105. Lose That "Starving Artist" Mentality

"When you can hit on what (your clients) want, hope for and dream...price is a mere triviality." - Ramit Sethi 

I promised in yesterday's post that I would share a great resource with you today...and I like to keep my promises. So here goes...

What can a NY Times bestselling author and a professional photographer teach you about building a sustainable career as an actor?

How 'bout some incredible BUSINESS STRATEGIES for artists, freelancers, entrepreneurs and even 9-5ers!?!

Meet Ramit Sethi and Chase Jarvis. Ramit is a New York Times bestselling author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich and a graduate of Stanford University. Chase is a (self-taught) visionary photographer, director, and fine artist with a consistent ambition to break down the barriers between new and traditional media, fine and commercial art.

Now, for those of you who are artists of some kind... if you are NOT interested in actually making MONEY from the fruits of your labor, then don't even bother wasting your time watching the video embedded below.

However, if any of these things spark some excitement in your tummy... WATCH THE VIDEO... And take notes. Seriously.

Some of the highlights...
A. Lose that "starving artist" mentality
B. How to make your clients "revere" your work
C. Don't try to be "better," try to be different
D. The Briefcase Technique (Explained around 33:15 in the video. If you're pressed for time and can't watch the WHOLE thing. Just watch that section.)
E. How to nail an interview

Sooooo much of this stuff can make a HUGE difference in your ability to actually MAKE A LIVING doing your art. And you don't need an MBA, you just need some tools. Anyone can master this stuff. It's not brain surgery.

As much as we artists hate to admit it to ourselves...show business is a BUSINESS and there are ways to play that game that make it easier to be successful. And by successful, I mean being able to pay your bills with your art...and also a vacation to Tahiti. Nice, right? Now that's motivation.

"How we do anything is how we do everything." - Tim Ferris

How you approach the business of your art also represents how you approach your art. You may not see it that way. But other people probably will. So make sure you are projecting the kind of message you hope to present. And if you don't know how to do something...find an expert resource...a person...a book...a video...a class...whatevs.

This is the information age. We have the internet. There are no excuses. Our access to information is unlimited. Our only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves.

Don't ignore the business aspect of the business. Because what you don't know about the market CAN hurt you...and your ability to earn a sustainable living...I know this from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Bleh! Being a starving artist sucks and I do not recommend it.

So take a moment to assess what your weak areas are in the "business" side of the business and find a resource to improve that area of your work. Your pocket-book will thank you. Your 65 year old self that would love to RETIRE some day will thank you...(Let's get serious. Most actors would love to drop dead on stage and never retire.) Your creative-self will thank you...for being able to provide some support for those "avant-garde" projects that won't make you a dime and cost you a pretty penny, but you looooooove and MUST DO.

Having money is not bad. It gives us choices. Without it we lead veeeery limited lives.

Besides business can be fun! Especially after you get passed the awkward learning part and actually start to do it WELL. Also, it's worth taking a look at what people in other industries are doing to THRIVE and build sustainable business models. We can allllll learn from each other.

We create art because we LoVE it, but we all gotta eat.

Make that dollar,
V

"It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project." - Napoleon Hill, Think And Grow Rich