Mark E Shellshear.

Artists how we see ourselves compared to how others see us is very important. Fortunately your collectors and buyers do not see you the way you see yourself, they see you through the prism of how they perceive you, of course they see the Artist. You see yourself with all your failings, problems, insecurities, fears and short comings? Your collectors and buyers see you as this incredibly talented, creative person who is an Artist, that they admire and envy you and want to know you better. They see the romantic side of the Artist and imagine you live this wonderful life of being emerged in the creative juice all the time. They don’t see you with all your flaws, they see an amazing, gifted Artist. Imagine that?? They do not see your fears, insecurities or inhibitions, you see that, they see a talented Artist. One of the most important things that you can do is to learn to accept that your collectors do not see your failings they only see you the Artist. We need...

The principle s that I share with Artists are really simple, d o small steps in your Art practice and personal development and th is will lead to big changes in the future . Peoples inability to change is very obvious when we consider New Year resolutions, great statements slowly lost. People decide to do gym at the beginning of the year with great enthusiasm and by the end of February they have lost interest. Why is this? When we attempt to change our lives with just enthusiasm, as that enthusiasm slowly fades we stop and go back to our old ways that feel so good. Unfortunately our old comfortable ways are so easy to fall back into. To make big changes in your life takes desperation or disgust. Now if those emotions are not there then you have to do it the only other way that will work for you, self discipline, small disciplined changes that are easy to do. Instead of going to the gym, just walk around the block every day, that's easy and as you enjoy i...

Maturity as an Artist is to eventually get to the place where you are the best judge of your own work, you created it, you know if it’s your best work or not. Self validation is the quality of the confident Artist to be creative and innovate without fear of what others will say or think. Ignore criticism it is not to be feared, but flattery is, beware. Wisdom is the most important thing you can get, so get wisdom and with all you getting get understanding, so you can put wisdom into practice in your life and your Art career. A wise Artist understands that when you own your work you no longer need to be told it is good.

When you are exhibiting your work in a Gallery or Art fair always have on your best smile, your best manners and treat every stranger who looks at your work with respect and care, they may be your next collector. Attention is currency, you must work at getting it Attention is also awareness, people being aware you exist. Do strangers know who you are and are they aware that you are an Artist? When a stranger comes to your Art exhibit in a Gallery or Art fair always approach them with a friendly smile and connect with them. Always take a little time to talk to the stranger, give them your Artist pack, make them feel important and do it sincerely it builds relationships. Treat your collectors like friends and always give a little more than expected, especially your time and your interest in them, learn to listen, everybody has a story to tell, it’s part of building a relationship. Selling now is all about relationships and the customer giving you permission to sell to...

One of the most difficult things an Artist can do is accept the fact that they could be successful, yes very successful. The reason why it is difficult to believe is because we cannot see beyond where we are right now, because of the reality of the now, where I am at this point of time. It is our dreams and visions that allow us to see the future and drive us on, but what happens when these dreams become the reason for the defeat of our future success. We dream and day dream of our future success, unfortunately if we keep doing this and do not go any further with it, this daydream will turn into a defeated dream and we will give up on it as so many have. An example is if I dream about having a wonderful relationship with someone and see us doing things together like travelling, unless I do something about it, it will only become another defeated dream. When I dream about it I need to take the next step and ring the person and begin the relationship, otherwise it will jus...

I had this conversation the other night and I said, “It’s not the paintings that make the difference it’s the Artist themselves.” The person I was talking to was a little taken aback by my statement. Most paintings by most Artists are good. Most paintings by most Artists are of a reasonable standard, so what makes the difference for most Artists? Yes we have the talented genius who can get away with most things but for most Artists who paint most of the paintings what sets one apart from the rest? The answer is the Artist themselves. Talent and competence are important but I think being a polite, friendly Artist who can talk to strangers with confidence will win every time over a talented Artist who wants to be the brooding, pouting, misunderstood artist. Every Artist should work hard on their personality to become a better person and improve their lives. Self improvement is fundamental to your success. The one thing that holds people back is fear, the thief. ...

Thoughts to paint by. Always be responsible when it fails. Humble in all your success. Summon your courage to face every day with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Go forward and be extraordinary.

The more paintings you paint, the better your paintings will become. The more drawings you do the better your drawings will become. The more sculpture you make the better your sculpture will become. Repetition is the mother of skills. I often look at the work that a young Artist will show me and I think I want to see painting number 200, then we will see what they have in them after the have pushed through all the obstacles of painting. Always it’s the continuous stretching of the creative mind, never seeing one painting as the masterpiece but the whole body of work as the masterpiece and constantly repeating the process day after day. All Artists must get to that place of feeling empty having painted so many paintings and thinking that there is no more within them to give, this is the time to dig deep and push. When your second wind comes you will be amazed at what you can accomplish, if you stop because you feel you are tired, then you will start all over again tomorrow. If you ca...

