question, but most of us don't know the answer. Do you want to achieve fame through your work? Do you want to sell enough work to live comfortably? Do you want to travel the work displaying your work? Do you want it all? The problem many artists face without knowing it is, what do you want out of your art? Sure, you may get joy out of the sheer act of creation, but what is the underlying purpose of your work? If you want to create art for art's sake, that fine and good. If, however, you want more out of all the hard work you put into your art, you need to find purpose. My purpose is helping artists achieve the goals they set out for themselves and their artwork. I want to take all the knowledge I've learned over the years in marketing, psychology, and creativity, and use it to help others like myself. If I can't use my knowledge to help others, what's the point in having it? My challenge to you is to find your purpose. Discover what your goals are for your work. If you can find and set out a worthy goal, you will find success along with it. — Quote by Earl Nightingale

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” – Earl Nightingale Quote Art

August 7, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 2 Comments

“Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal.” – Earl Nightingale

Print available on Society6.

What do you want? This may seem like a simple question, but most of us don’t know the answer. Do you want to achieve fame through your work? Do you want to sell enough work to live comfortably? Do you want to travel the world displaying your work? Do you want it all?

The problem many artists face without knowing it is, what do you want out of your art? Sure, you may get joy out of the sheer act of creation, but what is the underlying purpose of your work?

If you want to create art for art’s sake, that fine and good. If, however, you want more out of all the hard work you put into your art, you need to find purpose.

My purpose is helping artists achieve the goals they set out for themselves and their artwork. I want to take all the knowledge I’ve learned over the years in marketing, psychology, and creativity, and use it to help others like myself. If I can’t use my knowledge to help others, what’s the point in having it?

[bctt tweet=”If you can find and set out a worthy goal, you will find success along with it. “]

My challenge to you is to find your purpose. Discover what your goals are for your work. If you can find and set out a worthy goal, you will find success along with it.

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“You must be prepared to work always without applause.” – Ernest Hemingway Quote Art

July 29, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 0 Comments

“You must be prepared to work always without applause.” – Ernest Hemingway

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Growing up, we have been praised for every great thing we did. Our parents applaud us as we take our very first steps. Our schools honor us when we get straight A’s. We get trophies just for playing a sport. Is it a wonder that we are always out seeking praise for our work?

At some point in life, we realize the praise has stopped coming. We have been conditioned to look for applause every time we accomplish a task. Yet, we no longer hear it.

The truth is, you won’t always be praised for the work you do, and that’s a good thing. You should not be motivated by external affirmation of your work. You should be motivated by the work itself.

When we are rewarded for everything we do, we become complacent. We no longer try our best. We become trapped by our routine.

[bctt tweet=”If you consistently do good work, people will recognize it. “]

If you consistently do good work, people will recognize it. Instead of seeking it out, you should earn it.

Doing your best work is not only fulfilling, it is also the only way to stand out when everything and everyone is fighting for the attention of our audience. So, the next time you aren’t recognized for your work, stop complaining. Instead, find out how you can do better.

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Photo by Jenny Ondioline

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali Quote Art

July 26, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 1 Comment

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” – Muhammad Ali

Print available on Society6.

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a million times. Fake it til you make it.

On the surface, it seems like very strange advice. In a crowded world where everyone is vying for your attention, you want to put trust in the people who know what they are doing.

I’ll let you in on a little secret. No one has all the answers. There is no path you can take towards success. You can follow the advice of the top experts all you want, but what most of them don’t tell you is the path to success is not linear.

[bctt tweet=”The path towards success is a winding road filled with twists and turns.”]

The path towards success is a winding road filled with twists and turns. There are obstacles all along the way trying to prevent you from reaching your goals.

The best way to overcome these obstacles is by having the willingness to experiment and fail. Just because a strategy worked for one person doesn’t mean it will work for you. Yes, there are principles you can use that have a greater chance of succeeding, but nothing is guaranteed. That is why you MUST be willing to fail.

[bctt tweet=”Wallowing in self-pity will not get you anywhere. “]

When an idea fails, it doesn’t mean you are a failure. The problem many people have is letting failures become a part of them. The way to overcome this is by acknowledging the failure, learning from it, and moving on. Wallowing in self-pity will not get you anywhere. Pick yourself up and move on to the next thing.

Every master started off as an amateur. They learned starting from the ground up just like everyone else. But, at a certain point, they realized they were no longer the newbie. In order to get to this place, they had to have the confidence to trudge along and learn from their mistakes. Without that confidence, they wouldn’t have grown.

None of us has all the answers. We are all born amateurs, but if you exude confidence and are willing to learn on the fly, you can become the greatest.

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“Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland Quote Art

July 18, 2015 / Kevin Chung / 1 Comment

“Always be a first rate version of yourself and not a second rate version of someone else.” – Judy Garland

Print available on Society6.

How often do you compare yourself to others?

If you are like most people, it happens far too often. We can’t help but notice how well they are all doing. These thoughts frequently flood our minds: “She has so many followers.” “Why does his work get so much attention?” “Why can’t I be like them?”

I am here to tell you this does you no good. Comparing yourself to others will not help you get further in life or with your art. It only creates envy and jealousy.

[bctt tweet=”You can’t replicate your way to success”]

When you constantly compare yourself to others, you will try imitating your way to success. “It worked for them, why wouldn’t it work for me?” I hate to break it to you but you can’t replicate your way to success, nor should you try to.

[bctt tweet=”Stop trying to be another version of someone else”]

Stop trying to be another version of someone else. Become a better version of yourself instead.

How do you do this?

By Choosing Yourself. What does it mean to choose yourself? It means following what James Altucher calls the “daily practice”, which is being physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

When most people think of being healthy, they only think of physical health. But physical health is not enough. Every part of you must work in conjuction to be truly healthy.

When you follow the daily practice, your best self will shine through. Things will start coming together in mysterious ways. Your body will feel great, you will have strong relationships, your mind will work better than ever, and you will be at peace with your life.

When you choose yourself and stop trying to be like everyone else, you become a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of someone else.

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Photo by tanjila ahmed

Category: Shop (Page 6 of 9)

“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

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates Quote Art