tools to break through artist mental blocks

Artist mental blocks keep you from doing all those things you need to do, or want to do, to move you toward the life you really want.

If you find yourself consistently putting important things off to change the font on your website, do laundry, or scroll Instagram, you probably have a mental block. 

They may be subconscious, but they're still holding you back. Here's some tools to help.

This week I asked around...

"When you find yourself procrastinating on the things that will make your dream of an art biz come to life... what do you do?"

I got a lot of answers like these:

These answers made me sad because I absolutely understand. Blocks are something I didn't even know I was struggling with until the beginning of this year. I thought I was just being lazy and putting things off when stuff got hard. Turns out, there's a scientific reason for it --> my brain was trying to keep me safe!

I've learned a few things since then and I want to share a few of the tools I use with you... as well as some of the advice artists like you were generous enough to share.

I've put together all this collective wisdom into one video. 

This topic has become one that's close to my heart. I can give you all the strategies in the world to grow your art business, but if you can't implement them, they won't help you one bit. 

My goal for this month is for you to have at least one tool to help you when you are struggling with procrastination and mental blocks.

Watch the video to get ideas for your go-to tool then let me know -- which one will you try first?

Are mental blocks holding you back from getting things done?

Listen to this advice from 5 amazing artist who share how they get past theirs. 

homework for an artist's online art business

Watch the video and pick the tool you are going to use next time you feel stuck, something seems too hard, or you're scared to try.

“I don’t need help with this woo-woo mind stuff... I need help with strategy! Can we get back to that, please?”

95% of the time, strategy is what you’ll get from me... what you’ve already gotten from me. 

If you joined my email list yesterday, you already have a few awesome guides. If you joined anytime before that, you also have advice hitting your mailbox every single Tuesday like clockwork.

How much of it have you actually tried? A little? A lot? None?? In fact, why haven’t you implemented ALL of it? 

Check in with yourself right now and listen... deep down, is it because you’re afraid of what will happen if your art career takes off? 

  • Maybe you think you’ll lose your authenticity and turn into a sell out
  • or you won’t have time for yourself anymore
  • or you’ll become a selfish person if you have money

If thoughts like these are keeping you from making use of solid advice and getting what you want - it’s time to get brave. 

My guest today is artist and author Meredith C Bullock. We’re talking about

  • How you can become more brave
  • How to decide if facing your fear is worth it
  • 3 steps to break though your fears
homework for an artist's online art business

Watch the video and write down three ways you'll be brave this week.

I’m not the Facebook scrolling type, but I do use it semi-daily to connect with other entrepreneurs. I was checking out one of their profiles when I came across a video I can’t shake​ (watch it here if you’re interested).

Picture this: a respectable looking guy in his thirties is walking down the street, asking people if they’d be willing to face their fears for $1 per second. 

$1 per second!!

They had the option to scream for 10 seconds, dance for 20 seconds, or sing for 50 seconds. 

He asked almost 300 people. Guess how many people took him up on his offer? 

FOUR.

That means 99% of the people asked were too afraid of looking like a weird-o to make $50 in less than a minute. 

There were two big fat takeaways I got out of this video:

  1. Simply doing what you’re afraid of, consistently, will help you sell more art than the 99% who stay stuck playing small.
  2. As each of the contestants finished, they were glowing. They had smiles from ear to ear, jazzed to be alive and pumped for the rest of their day... all from doing something they were afraid of. Who doesn’t want to feel like that all the time??

This is the last week in my Break Your Blocks Creativity Summit and I want to leave you with one last tool you can use. 

In artists comments' to me, I kept hearing a pattern:

“The best way for me to do what I'm afraid of is to figure out what the next small step is and take it.”

Here’s the deal... they often didn’t know what the next best step was. 

I asked Jane Buresh of Creating Sparks to give us a demonstration how to use art and our intuition to tell us what the next step is and she generously agreed.

If you like doodling, playing with paint, and listening to your inner guidance, this one is for you.

homework for an artist's online art business

Watch the video and to learn to use watercolor doodling when you feel like you don't know the answer to "what do I do next"?

Most of the time you already have the answer. Now go get it.

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Do the work & create your luck,

About the Author

Jessica Craddock

I mentor intuitive visual artists who are sick of one-size-fits all formulas sell more work, more consistently, at higher prices — with better work/life balance. My clients regularly make 3x more in art sales within a year.

Using my signature Consistent Income method, we’ll push you over the precipice of some really amazing growth so you can become the creator of your next chapter.

My secret sauce is that we focus on not just the "doing", but also the "being". Affirmations, trusting yourself, knowing when to go slow and when to go fast, practicing getting out of your comfort zone and making room for the feelings that go with that... all this is equally as important as the action steps.

For once, you'll be ahead of the game and understand what's right for you.

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