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Have you ever just tried and tried working on something or doing something and it just won’t turn out right? I guess we all have. That’s how it’s been with my latest commission. I’ve been working on it for quite some time because I couldn’t get it right. It just wasn’t working for me. In fact, I started this particular painting 2 other times on different canvases before settling on the third; the one that worked. The great thing is, my client gave me free reign to do what I wanted (How many times to you get that in your career?) and she was very forgiving for my timeline. The downside is, I think that was exactly the problem for me; I had no boundaries as to what I could paint and no timeline with which to get it done, so I put it off, then worked on it, then put it off, then worked on it some more.  I think my mind didn’t know what to do with that. I could have given myself my own deadline, but it’s just too easy to let it slide. That’s because, I didn’t "believe it”.

In my life as an artist I haven’t had to push – I mean Really push to live by my art because I have a nine to five, but there’s a hunger that artists must have; a hunger and determination that says, “I will do this. My art will support me. My art will make me the life I want.” They have to “believe it.” They have to have the persistence and determination and laser-sharp focus to take their art and art business seriously.

For me, it’s a continuing, but growing process to keep working into that mentality; to really "believe it". That’s where I think many artists have a block. They don’t "believe it" deep down at the core, and I think that’s why many artists don’t “make it”. We give up. But, (here’s the encouragement) we can’t give up. This is in all situations. We have to do the work. We have to strive and move forward; never stopping, never yielding and never giving up. We have to "work it" and that movement will create the hunger. That movement will inevitably lead us to “believe it” and eventually "make it".

By the way, this first painting that I couldn't make work, I’m going to keep at it until it does.