Part of my purpose is to be an example of what is possible as an artist and a coach – and an artist who uses coaching to take creativity and business/serving others/making money to a whole new level. By making the kind of art I want to make, that I *believe* people will love and find meaningful and inspiring AND by making as much money from that art as I want to make, I get to blow my own mind, blow up my own limits – and then lead and coach from this example and experience. I’m starting my first group coaching program next month and when I was thinking about what would be the most amazing way to begin this program, before it even begins, is to work the process of The Art School on myself in a bootcamp, intensive sort of way. I’ve posted about this here recently – I want to show people that while there is something beautifully mysterious to the creative process, that part doesn’t have to be sacrificed by demystifying getting your art made and making money.
I am challenging and coaching those who have already enrolled- and inviting those to the challenge who are thinking about it but don’t think they have the money or the money chops – to make back their investment before the program even starts. I want to show that I’m doing this right alongside them by taking something that feels impossible – but amazing – to me. So my own personal challenge is make $50K of art in a week. I’ve had a $25K in sales kind of day before, made a $25K painting in less than two weeks…but when I thought of something that would be WHOOAA AMAZING for me…and also slightly terrifying…this is what my intuition delivered. I can tell it’s right on by the way I kind of want to throw up thinking about it…and still want to do.
So, I’ve been coaching myself a lot to get ready for this week and also wanted to ask for coaching here.
Here’s a couple models from this morning:
Unintentional:
C: $50K painting week
T: what if I don’t do it
F: scared…of myself
A: thinking: what if I get that panicked, paralyzed feeling…that shame feeling that comes from beating myself up…what if it sucks? what if I’m wrong about being able to do this? what if I am disappointed in myself.
R: I want to procrastinate, which makes it harder, I make it into a struggle…leading me towards not doing it
So, I can see how I’m treating “beating myself up” and “disappointed in myself” as things that just happen to me, rather than thoughts I choose to think.
So: I choose, ahead of time,
Pride in myself for taking this on, for daring, for pushing my limits, for exploring
Courage
Lots and lots of love
Strength
High self regard – no matter what
Being aware of and not indulging in self-critical, self-doubting, destructive, toddler with a knife unsupervised thinking,
Choosing: I AM doing this, look! I am really doing this!
TRUST
BELIEVING HARD
“Just keep going, believe in the RESULT, and keep walking yourself home”
thinking of it like an ironman triathlon
Intentional Thought Model:
C: $50k painting week
T: “I’ve got the heart of a champion and want a future, a goal, I can run at with all of my heart” (just watched Secretariat with my kids and so totally ripping off this line and…)
“let your creativity self run her own race, Leah – you’ve got to let her run” (also riffing off the movie, but resonates because I feel like something in me just wants to let it rip, run hard with this idea and see what she can do!)
F: steady, strong, connected, grounded, open, inspired, ready
A: I treat myself as a champion with a big heart, treat myself as someone I am responsible for helping, I will love absolutely every stage of this process and I will love myself fiercely and have my own back and every single moment and turn…
R: Watch – I am getting it done, this is totally happening.
And then, after getting coached by a colleague, who asked what would happen if I answered my question in the T: line of the first one…I realized it was that I was afraid of being wrong. Rather than my commitment to my result producing my certainty, I can see that I am still looking for evidence…and mid-way through Day 1, I can see how this will continue to trip me up if I don’t move through it. Because right now I have a lot of paintings that are not done – and I want to look to this mid-point in the process for evidence that this is working…which is not where I should be looking. I should be engaged in the process, loving the process – even the parts where I have thoughts “whistling” at me, like those construction workers, trying to unnerve me. I don’t want to spend the afternoon with the construction workers. I just want to keep working. Soooo…
This is where I think I should go with the self-coaching. Brooke, I would LOVE to hear what your thoughts/coaching are on this! THANK YOU!
C: $50K of art made this week
T:
F:
A:
R: $50 K of art made this week
If that’s the R: I’m committing to, how do I think?
I think,
Well then, that’s done! Now I just get to have fun making!
there are no wrong marks, no wrong moves here.
Every part of this process is necessary. Including walking by the doubts and other whistling construction workers.
I decided to make $50K of art in a week and that’s exactly what I am doing.
I will love every step of this process and myself every step of the way.
This is going to be amazing!
Falling in love with the process and falling deeper into trust of myself and creativity is what is going to be one of the greatest byproduct of this challenge.
It’s already done – what a relief! I don’t have to keep deciding if it’s going to happen or not. OF COURSE it’s happened, now I just get to live into the fun, adventuring part of finding out how I did this!
Thank you in advance! XOXO
