Mark E Shellshear.

To be a successful Artist you will fail a number of times on your Art journey it is just part of the process. Failure allows us the clarity to look at what we have done through disappointed eyes and to understand how it happened and then how to not do that again and to make whatever creative and personal changes need to be made. Failure like success leaves a trail. Find that trail because often it is out of failure that our greatest successes come and it gives us the determination to never let that happen again and the desire to be a better person. Learn well from failure, understand how it happened and determine to never let it happen again the same way and make the necessary creative and personal changes. Failure is part of being successful, failure is an opportunity to do it right.

I visualize my work to be like building steps upwards. I work hard today because it will take me higher tomorrow, I am not overly concerned about the money as that is the by product of working, it is the future that I am building that concerns me more. You see the higher you build the stairs, then all the other things follow, money, recognition and fame. Unfortunately most want the benefits first and then they will work, but it does not work that way, certainly not for the Artist.   To get to the top of the stairs is not going to happen by chance it happens by change. Working hard on our Art and hard on ourselves, to be the best person and the best Artist that we can be. Why don’t more people want to climb these stairs? Because they don’t actually want to change, they just want to be able to tell themselves the story that they tried and it didn’t work out. Your best future is built by embracing change and being the best you that you can be. ...

“ Mark you always talk about hard work like that is the way to be successful but I know people who work very hard and they are not successful but poor. “ To be a successful Artists takes more than just hard work I agree, but hard work is still a big component of success. The Artist that has written down goals for their life and has a plan to accomplish will always be far more successful than the person who doesn’t. Success starts with self discipline, working hard doing what has to be done each day to accomplish your future goals. The self discipline to work on your inner self to make you a better person these are the things that stand the successful person apart from the unsuccessful. It is getting into the habit of doing the things that are good for your long term success like not stopping work until you have completed your daily work list. Making sure you write out your goals each morning before you start work so you are focused on what you must do. It’s workin...

By being the best you and the best Artist that you can be now means you are planting seed into your future and your best harvest will come from it. Your today effects your tomorrows, positive or negative. Positive and enthusiastic people are fun to be around and these people get results and accomplish their goals. W hen you have a definite goal it is easier to say no to anything that interferes with your going forward to complete your goals. Accomplishing goals will bring you Artistic success, but building the best you that you can be builds character which brings wisdom .

As your success grows so does the pressure to create better and better Art, success does not make it easier but brings a different sort of pressure. Your pressure right now is to get the attention of strangers, sell your Art and earn money and go forward in your Art journey to accomplish your goals. O nce your successful and money is no longer a problem, the p ressure becomes to produce more work to meet the demand and taking care of your collectors and remembering you still need to grow creatively and seek new horizons but few do this . The problem of success is you can get seduced by it and you begin to repeat you most popular work because the pressure of new collectors asking for it, when you should be moving forward and leaving old work in the past and doing new exciting original work. Success is wonderful just the pressures change, there will always be pressure.

Do not despair when things don’t go like you think they should, this is the Artist walk and they will be difficult days, but that is life and we need to take them in our stride knowing that it is not personal, remember it rains on the happy and the sad, so smile it is called living. Learn to be patient i t takes time to build an Art career don’t be in such a hurry that you miss out on enjoying the moment you are living in right now working towards your goals, drink it in because this is the Artist’s life. Enjoy the moment you are in now painting and then stand back and look at what you have created, admire your work you did that. Enjoy the moment always and work hard at your craft and then after a many years you will be an overnight success.

As Artist’s we need to understand that the work we accomplish today is investing into your future, building the foundation on which your Art career will blossom. Work is serious, so take it seriously. Work cost you time and a piece of your life something you cannot get back, now that is very serious. Work is good, appreciate what you have and always give it your best effort your Art career deserves that. Don't mistake movement for work, work accomplishes something. Give it your best, it is all you have with which to build your Art career. Don't worry about the talent put in the hard work and you will be amazed how talented you are.

