What is your reason?

There is no easy way to the top of the Art World, it is hard work.

Yes you need talent, but you will also need a ton of self belief and you will need to work harder than everyone else and never give up and you will definitely need to be noticed and get attention.

Obscurity is death to Artists.

I have been saying this for years now and I would like to add another layer to this, something that I have been thinking about for a while.

Why do some equally talented Artists who all work hard, yet one makes it and the others never do, is there something that I am missing?

What is the reason why we do what we do?

The reason must be more than just earning a living, it has be something that when times get hard and they will, that keeps us motivated and pushing forward towards our goal even when we want to give up.

Reasons are powerful.

So Artist my question is, “Why are you doing this?”

Only you can answer.

Because you can?

Not a good enough reason.

Now think about this, we can easily articulate what we do and how we do it, but harder sometimes to understand why we do it, the reason?

I know we can say compulsion or a driving force within, but it needs to be more.

For you family. A valid reason

For yourself. A valid reason.

For fame and fortune, I believe that is valid.

To be the greatest Artist in your world?

To change your Art world for ever?

It has to be something that is bigger than yourself, something that gives the big reason why you are you and why you doing what you are doing and it must clearly define you.

I believe reason and purpose work closely hand in hand and when we define our reason, our purpose is clearly laid out in front of us, we must do this.

We might not know how to do it, but we do know we need to do it, so we go forward a make a trail where there is no trail.

Being inspired by those who went before us.

Picasso doing cubism.

Monet doing Impressionism.

Georges Suerat doing Pointillism.

Jackson Pollock doing drip painting.

Rothko doing his monochromes and many others.

Imagine, no one had done that before they did it.

That is self belief, having a bigger reason than, I am creative, it is knowing you have a destiny, a purpose, that your Art is more than another painting, that it can change your world, it can make a difference to your world, that it becomes an all consuming reason to create and be the best Artist that you can possibly be.

To stand against set backs and criticism, to continue to believe when there is no sales, to pick up the brush again when all have left you and you are alone, because once you enter this space there are few to walk with you.

A new trail, a new path, a new ism, that has not been made until you do it.

You can do it, it is just doing it.

What is your reason why you do it?