[ Answer to a letter asking me if I thought they should be an Artist, my reply.] I see that you can paint and draw but it is not my place to advise you whether you should be an Artist or not as it is your decision and you have to own the responsibility for the decision. If you want to be an Artist you must decide and then work as hard as you can to be the best Artist that you can be. This is not an easy road you have chosen and it will certainly test your character and your resolve. Prepare to go without in the early years, but a little starvation is a great motivator for you to improve at your craft and it will develop a desire in you to work hard and be successful or you will get a day job and quit Art, both outcomes are good. What are your goals, short term and long term? Have you written out your goals? If so, then you know where you want to go. If not, why not, and you should do them immediately. No goals, no direction it is like setting off on a journey an...

Excuses undermine desire, ambition and creativity. Excuses lead ultimately to blaming others, failure and disappointment. Don’t be an Artist who is known for making excuses. Be the Artist who takes responsibility for your actions or no action. Be responsible for the great successes and for the failures. Responsibility is maturity. “ I did my best, it did not work, I will do better next time.” “ I did my best and I succeeded, I will continue to give it my best.” Success or failure be responsible don’t make lame excuses and expose your shortcomings. No good blaming the Government, the economy, the traffic, the Art scene, the Galleries, other Artists or your parents, we all have to deal with life, it happens to us all. We all need to be responsible for our words, our actions, and our lives. Excuses expose us. Responsibility defines us.

“ I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp.”― W. Somerset Maugham . I thought this was great advice for those down times when you just look at that white canvas . One Artist I respect ed said that the y got through these empty times this way , they did not wait around for inspiration? They loved the act of painting not inspiration? So they forgot about being inspired and painted. They found in the dry times that they would “play.” They would get pieces of paper and cardboard and just paint on them, anything that came out, nothing in particular, just like in kindergarten, making marks and having fun with no thought of selling or anyone ever seeing them, it is a great way to take the pressure off yourself. You will be constantly amazed how in these times of having fun and playing how many great new ideas come forth, sometimes you will do this for hours but it will be time not wasted. I am sure once you get...

As Artists when you have a show of course you will have to talk to strangers and friends about your Art and sell it to them. We dislike the word selling so think of it this way, you are helping them to acquire your painting to bring joy and significance into their life. Selling Art is more than just persuading someone to buy your painting. People buy on emotions more than reasoning. Facts appeal to the brain. Emotions appeal to the heart. Learn the skill of painting word pictures, be descriptive with your words so you help people visualise your painting already hanging in their house. Let them imagine seeing the painting hanging in their lounge room and people admiring it and saying how beautiful it is and enjoying what it brings into the room and how special they are owning one of your original works. Be creative, paint word pictures for others to see your Art benefiting their lives. Art brings a room to life.

Artist, you must be in the Art business for the long haul, it is a marathon not a sprint. Yes you will not make much money in the early years but if you stick at it and keep selling your original paintings to strangers and they become collectors then your prices will begin to rise. Of course your collectors want their investment in your work to increase in value, so it is in their interest to promote you, be at your openings and talk about you, word of mouth is still the best promotion you can get. Relationship with your collectors leads to friendship and life long collectors of your work, it takes time and work to build these relationships, so don’t be impatient. It may take 10years to get well known and then you will no long have calculate your price as you will just state how much you want for your paintings. In time you will have learned the Art Business and what the market will tolerate and as long as you are not too greedy you can earn a very good living by yo...

Anyone with enough skill, not talent can copy someone else painting or Art work, painters do this all the time, it is not hard to do. The problem comes for them when they have to act like a real Artist and begin to paint and create things that have not been done before. This is the real challenge for the Artist. The true Artist does not ask, “ What should I paint next?” She says, “Look what I painted, it’s my work.” No one can show you how to do that and no one can advise if it’s painted correctly, many may have opinions or even criticise but the reality is, they could not do it and did not do it, so why aren’t they applauding? The true creative Artist will upset, polarise, shake up and challenge the establishment, until the establishment understands what the Artist has done and is doing then they will rush to claim and applaud the new Artistic discovery. An Artist does new things that no one has done before.

Our goal as an Artist, is not to sell to everyone. Our goal is to sell to someone. So stop worrying about everyone, because everyone will not buy. Connect with one stranger and build a relationship with them, then you get their permission through that relationship to sell them a painting. Permission is given by their willingness to listen to your story about your Art and all the questions they ask, a relationship is being formed by you being friendly and happy and their showing interest in wanting to know more about your painting. Make the experience so good and special for them that they love the painting as much as you do. Then because they love the painting so much they will tell their friends about their beautiful new painting and their friend the Artist. Word of mouth is the best advertising that you can get, they tell others about you and then those people will come and buy from you also. Build relationships with strangers so they become collectors and then...

