“A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what a ship was designed for.” Anonymous
Being brave in all the parts of our lives, even when it doesn’t really matter, can help us be brave when it does really matter. This month on the blog we are talking about being brave – one of our very favourite topics. Bravery takes many forms – from facing childhood fears to taking on physical challenges, from speaking your truth to putting yourself out in the world with your art, from trying something new to quitting something old, from taking a stand to choosing the life you were meant to live.
To explore the meaning of being more brave with your creativity, we had a chat with top art agent Lilla Rogers, who has inspired brave creativity in thousands of artists worldwide. We found it fascinating and wanted to share it with you…
DWYL: You have been both brave and bold in many ways throughout your career. Can you give us an example of how being brave helps you to take a big step forward?
LR: First, let’s define the word brave. Brave is having the guts to do what scares the heck out of you. It’s chutzpah. Funny, I don’t think of myself as brave. Am I brave or just really passionate about things? For example, perhaps my first act of bravery was to teach kids even though I was painfully shy. (No one believes I was once shy!) Then it was wanting so very badly to make a living as an illustrator for magazines in NYC. But I was terrified. It was my strong desire to draw for a living that motivated me. I wanted to get assignments from real art directors! Feel the fear and do it anyway.
DWYL: You have mentored many artists. How do you advise artists to overcome their fears?
LR: Recognise and feed your passions! And turn fear into excitement. The metabolic response, such as an increase in heart rate, is the same for both emotions. Rather than focus on the things that scare you, get excited. When you first start feeling that tingly icky anxiety feeling, turn it into focusing on what excites you about the project. For example, if I’ve been asked to give a presentation in front of lots of people, I think beforehand about what I’m really excited to share. I’ll scribble things on post it notes and dictate things into my phone. What can I give? What can I share that is helpful to others? This overrides fear. Before I start a piece of art, I get excited about it. What am I eager to dive in and make? By the way, this is how I structure my e-courses. They begin with getting the artist/student highly motivated and eager to dive in, (rather than just hit them with an assignment), because I know this helps bypass the fear response.
Another technique I recommend when you’re afraid that something you’re working on has to be amazing (perfectionism!) is to think of it as one small thing that you’re doing. I’ll get out a sheet of paper and pop down various dots and blobs on it representing my projects and facets of my life. Then I realize that this particular project is just one of many things in my life. And more “dots and blobs” will continue to come into my life. Try it. It reduces the overblown importance of the project – bringing it down to size – and as a visual person, I find this often works better than verbal self-talk.
DWYL: How does being brave when creating make your art better?
LR: As an artist, you must congratulate yourself on having the courage to create. Artists are among the most courageous and self-actualised people I know. You’re digging deep and bearing your soul. You’re not following a pattern or adding up a list of numbers. Instead you are confronting a piece of white paper and on it, you’re inventing every line, shape, and colour. You’re making a piece of art in your own particular style which is a reflection of your unique personality. And then, God forbid, you show it to others in hopes that they will license or buy it! Holy smokes! We live in a culture that requires artists to sell their work in a competitive environment if they are to make a living from their art. It’s almost the antithesis of creativity. So congratulate yourself!
That’s why it’s really important to constantly stay inspired. It’s worth it, because yes you can certainly make a living as an artist and it’s such an amazing thing to do. The whole point of being brave is that you get what you really want!
We couldn’t agree more. We hope this inspires you to be more courageous in your creative endeavours and do something brave with them this week – perhaps you could try a new media, talk about your creative dreams, or show your work to someone?
Have a good week!
Beth and the team
Do you want to be more creatively brave?
If you are want to be more brave as an artist, or take the plunge and start really selling your art to allow you to do what you really love, then you may be interested in one of our upcoming courses:
Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp (with Lilla Rogers)
“Deciding to pursue an art career can be a scary endeavour in the beginning. As you achieve success after success, you get more and more confident and start really loving the ride. I know how to supercharge that process for you.” – Lilla Rogers
Find out more and register here. Starts TODAY!
Bloom True (with Flora Bowley)
‘Bloom true: the e-course’ presents a groundbreaking and transformational approach to painting (and living) that celebrates intuition, connects body, mind and spirit and allows unique and expressive paintings to emerge naturally and authentically.
Find out more and register here. Starts Monday February 10
