Mark E Shellshear.

Focused t hinking:- The goal is always to improve. I often hear from Artists after they have created something wonderful say that they wish they could repeat the process again, but they don’t know how they did it . True mastery of your craft is being able to create something, understand the process and repeat it, continually improv ing each time on that procedure. A masterpiece is a step by step process, not a one-off miracle . W h at ever you do you leave a trail so that you can go back and follow it and d o it the same way again, improving on your success . H ow do we do that? One principle that many Artists do not employ is writing down the steps of how you did it, because if you understand what you have done you can write it down, so simple yet so few apply it. You might say that you believe in the miracle of the accident, but what happens it just becomes just a bad accident? Write down what you do and how you do it, understand the process of what y...

All Artists must approach every challenge with the attitude that, no challenge is to big. We need to develop the ability to reduce the challenge to a size we can handle, one step at a time, then challenges are able to be overcome. When you are faced with big challenges that seem to overwhelm you, reduce your challenges down to manageable bits and work through them one step at a time. Do not try to fix the problem in one fell swoop, that usually ends in disappointment. With a big challenge I always write it out and then work out how to master it one step at a time, it is easier to accomplish a small step taken many times over, than one great leap of blind faith. Great accomplishments are achieved by small steps each day, very seldom is it one big event. Great Artistic careers and built one day at a time, patiently taking one step at a time. Patience can be your greatest asset. Develop patience, because if you just keep working on the problem you will eventually overc...

One of the big problems that we can face in the Art business, is that when there is competition then there will be jealousy. It is just part of human nature when someone sells and you don’t, we can easily get jealous. What we need to do is to learn to be confident with ourselves and within ourselves, knowing that our work is that, our work. If we judge ourselves against others we will always feel inferior and wanting. Judge yourself against yourself, only. Now because one person sells and your painting doesn’t sell does not make their painting good or better than yours, it just means that a buyer’s taste leaned more towards the other Artist work than yours. We have to realise that the Art market does not dictate what is good or bad Art, it says what will sell and not sell, not what is good or bad. Just because some Artist sells does not make their painting better than yours, it just sold. So please do not let the thief rob you of the joy of creating Art by telling you bec...

Most Artists who are overnight successes, took years to achieve that. Be relentless until the job is done, patient until the end, always play the long game. Artists need to be self motivated and stay in the studio until the work is done. Artist, you are your own boss and you are your own employee, so work when you have to work, don't be lazy and put things off and find excuses to do other things, work when you have to work. Discipline yourself to be self motivated. Discipline yourself to be patient. Discipline yourself to be relentless. Discipline yourself to be your own boss. Apply small disciplines daily and they will change your life. Be wise.

I often think about all the difficulties that Artists face, the self doubt ever nagging at their heals, the relentless thief in its quest for safe and average, all the noise out there everyone trying to get heard and have an opinion on what the Artist should do or shouldn't do. We all recognise that problems are part of the Artists Life. Yet the Artist Life, is a wonderful opportunity that Artists have been given to overcome setback and opinions and shine. Do not let the negative setbacks that you face stop you from seeing the wonderful gift that you have been given. Artists are incredibly fortunate people because they “Create”, yes you make something out of nothing. Think about that? You have been given the greatest gift of all, the opportunity to be a creative Artist, to take a white canvas and create some beautiful on it, that did not exist until you painted it. To take a piece of clay and make something beautiful out of it. A wonderful friend of mine takes pieces o...

As Artists we must always be thinking about our future and working hard in the now so we can assure that future. Be careful not to waste or use up all your resources with no thought of tomorrow, but save up your resources so that you know you will always have enough to survive, so important for Artists to do this, be wise. As Artists, because of the volatility of our industry we must work very hard each day, always aware that hard times could hit and we must be prepared for that. So be careful to not squander your resources in the now and deny that there is a tomorrow because the reality is that hard times could come, remember life happens to us all. We must also be ready to take every opportunity that comes our way, so build up a body of work, so you are always ready to do a show on short notice. I suppose true wisdom is the ability to be content in the now and enjoying the rewards of your hard work, while continuing to work hard for your future and always with the atti...

Ancient text says, “Whoever tends the fig tree will eat its fruit.” The idea is that when one labours diligently to keep the fig tree healthy and growing you get to eat the fruit that fig tree produces. So if you want to eat the fruit you must tend the tree and all its needs. So with our Art Business we must tend to it and all it’s needs if we wish to eat the fruit of our Art business. We must be t That You cannot blame anyone else, you cannot ask someone else to be responsible for you. If you are an Artist then you picked you, so you are responsible. We must be responsible Discipline yourself Discipline yourself If you learn to handle small amounts of money, then you will know how to handle large amounts in the future. T hese are all positive life skills we as Artists need to learn and incorporate into our Art careers, if we tend our fig tree well, we will eat of it’s fruit.

