Other artists or business people will never tell you these secrets, because essentially they are the competition. First up, there are three secret words to success: Recognition, reputation and responsibility. – When you recognise your abilities and develop your reputation you will embrace your responsibilities and be on your way to success.
Another of these secrets is to never say no. People remember the no’s; they don’t remember the yes’s. That said, when you receive no as an answer use it to develop your character. Often the person saying no wants to be certain that if they do invest their money or energy in you they can be sure you will deliver.
You will find through reading this it will become clear why when you walk through that door the first time, whether it be a gallery, an agent or a potential client, plan to walk through that door twelve times. This will develop your character to the point that after you hear a years worth of no’s you will still stay inspired because you have learnt from them by remembering it’s how you end something how it begins. The gallery director will remember someone who thanks them for their time and gives a firm handshake while looking them in the eye, much more than remembering someone who gets all sulky after being rejected. How do you end the conversation? How do you deal with defeat?
Everyone will go through being a poor artist. Plan to go through that too. Let your passion stand on its own two feet and guide you through. This book will teach you how to expand to the realization that every no is an opportunity to come back. Ultimately you will see the truth will always be that every one who criticizes your work, will be long gone when your art continues to exist. This is when criticism is silenced; the art is still there. How long has the art in the Louvre been there? Millions of people… Criticism has been silenced centuries ago but the art is still there. Criticism is only for the moment, passion and art are forever, paint forever, draw forever, be forever, but you’ve got to get through those opinionated critiqued moments. You better make sure that you believe that no one believes in yourself better than you do.
Get to forever and as you should, you will believe in yourself more than anyone else. If you don’t believe that go home, go be a mechanic, go be a baker, go be a candlestick maker. You can shut up the critics by your tenacity, by your persistence. Nobody has to believe in you except yourself.
I have used the knowledge I have developed over the years in these areas and shared it openly as information which I believe is the artist’s right to have. I hope this book is of service to many artists and students of art, who have a sincere desire to go on to develop a long, profitable and fulfilling career in the arts.
I want those who do read this to remember if they are experiencing a low point in their career, read this again. I hope it helps to finally fill the missing links that I have personally seen cause so much unnecessary misunderstanding, distress and financial problems for those involved in the creative industry.