The Art Muse will give you all the desires of your heart but she will do it slowly because she is not interested in one painting being painted but in a whole lifetime of paintings being painted. That’s why she seduces you to follow her, so rejoice, she knows you have life long calling and a lifetime of paintings to be painted and she has your whole life to do it in. Be patient we are Artists and we have no option but to listen to the Muse and do not despair when things don’t go like you think they should, this is the Artist walk and they will be difficult days, but that is just life, remember it rains on the rich and the poor, so smile it is called living. Being an Artist is a creative struggle each day allowing the quiet voice of the Muse the freedom to inspire us and encourage us to work hard and not to be influenced by all the constant noise within and without. So rejoice, the Muse is calling it is time for you to paint, there is a calling to follow, a career to buil...

W ell it’s a new day and the thief might have been defeated yesterday but it be back even stronger today. That’s what I love about Art, the constant daily struggle, the sense of a life and death struggle wi t h the “thief”, the s ca ry, that’s what makes an Artist, knowing every day if you want to make great Art that you will need to fight and win t he day and then again the next day and the next day and the next. T o accomplish great Art it will be a daily battle with t he “thief” it is tenacious and will not stop. The thief is sneaky and will use lots of tricks to stop you, it will use procrastination, excuses, self criticism and if these don’t work it will use shame, “ Who do think you are to think your work is so good, you are not an Artist, you are a fraud” very powerful or “ People will laugh at your work and criticize you.” These tactics cause people to retreat and get into safe comfortable places, yes you will still paint but it will be come repetitive a...

Choice is a really interesting word because all of us have a choice to contribute to our Artistic future every day or to choose to do nothing and thereby delay our future success. I hear Artists tell me it is really hard to go on when you see nothing happening in your career, you toil away each day and you do not seem to be getting anywhere. I have always said it is not easy and that it is hard work, but that is so with most careers not just Art careers. If you feel like you are getting nowhere in Art career then it might time to make some changes. Now these changes are not your Art but maybe some changes you know you should make for the benefit of your Art but choose not to. If you are not selling, then do a course on selling, there are so many on the internet and most are free. If you need to learn about marketing on social media there are lots of tutorials out there for you and most are free. If you are afraid to talk to strangers go and join toast masters or d...

“ We need encouragement to keep on movin g in this world even if its hard e specially in our country, the Philippines .” Philippine Artist. Yes it can be hard in the Philippines as it is in most places for Artists, but look around at all the successful Artists in the Philippines and around the world and know that if they can do it, so can you. If success was easy everybody would be successful, but you can know that success is attainable because there are Artists who are successful. I wish it was easy and all you had to do was paint a painting, create an Art work and it would sell but it does not work that way. Once you can accept that this a business that you are in and if you put prices on your paintings you are in the business of selling, then you can begin to get a grasp of what you have to do. A lot of Artists are waiting for someone to come along to do it for them but what if they don’t come? You have to learn the skills you need to be successful in thi...

Paul Gauguin and Vincent Van Gogh are two prime examples of achieving great fame, yet in their life times they walked against the norm and painted as they felt led to paint, not needing the acclaim of the fashionable elite or their approval or permission to paint what they painted. They are certainly part of a unique group that can stay true to their vision and walk against the fashion of the day. So my friends, if you seem to be swimming against the tide and people do not accept your work even though you believe it is great work, then you are in good company. The reality is you do not need approval or permission to paint your paintings, you just need to believe in yourself and do it. It means you are giving yourself approval and permission to paint your paintings exactly like you want to, original and beautiful work. Be your own judge as to whether you have done well or not, don't hand that to others. You will be a happier and a stronger person because you are...

Whether the market thinks my painting is good or bad is just the opinion of the market and the market has constantly been wrong. It has ignored great Art until it had no choice than to recognize it especially when we consider the Impressionists, ignored and ridiculed for years and then finally accepted by the market, the market was wrong until it was right. If you are unknown as an Artist then most likely you will get little response from the market, it will ignore you and dismiss your Art, but that is what the market always does, until you become known. So the most important thing that you can do is become known and you do that by getting your Art onto the walls of strangers. Once you begin to get the attention of strangers and they begin to promote you and your work, then the market will begin to take notice. Of course it takes time but if you do get the attention of strangers and they buy your work and begin to follow your career then eventually the market that i...

