this week i have been spending hours each day working on my business planning art journal. i adore everything about it and i do want to start sharing more of what i am doing in it and how amazing the experience of creating a business planning art journal has been for me.
my business planning art journal
but i am still feeling a hesitation about actually stepping forward with some of my creative business plans.
i feel so comfy where i am, all wrapped up safe and secure. and i am genuinely happy right now with what i’ve got. as an artist i have spent a great deal of my life struggling to find enough time and money to support my work. at this point i feel an abundance of time, money and opportunity. i feel creatively free. i am concerned that, if i approach my art more like a business, i may:
- feel stressed out and pressured to get more work done
- have less time for the things i love to do, and/or the things that nourish me
- have less money coming in, or have money come in in erratic ways
- feel isolated and unhappy, focused on building a business instead of enjoying my life
i am recognizing and appreciating the value in where i am and also hearing my heart calling me to move forward.
but if i move forward too quickly this scared little part of me lets me know she is not comfortable. the fears are much smaller than the dream. but they still exist. sure i can just find a way to pump up my energy real big so i can burn through them or just ignore the fear, carry on as though i am not afraid.
but that’s not me. i want to honour and be present with every part of my experience, including the fear.
so today i moved very slowly.
for now that is all there is for me to do. continue to make my plans and at the same time listen to my body, to my heart, to my fears, be gentle with all of me and not move any faster than the slowest parts of me feel comfortable moving.
andrea schroeder creates creativity workshops, downloadable creativity kits and guided meditations to support you in knowing and remembering that you are a creative being and you can create anything. you can do it. join in on her free creative journaling workshop now and learn how to use an art journal as a tool for healing, happiness and self-discovery. let’s make some magic.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
go for it girl..with you all the wayxx
Thank you for articulating what I have been feeling. Feelings I didn’t even really know I had. I just know that I am feeling “unsettled’ as I struggle with some decisions I feel I must make about the direction I want to take (or think I do). I need to be reminded to be gentle with myself and take things slow. Thank you!
Love this.
Hi Andrea, this is my first visit to your website. I’ve been on it for about a minute and I’ve had this uncanny connection with a couple of your posts that are mirroring things I’ve been experiencing myself lately. I felt validated reading your latest post, thank you. Also, I spent a good chunk of yesterday journaling about my fears of starting an art business! If it’s not too presumptuous of me I’d like to mention what I found extraordinarily helpful.
1. I listed the worst case scenarios, rated the permanent impact they would have on my life on a scale of 1-10 and rated how likely it would be that they actually transpire on the same scale.
2. For each worst case scenario I listed steps I could take to repair the damage or get things back on the upswing, even if temporarily
3. I then listed the outcomes or benefits, both temporary and permanent, of more probable scenarios. I rated the impact of these more-likely outcomes on a scale of 1–10. I also rated the likelihood that I could produce at least a moderately good outcome
4. I outlined what I would do to get things under financial control if my venture didn’t work out
5. I considered what I’m putting off out of fear? Usually, what we most fear doing is what we most need to do.
6. I then listed what it is costing me—financially, emotionally, and creatively—to postpone action? Don’t only evaluate the potential downside of action.
7. Lastly, I asked myself what am I waiting for? If you cannot answer this without resorting to the concept of good timing (which is a fallacy), the answer is simple: You’re afraid, just like the rest of the world.
I got this exercise from the book by Tim Ferris, “The 4 Hour Work Week”.
Wow, sorry about the essay. I hope you don’t think I’m a crazy person :p Good luck with everything.
Cheers,
Katherine