17 December 2017

Real artists don't starve – Jeff Goins

Mindset

Begin with a single step, not a giant leap. Small changes over time can lead to massive transformation.

Call yourself a writer even before really being one – but then start writing every day.

Continuously reinvent yourself. Creative work involves pulling together old ideas and offering new insights on them.

Be able to copy, mimic the work of previous masters and of peers. Be patient, don't try to be original. Keep copying until techniques become internalised – then "originality" appears, by building on top of previous work. Give credit.

Standing out from the crowd: not just the audacity to ask for help but the humility to learn and act.

"We are stubborn on vision. We are flexible on details." – Jeff Bezos

Market

You don't just need practice, you also need a patron – and cultivate them. They are your advocate, someone who believes in you. Patrons can be your first customers willing to help make you succeed.

Current job can fund your artistic endeavours – no need to quit, simply make the time or take advantage of the current situation to hone your skills.

Location of other artists matters: be there, to be encouraged, understood, inspired.

Build a network. Collaborate. May retreat to a solitary location to finish a book but work is always refined by community.

Art needs an audience: practise in public.

Money

"When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss Money." – Oscar Wilde

Have a diverse portfolio, master different crafts. Focus on the skills needed to do the work. Being distractible can be a strength in creative work; focus on the big picture.