Painting an original painting is an amazing process when you consider what goes into it. A painting comes out of all the life experience that an Artist has. It goes into their person and is filtered through the imagination, emotions and intellect and comes out a beautiful, original painting captured at a certain moment in time in the Artists life, which is in its own way a commentary on the life experience of that Artist. So as Artists we need to get better at absorbing what is happening around us, taking in all the emotions and the things we see, because we absorb to give out and bring joy into the life of others. The Artist has the unique ability to respond to their particular environment and produce a wonderful work of Art, reflecting the things of their life and capturing those emotions in their Art works. Then the Artist gives of this unique gift to those around them in the form of an Art work, sharing not just the wonderful painting or sculpture but a small p...

In ancient literature it says, “O ut of the abundance of the heart a person speaks” we must be careful what we say. If you speak when you are angry most likely you will say words that you will later regret. Hard, hurtful, critical words can never be taken back and many relationships have been destroyed by careless words, they become the crack that shatters the glass. We shall all eat the fruit of our lips, bitter fruit or sweet fruit. The tongue, according to how it is used by us can bring forth life or death, for speech is the picture of the mind. Our hearts are revealed by our words. Our words identify us, we are our words and we must own our words, we cannot blame others and say that t hey mad e us say those things, we always have a choice, choose life or death. Be circumspect with your words, careful what you say, your words are revealing the state of your heart to the world. A kind caring word is always welcome.

When we are children we are told not to speak to strangers, now I am telling you that your Art career depends on you talking to strangers. Your Art career and your future success depends on you meeting strangers, talking to them and being friendly. Strangers need to buy your work for you to be a successful Artist. Strangers need to like you and like your work and if you can accomplish this then relationships will be formed and friendships will grow out of that and they will become long term collectors. So friends do not be afraid of strangers at Art events walk up to them and engage them in conversation, you are the Artist and they want to meet you because of what they believe about Artists and the wonderful creative life you lead. Do not let the thief steal your sales off you by making you afraid and telling you that the strangers don’t want to talk to you or that you will be intruding into their lives. Ignore the fear it wants to keep you safe and stop you from stepp...

It is so easy to be the friendly Artist at the exhibition opening or Art Fair. It is so easy to just chat to strangers who have come to look at your work, smile and just have a friendly chat. As Artists in the market place we must be the best we possibly can be. The best paintings we can produce. The best smile we can give. The best greeting we can have. The best explanation of our Art work we can have prepared. Because I really do believe that to get the best results we must be the best we can possibly be always. When we make the decision to be the best we possibly can be, it effects all we do our mannerisms, our attitudes and our own happiness and the happiness of people around us. If you want the best results in your Art career, then just be the best you can be, do not compare you self to others, just be your best.

Assume you do not know enough. Assume that your learning is never complete. Assume that you training is always ongoing. Those who know all they need to know, leave them behind. If someone thinks that they know all they need to know get away from them quickly they are dangerous, no one knows everything and has it all together and if you know Artists like this get away because they will try and control you because they know what is best for you and your career. You know what is best for you and if you do not know then work hard at finding out, be diligent in your quest for self discovery, do that tutorial, do that course, read that book because the book that you don’t read just may be the book you need. Start where you are now. Do all that you can. Do not be a devotee always be a student, learning daily and coming to your own conclusions. You will find what you are looking for.

The principles that I share with Artists are really simple, do small steps forward in your Art practice and personal development and this 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 then as that enthusiasm slowly fades so does our will to go to gym and then we stop and go back to our old ways that feel so comfortable. Unfortunately our old comfortable ways are so easy to fall back into rather than do what we know we should do. 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 g...