True believers of Art are not interested in facts. They are interested in fashion, trends, signatures and high Artistic ideals for Artists that they do not have to live by or practice themselves. They want reassurance, that nothing will change, so they can continue to control the Art market and profit. They do not want to be responsible, they want others to be responsible, but they say they know what’s best for the Artist? They say what is good or bad Art, but they have never painted a painting? They do not want risk, they want to be assured that the market will not change and their collections will grow in value, so they can profit more. True believers are only concerned with the status que and do not want change, they want the Artists to stay controlled by the gatekeepers, but now the internet is removing the gatekeepers. As Artists become successful small business women and men, the True Believers will have less control over their fortunes. As Artists learn to s...

If there is a road block up ahead then find another way to go. Our resolve must be to just do it. Promising yourself you will never give up. Do not promise others, only promise yourself and be accountable to yourself. Keep painting until……….. it works. Keep showing your paintings until……….. it works. Pay the price until…………. it works. Be patient until…………..… it works. Never give up until………… it works. Do what you can do. Do the best you can do. Be the best Artist that you can be. Be wise, realise that it’s the work that creates the opportunity because the wise Artist knows that the miracle is in the work. Artists need to approach their Art practice in this way, failure is not an option, so they must be relentless in what they do. Be focused on success and what you must do to achieve it. Do not consider you will fail, you cannot consider failure, just keep doing what is necessary until you find a way over or under or around the roadblocks. Be deter...

Religion gets in the way of faith. The culture gets in the way of change. Art rules get in the way of initiative. Fear gets in the way of Artists being brave and doing new things. Fear is the basics of all excuses and stops. Turn fear into your compass and courageously go out and change Art and do extraordinary, remarkable things.

Australia. Hi everyone, just arrived at my sisters home so I expect to back doing videos tomorrow. Looking forward to meeting lots of Artists. I will keep you all updated with what I am doing. Take care. Become more. I talk a lot about our need as Artists to change, personal development, because if we want to improve our world then we need to make changes. Change happens in small steps, a little change now and that can have a big positive effect on our life and career in the years to come. Improvement takes discipline, self discipline is not easy to do as it takes effort and determination, but the rewards of small disciplines far outweigh the cost, its all a matter of doing. To learn new things takes discipline, because at the end of the day it is easier to turn on the television than open a book or watch a sales and marketing tutorial or personal development video on You Tube? Everyone is capable of learning something new and becoming more than they are……… it is a matter ...

One word that I keep repeating to myself daily is patience. I do this because I am very motivated and I want everything to happen quickly, but it doesn’t work like that, everything takes time and patience is needed. I remember in my past that I wanted certain things to happen quickly and I tried to force them. I knew I should stay put and be very patient but I was unable to control my impatience and I made decisions that put forces into play that I was not ready for and of course I did not get what I wanted quicker but managed to push it back years, many years. All because I was so impatient and wanted it now. I can now see that I was not ready for that change because I had so much more to understand and learn to be able to get to that place and handle what I was working towards. I hear lots of ambitious young people talk about the need to hustle and get it done quickly and I wonder if this kind of action will lead them to becoming disillusioned with business and life. ...

I have noticed that some Artists have a problem with being on time and always have excuses why they can never be where they say they will be at an appointed time. This one of those small daily negative habits that can wreck your success. Tardiness is carelessness, an attitude that will produce neglect in every area of your life. If you are always late then this is a place to start correcting your habits and discipline yourself to be on time, it’s not hard to do, it just take discipline. The reality is that tardiness says more about you as a person, than the people you carelessly inconvenience. Being always late shows disrespect to the person who is waiting for you. It is one of those negative habits that you need to change, discipline yourself to be on time. On time is on time, no excuses no blame. Punctuality will change your life.

An Artist who disagreed with me about selling and marketing finished his statement with, “ The bad news is I am not good in business. I always end up giving away my works.” I thought that was an amazing admission. Artists need to learn about the market place, which is learning about selling and marketing and how to run a small business and watching the trends in the market. Work hard on personal development and how to speak to strangers and small groups. Also you should continue to work on your artistic skills, honing your craft going to workshops that will challenge you to get out of your comfort zone. Beware your comfort zone, getting to comfortable, it is not a good place to be, you may fall asleep at the wheel. It does seem a lot of work, because to be successful requires a lot of work. If success was easy, everyone would be successful but it is not, it takes commitment and you will need “to go the extra mile,” that is what it will take.

It is better to plan your Art Career than leave it to luck. Counting on good luck is like counting on the Lottery, it might happen but most likely it will not happen. If your success does happen by luck, will you be able to sustain the success? Most likely not, it will come and stay awhile and go, and you will be right back where you started, you were not prepared. If your success happens by preparing and planing your Art career, then you will get to keep the success because you will have grown as a person and an Artist, you have earned it and are able to handle the success. To grow takes time, learning, hard work and patience. To be an overnight success can take at least 10 years, plan your career then work very hard to make the plan a reality. To count on luck is a fool’s folly, to set goals and plan and prepare is to be serious about your life and Art career. Be determined and be patient as you prepare and work your plan towards your earned success. Work hard ...

