Equating Success With Money
Equating Success With Money
A very common trap for the creative mind of the artist is to ascribe to the old fashioned “Success is Money” mind set. If success is money than there are a lot of folks out in the world that would be surprised to know that some people really believe this deep down in their hearts. There are just to many examples to choose from in all walk’s of life, to choose one or two to list as analogies so I will skip trying to do justice to these examples.
I myself hear this particular phrase on an almost weekly basis. This phrase comes spewing forth from the mouths of so called “well meaning friends and family” accompanied by that “oh so sweet smile” that is saying “ I only want the best for you”. If I had one dollar for every single time I have heard that phrase I would be rolling it cash and assets.
Success like any other achievable goal is not really measured by the almighty dollar, but by the “emotional high” return we achieve by attaining a goal. Attaining tis goal brings happiness. That my friends is the true payoff in any situation, job, or past time. Money can't by that feeling, so it is more valuable than any precious metal, jewel, or cash equvilent.
I keep a plain old little notebook and every day I write down at least one thing that I am very grateful for that pertains to my art, and the business I am working to build. I measure my artistic successes with this notebook not with the business bank account.
Be the words ever so humble, like an entry that mentions getting the facial features on a sketch just right, to the entry written about the warmth I felt when one of my favorite artists paid me the ultimate compliment of “This piece is simply stunning “. There is an entry rejoicing over the acquisition of a new camera after the old one sat broken for three months, and an entry rejoicing that I had finally found the perfect model for said painting.
Every single word written in this rinky dink little note book is a tally of success. No this tally does not match the numbers of the business books, not by a long shot, instead this tally matches the feeling of being successful at what I do in plain old “I am grateful” terms. I am not saying that money has no importance in a business or in your life, instead I am saying that the money really should be secondary to the importance of your own satisfaction in successful goals being accomplished.
If we do not at times fail, we will never know what it feels like to succeed!
Wishing everyone many brilliant failures!
