– a limited series about unconventional economics –
You love the act of creation.
You just want to write, dance, sing, take photos, throw pots, play your instrument, make jewelry, play with textiles, act, draw, do standup, design…
But like everyone, you need to make a living.
This economic reality weighs on you like a heavy cape.
Because the world has been telling you for years that you CANNOT make a living doing what you love.
So you believe that:
- business is hard
- sales is icky
- marketing involves self-promotion – which sounds absolutely horrible.
There’s even a phrase for it: starving artist.
Now, we don’t say, “starving minister” or “starving employee of a fast-food restaurant” – in fact, put in any other context, the phrase seems insulting. Which it is. Please join me in never using it again, won’t you?
Here’s the real problem: for all that you have studied your craft, no one ever taught you anything practical about how to actually create an economically sustainable life for yourself.
In this blog series, I’ll show you some simple steps you can take to reclaim your right to make a living doing what you love, starting with easy action steps like the one below.
EASY ACTION STEP:
Today, make some 5-Minute Art about money, art and feeling discouraged.
How to Make 5-Minute Art:
Grab some scrap paper and a pen and scrawl out some stick figures that express how the whole “make a living from art” thing feels to you. Just make the shape of the feeling, or the color. Or, if you prefer, create a little song or dance or poem about it. Have fun. Work fast. Be brief.
No one ever has to see your 5-Minute Art, although if you want to share it with me on our Facebook page, I would absolutely LOVE that. https://www.facebook.com/TheRealSamBennett/
NOTE:
You might be nodding to yourself here, thinking, oh, yeah – I should try that sometime.
Let me encourage you to to try it right now. This moment.
I have been training creatives to be more prosperous for over 10 years now, and the testimonials for this exercise alone are mind-blowing…
“I just realized I’m not that scared after all…”
“I can see that money is trying to be my friend and I keep pushing it away…”
“WOW – these are some very old stories that I am completely finished with as of now!”
See – transformation can be both easy and fun : )
Yours,
“Loved the reminders & the ease you demonstrated…just thinking now that a little self promotion practice might be in order among us/ we highly sensitive creatives who hold visions, accomplish goals, then move along forgetting our accomplishment or minimizing the body of completed work. Thank u Samantha Bennett.” – L.G., current member of Sam’s Pro Club