There will always be Artists that are better than us and others who worse than us, that's just life. The key for every Artist is to accept who you are and your particular skill sets, work diligently on your dreams and goals and become better as an Artist and a person. If you compare yourself with others, you will lose, it's not a game to play. You cannot change that outcome by criticizing and complaining about it, this will hurt your career and you personally, be someone who is quick to praise others and acknowledge their success. When you see others who are successful, congratulate them and be inspired to do as good or better. No one is entitled to success, success is something you prepare yourself for by working hard at your craft and on yourself. You must do what you have to do to change your life and make it better, because you are you and your life is the only one you have control over. Work hard, become a better person, don't compare yourself ...

I was reading in an inspirational book and this sentence challenged me, “ There is much food in the fallow ground of the poor.” I thought about this as it really concerned that in this fallow ground or unused, untouched ground that there was still much food there, so why isn’t that ground being used? I wondered if this related to our lives and some of the disappointments and setbacks we have faced? Do we have fallow ground within our lives, areas that we have allowed to go untouched, unused? I thought about talents that we have that we have not used for a long time and yet if we did use them they could be a blessing to us and to others. Areas we have just let go. Is there an area in your life that has become fallow ground? If there is, there is still much food there for you. Maybe you were painting in a certain experimental medium or just being very different and exciting and some critical person crushed you and your dreams and you stopped and let that ground g...

Fertile ground, does not mind what kind of seed you plant in it because it will cause it to grow and return to you an abundant crop. Weeds or tomatoes, you choose what to plant and that is what will grow. The mind also does not care what you plant in it, it will also cause it to grow and return a harvest of the same. What are you planting into your mind? As a person thinks in their heart, so they become. Positive in, positive out. For all Artists and creative people the least amount of negative stuff you put into your mind the more positive, creative work you will produce. This works to the negative also. Artist beware what you are feeding your mind, it may be hindering you from fulfilling your destiny as an Artist and stopping you from achieving your goals. Plant positive, uplifting seed into your mind and you will reap a positive, abundant, creative harvest.

I know with my Art career I should have learned more about my Art practice, the Art business and about myself personally. If you had told me I needed to improve in those areas I would have said I am doing fine, thank you, I am working hard at my Art and raising my daughter. I was comfortable and I did nothing about any of those areas other than to continue to work hard at what I knew. For me it took a major upheaval to wake me up out of my comfort. I lost everything I had and ended up in a lot of debt and realised that if I did not change, nothing was going to change. Losing everything certainly got my attention made me focus on getting out of my comfort zone. There are really only two things that cause us to make major changes in our lives and that is inspiration or disgust. I was disgusted with myself for allowing myself to get into that situation and made the decision that I would change and never let this happen to me again. All the things I should have done when I was doing wel...

It is never about the way things are, but the way things could be. Have a vision for what you want to happen and then make it happen. One of the most liberating or frighting thoughts that an Artist can have is simply this, “You mean I can paint and create anything I want, any way I want?” This is the most freeing thought that an Artist can have, that it is really up to me to create original, new, never been seen before Art. If there are no rules or the right way to do it, then you can do it your way. This thought is what stops most Artists from achieving the greatness within them, because the idea that I can do what ever I want to do, is so hard. Because we all want someone to tell us what to do or tell us we are doing the right thing. We seek permission and validation not freedom. We do this because if it fails we can blame someone else, but if we go out and be original, new and create work never seen before, if that fails it is our fault. Fear stops...

Be valuable to the market place. Value comes from making Art that is original, fresh and new. Value come from unique, thought provoking work, that inspires others and attracts attention. You are valuable to the Art market when you bring something new and original that challenges and disrupts the establishment. Don’t be invisible, be original and disrupt and attract attention.

Sometimes making the decision to start is harder than doing the activity. If you don’t make the decision and do it the first time, you will never do it a second time. Artists need to get attention, decide to do it. Making the video is not hard, but the decision to do it is. Writing a blog is not hard, but the decision to do it is. Story telling your paintings is not hard, but the decision to do it is. Fear can paralyse us and stops us from accomplishing all we are capable of being and becoming. Don’t let the thief stop you. Change your future today, when the thief says no, you say lets go.

Our Art business is about people and dealing with people, we are in the people business. People buy our paintings and our Art works. People run the Galleries and Art shows that we hang our paintings in. We buy our Art supplies off people and people do our framing. These are the people that we come in contact with all the time. How do we treat these people? Are we always courteous and friendly with them, showing them the same respect and courtesy that we want from them? Yes we are always respectful and courteous to buyers and those we respect, but what about the other people? Respect is something earned, courtesy is something given. Every person an Artist comes in contact with is important because that person no matter how unimportant will have an opinion about you after you have left them and that opinion could be good or bad. If good, they will sing your praises, yet if bad it could eventually hurt you because we never know who knows who. Treat others how you want to be treated. If...