Suffering From Information Overload?

What is information overload?

My take on it is…

Being impressed with too much

It’s being BURDENED with a real GORILLA of a problem, which is…

Presented with TOO many choices.

“Drowning in data”

(gulp)

Psst… they told me that things would get EASIER with the arrival of the Internet.

Most of us have never felt so OVERWHELMED.

Tsk

Tsk

Tsk

If you are an artist baffled as to where you should start because you have been exposed to SO MANY options to REALLY get the ball rolling, I have a few tips for you.

So let’s get on top of this problem with some…

Information Overload Management

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1.    What is important?

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When you have finished reading this email, get UP and walk outside and decide what MATTERS the most to you.

I discovered some time ago that the best way to get on TOP OF information overload is to decide WHAT you want, and then begin to work your tail off.

And don’t look back.

Don’t consider the options anymore.

You’ll feel so much more POWER, ENERGY and PASSION for being an artist.

(Yep, you will)

2nd Thing you have to do is…

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2.    Map The Day

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Before you let yourself get SOAKED and washed away with every TOM, DICK and Harry trying to get your attention, and waste a lot of your most precious resource which is…

TIME

Then decide HOW you are going to spend your time rather than let someone else decide that for you.

Not sure how too?

Have a look at the things you wrote down from principal one.

I refer to the “what is important?” list.

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3.    BLOCK distractions.

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When you are on the computer working, turn off Facebook instant messenger.

Turn off the MSN messenger

Turn off skype.

Stay out of the forums

And get some work done.

It really is as simple as that.

I DARE you to only read a 3 emails a day.

I DARE you to only ANSWER 3 emails a day.

Pssst… you don’t gotta read them. You don’t gotta answer them.

They CAN wait.

Honest.

Remember:  Feel the POWER of control

(wink)

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4.    Tell The Crew

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Do not be afraid to set boundaries.

You have to tell your family (friends) this is how it is…

“I gotta work, I work between these times, and I would GREATLY appreciate that we come to some arrangement so that I can make it happen, because I just have to make it happen”

I set those rules LONG ago

I wasn’t rude about it.

My crew appreciate it

They have seen the results I have made because of it.

They know I have to do what I do.

When you are just starting out, your family and friends may not be able to completely appreciate this request because in their mind you aint as famous as Mick Jagger.

So they be tempted to ask…

Okay, then why do you need all this “special time” then Miss Madonna?

Because you CANNOT progress unless you ESTABLISH boundaries to USE your TIME to contribute MASSIVE ENERGY into your creative calling.

And when you are not working, give your family and friends ALL the time you can.

Fair deal?

Yep, I think so.

The thing is, mastering information overload can be made really easy if you follow those steps.

The one thing that is going to see you produce results better than anything else is being able to MASTER your time.

Master Your PRIORITY = MASTER your TIME.

If you are looking to focus on just one avenue of selling your art, then keep your eye out because I am right in the middle of having my first art-marketing book published.

Wow

Exciting

I agree with you.

My book, “Get Your Art Out There” is due for release in the coming weeks.

So if you would like to know more, I will have an update real soon.

Till next time,

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Waiting For Inspiration

I haven’t studied a lot of art history, so I don’t know much about it. But I like to think that is because I am often too busy contributing to it.

In other words I don’t rely on the history of art to push me forward with inspiration. I don’t spend 2 hours flicking through artist memoirs or wandering around the local museum. Call me an ignoramus, but that’s just how it is with me.

It kind of bugs me a bit when some artists suggest to other artists the long way around seeking inspiration in order to get some work done.

I may sound like a bit of a spoilsport, but only people pretending to be an artist sit around, search and spent hours wandering through their local library or gallery trying to seek inspiration.

The active artist, the disciplined artist does not worry about it. They don’t get up and say, “Gosh, where will I get my inspiration from today.” He or she knows that they just have to rock up. They just have to clock in.