That fear within, the thief who tries so hard to stop us from doing brave and new thing needs to be understood and used to our advantage. It will never go away it is hard wired into our DNA but you can use it so it no longer stops you from being a success. We need to recognise this voice within, to know what it is trying to do because it always tries to stop us. It wants safe, average and mediocre, it does not want daring and initiative. When the negative voice comes don’t just jump and do what it wants, wait and say, “What if I use this inner voice as a compass, I need to listen to what it say so when it says, stop, I say go.” When it say that they will laugh at you, I say, “lets do it and see.” When it says who do you think you are to do that, just say “I give myself permission to do it,” and then do it. When it tells you that people will ridicule and criticise you, take the attitude, ok lets see if that happens, I will do it now. You can manipulate the thief, if you...

Daydream, postpone, procrastinate? or Think, decide, act? Failure comes when we repeat the same small errors every day. Success comes from small positive disciplines practised every day. Success will not just come when it is ready. It only comes when you are ready.

Small daily disciplines are very hard to start when we are already convinced in our mind that we can't do it, no matter how easy it would be to do. If we are convinced that it is too hard, then the thief will help us make sure we are right. Do not let wrong thinking stop you from achieving small goals in your life. It is not hard to save a dollar each week and that would be $52 in one year, all that is required is a little discipline. The problem is our thinking, because we say but it’s such a small amount that it’s not worth doing but if you have no savings at all, you will be $52 ahead of where you were last year. That is a small accomplishment. You see its not just the amount, it’s the building of small daily disciplines into life habits and once you realise that you can do it, you may decide to increase your savings to $10 per week and then $20. Accomplishment builds self confidence and so we can then stretch the goals and build and build. It is amazing ...

T o prosper by your brush and your own original ideas, should be the goal of every practising Artist . T o accomplish this will take hard work, discipline , determination and patience, ok, of course talent is necessary as well. If talent is great, then it is easy to be lazy, to go with the crowd and talk about painting rather than actually painting, because you know you are very talented and can do it. But great talent is wasted, when hard work is only talked about. So many failed talented Artists. Better to have little talent and a great work ethic, that Artist will always be successful. Be diligent with your work. Be the creator of your original beautiful Art work Be respectful of your gift, that you have been given. Be a doer of your work, not a talker of the work.

Did you paint that painting? It’s nice, why did you paint it? How does your painting make the world a happier, better place? What do you want to communicate through your painting to the world? How do you want to be remembered as an Artist? If I come back in twenty years will you still be painting? What if you become very successful, are you ready for that success? You are, wonderful. What are you doing every day a little bit better in your Art practice and your personal, so you will be prepared for your success? You are getting prepared, marvellous, stop reading now and keep improving on being the best Artist that you can be. You aren’t really preparing yourself right now are you? But you are preparing yourself to get yourself prepared soon? How many times do you promise yourself you will do something that will improve your life and Art business and don’t do it? Are you afraid? Or are you just talk? Both can be fixed, by doing it, start now. Tomo...

I was asked a very interesting question which I answered and I thought I would answer it further in a more detailed fashion. Question, “ Mark E Shellshear tell us how to sell a painting for $20,000.00. I’m making one this week. Would love to hear your strategy!!!” My answer, Hi. S imple. Work very hard painting and creating a body of original artwork for 10 to 15 years. Continue b uilding your Art business, by market ing yourself daily, through emails, blogs and videos and also get out at every opportunity and meet as many strangers as you can. As you get sales b uild a following of collectors through your after sales service, e mails, gifts and specials, while promoting where your work is being exhibited and when your next exhibition will be. B e persistent , determined and patient and you may, if your lucky sell your painting for $20,000. That's how you do it. Hope that helps?  “ Mark E Shellshear , its a bit to long to wait, THANKS, but ...

Some of the best advise I have ever received was this, “ Become an owner.” I thought about that for a while and thought how I did not have the necessary money to buy a business or start a business and become an owner. Then I thought about it a bit more and it is not about having the money to buy a business its about an attitude, a state of mind. Many who are in the Art business are just seeing how it will go, if they will or will not make money. If it goes well, great, but if not I will do something else. That’s not being an owner, that is called uncommitted, always having an escape clause in the rental agreement. An owner is committed to the Art business no matter what, in the good times and the hard times, that’s what being an owner is. They are going to do it and stick to it no matter what. An owner is going to learn all they can about their Art business and do whatever it takes to be successful. An owner will not give up, because the Art business is not separa...

Still today, word of mouth is the best form of advertising there is. Your customers talking about you and the painting they bought from you with other strangers is the best advertising you will ever get. When they talk about you they are spreading the word about your work. Give them lots to talk about when they buy your painting. Story tell your painting, write out the story and give it to them. Make sure they have your personal story, written out, include your email address, phone number and studio address. Make sure you have a Certificate of Authenticity for them. Make sure you have a picture of you with the painting and a catalogue number for the painting, so there is a record for the future, never forget about legacy. Importantly make sure you give them after sale service, get their email address. Send them emails about what you are doing and where you are showing. Be available for your customers, connect with them, talk about your Art work, be happy and fr...