13 Things Mentally Strong Artists Don’t Do

I found Amy Morin's book, "13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do," so helpful that I decided to capture a list that would help me (and hopefully you if you so desire) become a more effective artist. I plan on exploring each of these in detail in upcoming newsletters.

If you are an art collector and have no desire to create art, I'm guessing you will find many of these apply to any endeavor you want to embark on. So here are my 13 things mentally strong artists don't do. Do these resonate with you? Let me know what you think.

1. Quit. Because it’s too hard or they don’t like what they are creating or because of negative feedback.

2. Think that if they just had more talent…

3. Avoid self-care, self-compassion, and balance.

4. Give growing, learning from other artists, and taking classes a low priority.

5. Demand the same level of productivity and consistency from themselves at all times.

6. Play it safe and strive for perfection.

7. Behave as if artmaking is a sprint instead of a marathon.

8. Pay attention to the negative or “imposter” inner voice.

9. Believe that being an artist means they will starve.

10. Create only when they feel like it without a schedule or discipline.

11. Allow fear to stop them from creating.

12. Believe that their art is who they are.

13. Succumb to the resistance/excuses/distractions that show up daily