This Life I've Chosen ... Part III

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY AS AN ARTIST or Getting gigged by a fellow artisan.

The month of April marks a full year after I first "went public" with my artventure! Yay! Thanks to all of you who pushed and encouraged and advised and purchased my art! There have been many, many, many ups and downs. 98% of the artists I've met have been consistently helpful and encouraging. Then...there's that other two percent! I've had some doozy experiences with fellow artists over the last year from low-handed attempts to sabotage my art ventures, being told my art was awful or that I wouldn't be successful, even the suggestion that some areas are territorial and I would be too much competition. Really! Puleeeeeeze! There's enough out there for all of us.

I have a collection of quotes/advice I dig from often and don't know who to credit for the following. I do know those who came before me have summed it up beautifully...

"Many artists really believe only a limited number of artists can achieve success. Achieving success has nothing to do with beating out the competition through deception, lies, manipulation and viciousness. Artists who succeed have beaten out the competition through exercising powers of perseverance and discipline and by cultivating good marketing skills."

"Some artists have double standards: honesty , intellect, courage, discipline and integrity are their ruling principles, except when it comes to their art and careers. For some, it’s a you or me, dog-eat-dog mentality. These artists backstab, hoard information and have selective memories. They are fearful of ideas being stolen, competition, and losing the status quo. By this reasoning, to them every artist is a potential enemy/threat of competition."

"Those who let rationalization and paranoia rule their careers in order to avoid rejection, assuage insecurity, and fend off competition must face the fact that their careers can come to a screeching halt, limp along in agonizing frustration, or be limited in every possible sense. Eventually their work suffers (reflecting lies, excuses and fears) and their network of friends and contacts degenerates to the lowest common denominator, as they stop at nothing to eliminate what is perceived as a possible threat."

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice (Js. 3:16).

"Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see you lead a good life. I Peter 3:16

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who hurt you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." Matthew 5:44 That's the hard one!

. . . enough said.