Marketing Your Art the Right Way

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Tag: fear

“Kindness is a free currency from a well that will never dry up” – Lady Gaga Quote Art

“Kindness is a free currency from a well that will never dry up” – @ladygaga (Lady Gaga)

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If you are anything like me, you are tired of hearing all the terrible news around us. Whether it’s scandals, diseases, or death, it feels like the world is crumbling around us. If you regularly watch the news, you might think it’s best to never leave your home.

I refuse to believe the world is such a horrible place. In fact, we are living in one of the safest times in human history. There are no worldwide wars. Most of us aren’t in danger of conquests, pillaging, or raids. So why are we all so worried?

I believe there are two reasons for this. One is, fear sells, so the media tries to sell it to us as much as they can. The other is, we remember tragedy and travesty more than other things. So when we hear about bad things happening, they stay with us, even though we usually aren’t in danger.

What can we do about it? I think the answer lies in kindness. Just think back to a time when someone was kind to you. How did it make you feel? How did it change your day? I’m assuming you felt amazing and wanted to carry that feeling with you. That’s the power of kindness.

I admittedly could be more kind. Although I try my best to be kind to everyone I meet, I think I could do a hell of a lot better.

I can be petty. I can be jealous. I get annoyed and frustrated. But that doesn’t mean I can’t also be kind.

We feel trapped in the box people put us in. It doesn't have to be that way Click To Tweet

We tend to look at the world as either black or white. You are either mean or kind. We feel trapped in the box people put us in. It doesn’t have to be that way.

You can choose to be kind even if you are afraid. You can be kind even as jealousy or frustration pulls on you from the inside.

It’s all about your mindset. Anger, fear, jealousy, and greed are draining emotions. They weigh you down like a ton of bricks. Kindness, on the other hand, is an endless well.

That doesn’t mean you have to be kind all the time. We are human after all. But the more kindness you spread, the more it comes back to you. If it is true that we are the sum of the five people closest to us, then the more kind we are to the people around us, the more kind they will be to us too.

Don't get trapped in the cycle of fear and hatred. Click To Tweet

Don’t get trapped in the cycle of fear and hatred. Just listen to the Golden Rule and treat others the way you want to be treated.

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Our Greatest Fear by Marianne Williamson Quote Art

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

– Marianne Williamson

Print available on Storenvy.

Fear can be crippling. It shuts us down. It leaves us unable to act.

We believe it’s fear of the darkness that holds us down. After all, we have been programmed to fear it.

Throughout human history people have worked tirelessly to help us see in the dark.

First it was fire. We used it to prepare us for attacks from animals or other people. Then we used lamps and torches, which made it easier to work in the dark. Then it was the incandescent light bulb which has allowed us to thrive in the dark.

Darkness gives us a reason to feel fear. It represents our enemies lurking in the shadow. It represents a lack of progress. It represents the unknown.

We cower from our darkness. We feel inadequate when confronted with it. It looms over us ominously.

Our greatest fear is the light inside of us Click To Tweet

Even so, the darkness is not what we fear the most. Our greatest fear is the light inside of us.

We all have that light. It allows us to be brave. To be bold. To face our darkness and confront it head on.

Our light shows others the way. It gives them hope Click To Tweet

Our light shows others the way. It gives them hope. It makes them believe “I can do this too.”

That is why we fear it. It is easy to let our darkness consume us. We can just sit there passively and let it take over. Shining our light, however, takes work.

It’s hard to show others the way. It’s hard to offer encouragement when it feels like there’s no hope. It’s hard to be that shining light when sitting back is so easy, and that is why we must must do it.

We all have the ability to let our light shine. We must overcome our greatest fear and become that beacon of light, despite the darkness.

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“I am not afraid… I was born to do this.” – Joan of Arc Quote Art

“I am not afraid… I was born to do this.” – Joan of Arc

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If you want to achieve your dreams, you must not let fear get in your way Click To Tweet

If you want to achieve your dreams, you must not let fear get in your way. Fear is the unwanted house guest. It’s the giant chasm blocking your path. It’s a pesky mosquito that won’t stop biting you.

Too often, we let that unwanted guest stay in our house. We reach the chasm and turn around in defeat. We let that mosquito pester us. We’re defeated.

It is these moments that define us. You can either give up, like 90% of other people, or you can overcome your fear. No, it will never go away. Fear, whether we like it or not, is a part of life. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you will be able to overcome it.

Life is too short to let fear beat us down Click To Tweet

Life is too short to let fear beat us down. As artists, we are dreamers. We are doers. We are driven by our passion, our need, to create.

Approach your fear like you would a new painting. Confront it like a blank canvas. Tackle it any way you know how. Even if you don’t know the way, you must forge on.

Tell that unwanted house guest it’s time to go. Find your way across that chasm. Kill that pesky mosquito.

Don’t let fear get in the way of your goals. Remember, you were born to do this.

