A Core List of Success Habits for Artists
by Kathy Beekman, Art Career Coach and Professional Artist
Each successful artist has a unique set of habits, but there are many habits shared among the successful artists. The following habits are a great starting point for creating real change in your artistic life.
Have a target. You wouldn't leave your house without a destination in mind. You'd never arrive if you didn't know where you were going in the first place. Setting goals is a huge part of success. It would be challenging to find a highly successful person that couldn't recite their goals to you on command.
Be proactive. Those who are successful choose what they want to happen rather than merely take whatever comes their way. They are prepared for the worst. When they see that something needs to be done, they do it.
Take personal responsibility. The average artist would rather find excuses and place blame on others. Taking responsibility is a form of control. When you're responsible, you can change anything in your life. You don't have to wait for luck or for someone else to cause the change.
Place a premium on time. Successful people are more concerned with time than they are with money. They are constantly trying to find ways to leverage their time. Try getting an ultra-successful artist to give you 10 minutes of their time. They'd rather sit on an anthill.
Manage your emotional state. Successful artists do a better job of managing their emotional states on a consistent basis. They make level-headedness a habit and make decisions with their brains, not their emotions. They are able to forge ahead when anxious.
Use failure wisely. Use failure as a learning tool and as motivation. Successful artists have a habit for dealing with failure in a certain way. This "dealing-with-failure habit" doesn't include quitting.
Prioritize. Those that accomplish a lot have a habit of focusing on the most important things. It doesn't matter if they feel like doing it. They just do it because it's the logical thing to do.
Focus on improvement. Successful people are concerned with improvement. They know that a little improvement adds up to a lot over time. Perfection is the enemy of progress. It's hard to accomplish anything when you're trying to be perfect. The average person wants to do it perfectly. They also lack the patience to accumulate small improvements. They want instant gratification.
These are general habits shared by most successful people. Consider the habits that will be most useful to your goals and your artistic life. By adopting these habits, you will find yourself becoming more successful too.
Looking to raise your artistic life to the next level and don't quite know where to start? Kathy continues to help artists rise above the rest in her art career coaching practice. Feel free to reach out to her for a complimentary phone meeting.