Tag Archive for success

How Do You Define Success?

August 24, 2010 mfcarter@mfcarter.net Ideas & Philosophy, Writing
I have been thinking about this frequently as I re-define myself. How do we define success in what we do? I think it’s a highly individual thing. Some people would identify it by the number of possessions that you have, others by family, friends, great job, wealth, etc. I think it really boils down do one thing. It’s how you see yourself and how much your are able to enjoy your life.

There are several components to this that I can identify from my own introspection and experience:

  • A part of Success is finding freedom from worries. There are many ways to find this. It can come through religion, money, relationships, and work. I think it comes from either a feeling of control over things in your life or from a connectivity to things around you. It’s the feeling of being part of the whole and part of the ebb and flow of energies and life around you.

  • Success is also health. You need energy to be able to enjoy your success and life. Without the energy to enjoy life, I don’t think anyone would count themselves as successful. Take time to smell the daisies, value all the moments, don’t create unnecessary stress and worries that can affect your health adversely.

  • Success is finding healthy, supporting, loving relationships. I don’t think success can be achieved without someone to share it with whether that someone is either a spouse, parents, friends, or family. Success is not living in a vacuum. Success is a hard road and you need someone there to help share in both your ups and downs. It’s also two ways, not only do you need your friends and family there for your support, you also need to be there for your friends and family. It’s important to feel a valued member of society who has made a difference in the lives of others. Always thank and recognize the people who have helped you.

  • Success is having realistic goals. Without realistic goals you set yourself to be frustrated and feeling stymied at every turn. Breaking things down into manageable steps is crucial for the feeling of going forward and for your peace of mind. Write your goals down and visualize how they will take place. Also review them regularly. If you really are breaking them down into small steps, it’s a great satisfaction seeing them marked off one step at a time.As a part of setting realistic goals, it is also important to talk to your peers and people you admire. Really listen to them, there’s a lot to be learned.

  • I think the most important part of feeling successful is a confidence and belief in yourself and your capabilities. The route to whatever you define as success is not easy. There are a lot of hard knocks along the way and they probably will never end; however, if you feel that what you do is worthwhile, that you are contributing to society, that you are appreciated by the people that matter to you. You are successful.


I think a quote from Mark Victor Hansen, the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul speaks most directly to me about success.

“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”

Let me know your thoughts, comments, and ideas. How do you define success for yourself?

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How to Become a Successful Artist

August 12, 2010 mfcarter@mfcarter.net Musings, Writing

This is a question that I am constantly toiling with. As a result, I’ve been doing a lot of reading, note taking, and listening to advice of other successful artists. I’d like to share with you what I have learned.

I think all of us have different and personal definitions of success and what we define it to be for ourselves. Some of us are content with a local show in a local coffee shop; others are only content if they can make it into galleries in larger cities; then there’s the group of artists who are content only if internationally showing work.
No matter what your goals might be, here are some basic rules that I have garnered that we as artists should follow in pursuit of success.

Break Down your Goals into Do-able Parts.
I believe that it is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to do too much, too quickly, without sufficient resources. If you take on too many tasks it’s very easy to burn out long before success comes your way.
Look at art and selling yourself as a learning process. It takes time to invest and develop your skills and materials, to nurture a workable business sense, and to learn to delegate tasks to people who can help you like web designers, accountants, and advisors.
Even when you add someone to help, think of them as a business partner. Do not delegate all responsibility to them. It is a myth in this day and age and probably at any time that an artist can live as a pure creator.
The big break will come. It requires patience and time to build up your reputation and resume.
Market Yourself and Your Art.
Use whatever means you have available for marketing your work. Press releases that highlight a new showing, professional websites, targeted mailings, can help in obtaining interviews with newspapers and art magazines.
The art of selling comes into play here as well.
I know that the idea is abhorrent to many of us and it feels totally against the grain of being an artist but all successful artists do it. If someone likes your art, keep them interested with targeted mailings, find out their email address and send them a note, do what you can to maintain their interest.
Fear of Rejection and Critics
This plays into marketing yourself. I think marketing and promoting your art requires every artist to develop nerves of steel and confidence in yourself. It is so very easy to see flaws in your own work. You are capable of seeing your vision in your mind but the reality frequently turns out to be something different.
Color not being quite right here, the proportion slightly off there, even the direction of a brush stroke can cause you as an artist concern over the overall quality of the work; however, if you do not show people your work, you can never be a success.
I can’t tell you how important this is to keep in mind. You also need nerves of steel because while the majority of people will see something of value in your work there will be those who are quite clear with you about not liking your work, or they may see it as amateurish, or even see no value in it at all.
Keep in mind that all sorts of people will have different experiences with your art. Even people’s definition of what is art is variable. You can’t possibly expect to win over everyone nor should you expect to.
Believe in yourself and take a chance. Ignore the critics. For all you know, they’re having a bad day.



Use the Internet, Promote yourself, And Your Art.
Look for venues on the Internet to promote your artwork. Definitely, create a website for yourself or hire someone to do it for you. I am humbly available. ;)
In addition, use Twitter and Facebook to connect with people interested in art. Also, take a stab at sites like eBay to sell your art online.
Try typing artist or fine art into any search engine; look at the sites that come up featuring professional artists. Take a chance and try promoting your art on one or several of these sites.
These rules condense down to:

Enjoy what you do
Believe in yourself, ignore critics, and promote your work
Take chances
Learn from your mistakes
Repeat things that work
Keep a positive outlook and don’t give up


If you have comments or anything that you might add to this, I’d like to hear from you.
“Action is the foundational key to all success.” - Pablo Picasso
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