Art Marketing Action from ArtBizCoach.com

February 27, 2006

Rodger Walker, Florida Fixer 1. Oil on canvas panel, 14 x 18 inches.
© The Artist http://www.rodgerwalkerfineart.com

What do you think about money?

No, what do you REALLY think about money? Deep down, in the very core of your being?

If you're like me, you have been resigned to the fact that you'll never be rich. Someone (probably a lot of people) told you along the way that you can either live your passion for art or be rich, but you can't do both. You believed them.

In his book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind," T. Harv Eker has convinced me that I have not had a millionaire mind to this point. He says:

P ---> T ---> F ---> A = R

(My Programming leads to my Thoughts leads to my Feelings leads to my Actions, which is why I get the Results I get.)

I don't think I was ever taught by my family to fear money or to think it was out of my reach. I'm going to blame it on being in the culture of the arts. Here, we're taught that we'll never make a lot of money, but that it's okay. We love our work and that's all that matters. Eker asks, "Why not have both?" This is one of the seventeen behaviors wealthy people have that are different from those of the rest of us. They always believe "I can have both" rather than "I can have either/or."

Another that stands out for me is that wealthy people take risks. They know that they could play it safe and get by, but wouldn't reach their potential that way. So, I ask you: What risks have you taken lately?

Have you called that curator you've been meaning to meet? Or are you afraid you'll just be bothering her?
Have you applied for the grant you really want? Or do you think it's too competitive and you don't have a shot?
Have you given a public talk about your art? Or are you sidelined because you fear speaking in public?

There are other ways to take risks. Maybe even with your art:

► If you're a jeweler, create a large sculpture out of metal.
► If you're a realistic painter, make large abstract collages.
► If you dislike blue, make an all-blue work of art.
► If you're a welder, model a portrait bust in clay.

One artist wrote me recently to tell me how important working in a different medium has been to her growth. Read about it on the Art Biz Blog.

Read Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth to see if your thoughts about money might be holding you back. When you purchase it or anything else through my Amazon affiliate link, you will be contributing to the Craft Emergency Relief Fund, which provides financial and educational relief support to artists.