“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspired to help that person realize his dream.” ~Paul Coelho

Way back when we were kids, we learned to ask for permission. It was perfectly normal, and we were good at following instructions for the most part. This continued through school and likely in our corporate jobs, if that’s where our path led us.

Before I really began coaching creative entrepreneurs on a formal basis, I can remember a conversation I had with my friend Barbara. Barbara wanted to leave her corporate job and turn her passion at art into a business, only she was waiting for someone to affirm her decision that it was OK. She asked me what I thought. She asked our circle of friends. She asked her sister. She asked her mom. She asked her husband.

She wanted someone else to say that she was ready, that her work was good enough, that she would be successful. In other words, she was looking for permission outside of herself to take a chance on herself, to invest in her own skills and talents.

When did it become necessary to get permission from someone else to live our own lives? Sure, Barbara did need to talk with her spouse to make sure their family needs were met. Ultimately the decision was really Barbara’s.

What happens when you wait for permission? Ultimately I think it cheats both you and others. You because you are putting off being extraordinary at being yourself. And others because you are denying them your gifts.

If you are someone who recognized you are waiting for permission, here are a few tips:

1. Begin to visualize the beginning and the end. Where are you now and where do you want to end up? This will lead to clarity. Do not worry about the journey in the middle.

1. Start the journey. State what you are doing. Take the first step, then the second step. The other steps will show up when you are ready for them.

1. Don’t apologize for missteps along the way. We all have them, and we all learn from them.

It’s hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.”
Cheryl Sandburg, Facebook

Please share a time that you didn’t wait for permission and what happened as a result.

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Morna McEver is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals where creative arts entrepreneurs craft business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a FREE subscription at http://www.creativeartsprofessional.com.

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“Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make. Good. Art.” ~ Neil Gaimian

Several weeks back I was at a gallery opening with some creative women, and they were each sharing what they did. After hearing one woman say she was a mixed media artist and another say she was a photograph, the third said, “I’m just a longarm quilter.”

Why did this person’s passion become a “just a?” I know those of us who grew up in the 60s with the women’s liberation movement remember hearing people saying “just a housewife,” and thinking I would never be know as “just a.” There is so much more to us.

And, I know she is not the only one who says “just a” and then has second thoughts about what she said.

When I started to reflect on what she said, I wondered where she placed her value. Did she value herself and her work to the same degree as the mixed media artist and the photographer? How did she value her work? If that is where you fit in this equation, take some time to go back and look at what your value is and why you might refer to your passion and profession as “just a.”

The other thought is that she was scared to think bigger. We have all been there. Stepping into something bigger is scary. We wonder if we can really do it, if we have what it takes. And, of course, the answer is yes.

So the next time you start to say you are just a, stop and think about what you are saying to yourself and leave out the “just.”

Maybe you had an aha moment when you realized you dropped the “just” and learned to confidently establish your title in the creative arts? I would love to hear how ICAP helped you in that area?

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/
 

Are there basketball fans in your house? I occasionally watch college basketball, and this time of year — March Madness — is always lots of fun. While none of the local men’s teams are still in the running, we are routing for Wisconsin, since my niece is a freshman there. On the women’s side, the University of Maryland Terrapins are on their way to the final four. Last week, The Washington Post ran an article on the Terps working regularly with a “performance enhancement coach.” The coach’s job is to keep the players minds in the right place, and it looks like it is paying off.

Perhaps you have had an experience with a mentor in the past, or played a key part in that role for someone else. Maybe there were things about your experience that you appreciated and maybe did not appreciate. Feel free to comment below, on our blog or go to our ICAP Fan Club Facebook page?

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/

Sweet and SimpleSewing
Jessi Jung, Carrie Jung and Lauren Jung
Martingale; $24.99

Do you have spring fever? I certainly do and a look at this book by a mother-and-two- daughters team certainly has lots of inspiration to get thinking spring. The book includes 13 simple and cheery projects. I thought the luggage tag was charming, and the “Celebrations Quilt,” with its ice cream cones, balloons, candy apples and pinwheels is perfect for a child’s birthday party. You’ll find some unexpected projects, including the appliqué dragonfly mounted on canvas and the hand-bound journal.

To write or not to write.

One of the challenges my clients often have is blog writing, probably more specifically what to write about. I think it’s because more often than not, they feel more comfortable with the visual art than the written art. In fact, many of them do not want to blog at all. Today, though, blogging is important if we are to connect with our customers.

When faced with the blank blog page, many people don’t know where to start. I like to carry a small notebook or 3 x 5 card with me in case my muse strikes. How many times have you been out and about and something struck you, you thought you’d remember and, of course, you didn’t?

At home, I keep a 3 x 5 card on my desk for the same purpose. You might use Evernote or even a napkin at a restaurant, just something to catch that fleeting thought.

What exactly do I put on the note card? Here are some ideas that I use to get started:

Often it’s just a key phrase to remind myself of a topic. I might also overhear someone say something that strikes me. I might pick up a magazine at home or more often when I’m in a waiting room and some phrase strikes me. It might even be an article on a specific topic and that sets me in a direction. I’ve found ideas when I’ve been reading a novel. I’ve found ideas when I was caught up in Pinterest. I even got an idea during our ICAP Business Call this yesterday. Problem is, if I don’t take time to capture this idea, it’s gone, and I’m back at the beginning wondering what I’m going to write about.

Someone once asked me if was plagiarizing if I was using something I read somewhere else. I’m not stealing someone’s idea; I’m using it as a jumping off point for what I’m doing. I’m writing in my own voice and fitting the message to fit my brand.

The goal is to be inspired and inspiration is everywhere. If I’ve got this running of ideas and phrases, I’m never at a loss for inspiration.

Where do you get your blog inspiration?

photo credit: Blogger, after Vilhelm Hammershøi via photopin (license)

See the ICAP blog at http://www.creativeartsprofessionals.com/weblog/