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Photo by Alex Wong

Fear is a Liar Quote Art

“Fear is a Liar”

Print available on Storenvy.

This is quote and writing comes courtesy of one my readers Diana Casabar who is a Contemporary Jewelry Metalsmith.

Fear is a LIAR. What about this quote speaks to me?

Hmmm ~ It speaks to every aspect of my life and helps me to keep kind and loving thoughts of Myself in my mind.

I say it to keep me from not comparing my work to others and feeling inadequate.

I think of it when I see a call to artists and I don’t feel brave enough to submit my work for those juried exhibitions or galleries.

I say it when I’m shy about contacting old clients to let them know I have new work.

I think of it every season so I can design AND create a new line.

I say it while I’m trying desperately to bring my art to the next level.

I think of it when I’m sketching a piece, and fall off the path of my chosen brand.

I say it when I’m trying to figure out a new way to market my work.

I think of it when I peruse magazines and see other’s work, but not mine.

It speaks to my personal life too, helps me balance my family, my sport and my work.

I’m training right now to test for my third degree black belt in Taekwondo. It’s a two day test in November. It’s very strenuous. There are lots of younger kids. I’m 54 years old, with two kids and I hammer metal all day. There are a lot of days when my lungs, muscles and brain sing for attention. I think of it when they’re are singing, just to get through the workouts.

I think of it when I’m lost on a hiking trail.

I think of it when the husband is away on a trip.

I think of it when I have to clean the house, get the boy to school, let the contractor in to fix the air conditioner, mail a package, go to the grocery store ANNNNNNDDDD hammer 5 new pairs of earrings and two pendants.

Fear is a LIAR. I can do this.

—-

Thanks Diana for the wonderful words of inspiration and encouragement. If you have a favorite quote of your own, don’t be afraid to share it with me!

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“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

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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.

Great accomplishment does not come without great failure Click To Tweet

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.

You should not be afraid to disturb the status quo Click To Tweet

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.

No one ever made something great without taking on great risk Click To Tweet

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.

Don't let the fear of failure prevent you from achieving greatness Click To Tweet

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.

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Photo by Charles Conlon

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney Quote Art

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

Print available on Society6.

Everyone has regrets in life. There is always something we could have done. Something we should have taken action on.

One great thing about the internet is you find so much inspiration online. Pinterest and Tumblr provide endless fashion inspiration for the masses. The only problem is, many times, the images you find have no attribution. I thought I had the solution for this problem.

I started my last site Who Designed It years ago. My idea was, people could send in images of the outfits they saw online that had no attribution. Then the community on the site could help them find where to buy it or something similar to it.

I told many people about my grand visions for the site. I thought it was going to revolutionize the way people shopped online.

The only problem was, I didn’t take action on it. Instead of building the product I envisioned in my mind, I turned it into a blog. I was going to build up a readership, then introduce them to my new idea when the time was right. Then, a few years later, I saw that someone created the vision I had imagined years before. I was too late.

Don't let fear get in the way of doing something great. Click To Tweet

I’m not telling you this so you can feel sorry for me. I’m telling you this because I learned a big lesson from this experience. If you have a vision you believe in, don’t just talk about it. Do it. Don’t let fear get in the way of doing something great.

I don’t know if my idea would have failed or succeeded, but at least I would have taken the chance. Don’t let fear get in the way of getting started. Quit talking and begin doing.

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Have a quote that inspires you? Leave it in the comments and you might see it as an art piece!

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” – Stephen King Quote Art

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” – Stephen King

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Our revolutionary ancestors lived in a time where they always had to be on high alert. I’m not talking about Medieval or even Ancient times. I’m talking about our cave dwelling ancestors.

Humans have lived on Earth for a minuscule amount of time relative to the age of the Earth. Evolutionarily speaking, we have evolved very little in that amount of time. We still have the same fight or flight instincts that helped keep our ancestors safe.

Their fear was in reaction to the large prey animals that roamed among us. If they were not prepared to fight off the larger predators, they would have died off like other species, and we would not be here.

Since that time, we have built thriving civilizations and have lived in relative safety. We no longer need to be in a high state of alert. Yet, we still have those fight or flight reactions. Our instincts are no longer used to protect us from danger. We feel them when we encounter something new.

Were you deathly scared before giving a speech in front of a large crowd for the first time? Did your stomach churn before going on your first roller coaster? Are you afraid of starting a business and working on your own?

These are all fight or flight reactions. In these moments, we enter a heightened state of awareness. Unlike our ancestors, we aren’t in serious danger. Our bodies are telling us to pay attention to the situation at hand.

Instead of fearing new situations, we need to understand our reactions to them Click To Tweet

Instead of fearing these new situations, we need to understand our reactions to them. Once we do, we will be better prepared to react. Beginning new things can be scary, but if you can hone that anticipation into productive energy, you can conquer your fear. You can overcome the initial bump that scares most people off. If you do, you will be one step closer to success.

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