They just have to get their tail into the studio at 9am sharp or 8pm sharp – whatever the schedule is.

Waiting for inspiration is like sitting around waiting for the perfect partner to knock on the door. It’s just not going to happen unless you leave the house and interact with people.

In other words, do whatever it is that you need to do in order to get the result you ultimately want. In the case of the artist, they just have to start working at 9am (or 8pm) whether it be scribbling, writing and planning – they just have to be in attendance and in front of the canvas,  so to speak.

This often requires you to work with a headache, with a toothache, without inspiration, after a bad exhibit, after a dispute with the phone company or hearing some bad news.

Yeah it’s hard, really hard some days. But it’s the only way to actively produce some solid results as an artist.

Are you still waiting for inspiration? Don’t wait, be proactive. Just try doing some work, you’ll often find it right there.

Power to you and your art!

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Tips On How To Be Awesome (wink)

Attitude is the single biggest attribute you must attain in order to be regarded as awesome.

Your interpretation as to what is going on is FAR more significant than what is actually going on. Think like that you’ll considered to be quite awesome.

Establish your OWN way of doing your thing. This is how you separate yourself from the herd.

Never avoid doing something for fear of what other people will think. Do not be unarmed by presumption. In other words, tell yourself (not them) “I don’t give a s___ what you think, I’m going to do it anyway!”

Never take criticism personally. Lose the emotional attachment to your art. Go pro and look at your work from an objective point of view. That’s business, not emotion. Create with emotion, but ditch it as soon as your work gets to the auction house.

Know you are outstanding, but always share your wisdom and never claim it as your own. The person who claims to know it all is a fool. The person who claims to know it all AND be the innovator of his wisdom is not a just a fool, but should be avoided at all costs.

ALWAYS remember that you cannot be awesome on your own. You need other people around you who are also awesome.

BE REAL and you’ll attain real friends, business associates and collectors.

Be accommodating.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. I can assure you there are people out there who already do. They don’t need any more company (wink).

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Your aweseome!

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How To Stay Motivated

Determination + Desire = Motivated!

Back when I first started working with oils, I didn’t produce anything that was really impressive.

Some folk may have thought so, but I knew deep down that my work wasn’t that good.

In other words, I didn’t feel like I was showing much talent with my oil paintings – and knowing this could well have been enough to lose complete motivation as an artist.

But I had a real determination to one day produce work that I could look at and appreciate. I also had a desire to make art that could one day be sold.

I achieved both.

If you have a true hunger to be good at what you do, then you’ll discover that you’ll never really suffer from a lack of motivation.

If you have a real desire… a real fire in your stomach, then you’ll always be ready to move ahead.

The idea is to try and remove some of the unnecessary crap we tend to think about too much and simplify what we actually want.

Here are a few simple concepts I plant in my head and things I do to stay motivated with each new project:

1. Define the result I want
2. If I am a little apprehensive about how to go about it I have a couple of other pieces of work (physical or photo) on hand to refer to in order to maintain those “Ah-ha” moments I require now and then.
3. Have a working schedule. I have a set time for doing certain tasks. I sometimes almost yawn my head off when it comes to this kind of organising. But I really tend to slack off if I don’t have a system for doing things.
4. The whole time I am working I keep thinking about how good it will look when it is finished. Confident? Arrogant? Perhaps, but it sure as heck helps me to stay motivated (wink).
5. Play loud music that I really love.
6. Keep my studio modestly clean. Some artists are not fussed with messy studios. The problem I have is that if I walk into my studio and it is messy, I have tendency to walk right back out again and no work gets done.

All you really need to do in order to get or stay motivated is to define what it is you want. Then put a basic plan together to achieve it. Create a deadline and then simply go for it. It need not be any more complicated than that.

When I first started out I lacked motivation because I kept comparing what I was doing with other artists who had become quite successful. All this does is make you jaded. So what I recommend is work with your own purpose – it’s a great source of motivation.

Nobody can do what you do the way you do it.

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