Trust 30 carries on

So while I totally f'd up and got lazy at the end started working on other personal development projects towards the end, I did go back and finish all the Trust 30 topics, and wow, a month went by already?

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll keep going, but I have learned a lot and hope to start posting more here and in general about life, art, etc. etc.

So for one last trust 30, I'll go with the topic by Seth Godin and talk about something that happened on my birthday.  According to Google search results, not much happened, but the things of note that happened was that Iron Maiden played a show in Texas.  Actually, something a bit more interesting is that Reagan nominated Frederick M. Bernthal to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Committee.  I did a quick google search on that guy, but does anyone have any idea of how terrible he was (only based on the fact that Reagan nominated him)??

Fault and Change

I already know that it's all my fault!  So.  How am I approaching it?  I have to make hard decisions and put in the work that I don't want to do in order to change it.  I have to face my fears, take risks, do whatever it takes to pull through and make my life as awesome as I want it.  It's called taking ownership, and it's time to make it happen by taking small, focused, forward steps towards the goal line.  Let's get to work!


Think of all the things that are not working in your life. That job you don’t like, that relationship that’s not working, those friends that annoy you. Now turn them all on you. Imagine that everything that’s not working in your life, is your fault. How would you approach it? What would you work on to change your life to the state that you want it to be?
(Author: Carlos Miceli)

Image

I actually feel like I don't really care, but I think this is due to me walking naked in a parade in Berkeley before, and always dressing up in weird costumes for parties, and generally being an attention hog.  Whether or not it's a good or bad picture, I think just wanting more attention has always been my thing, and perhaps being a weirdo is actually more who I really am than anyone cool or composed.

Mess up your hair. If you are wearing makeup – smudge it. If you have a pair of pants that dont really fit you – put them on. Put on a top that doesn’t go with those pants. Go to your sock drawer. Pull out two socks that don’t match. Different lengths, materials, colors, elasticity.

Now two shoes. You know the drill.

Need to add more? Ties? Hair clips? Stick your gut out? I trust you to go further.

Take a picture.

Get ready to post it online.

Are you feeling dread? Excitement? Is this not the image you have of yourself? Write about the fear or the thrill that this raises in you? Who do you need to look good for and what story does it tell about you? Or why don’t you care?

(Author: Matthew Stillman)

10 Year Text

"If you just stick with it, you'll make it.  And turn off the videogames."

I'm going to limit the amount of time I spend on games to 1 hour a day, and I'm going to use the time given to me to make sure that my entrepreneurial ventures work.


Imagine your future self, ie, you 10 years from now. If he/she were to send you a tweet or text message, 1) what would it say and 2) how would that transform your life or change something you’re doing, thinking, believing or saying today?
(Author: Tia Singh)

Overcoming Fear

Major Life Goal: Becoming an illustrator for Magic:the Gathering/Wizards of the Coast

Fears/Uncertainties about why I haven't taken action:
1.  Fear of rejection/lack of skill
2.  Fear of being kicked out of my house
3.  Fear of not getting my art made into a card

Reasons for each fear:
1.  Fear of rejection/lack of skill
 - There is a high level of talent for those currently illustrating the game now
 - I'm worried that my portfolio isn't good enough right now
 - I don't have much of this sort of work under my belt

2.  Fear of being kicked out of my house
 - If I spend a lot of time working on a new portfolio, I'll lose out on other, more pressing income opportunities
 - I don't know how long it would take me to paint a whole new portfolio
 - I need a job now

3.  Fear of not getting my art made into a card
 - What if they just give me a kill fee since they end up not liking the final artwork?
 - My style might not be what they're looking for
 - Irrational fear of not measuring up

Well, the answer to most of these is to keep painting stuff on the side and learn to like my art regardless of what other people think.  huzzah!


Write down a major life goal you have yet to achieve or even begin to take action on. For each goal, write down three uncertainties (read: fears) you have relating to each goal. Break it down further, and write down three reasons for each uncertainty. When you have three reasons for your fear, you’ll be able to start processing the change because you know where the fear stems from. Now you’ll be able to make a smaller changes that push you towards your larger goal. So begins the process of “trusting yourself.”
(Author: Sean Ogle)

Personal Recipe

The type of person I'd never want to be 5 years from now is someone who is uncaring, unartistic, and a general grump.  He'd be demanding and would yell a lot and wouldn't be with Eve.  He would probably go out and party to excess all the time and never do anything creative.  He'd also be living in Stockton with his  parents and would be working a retail job in Stockton.

Oh god, the horror.  To prevent this, follow the recipe as below:
-make sure you draw or paint daily.  Even if it's a little doodle or something small or its just putting paint on the canvas, make sure you do something.  If you don't do either of these things, make sure you that write for a good hunk of time.
-take action.  do at least one thing that will further you along your way to accomplishing self-employment through the arts.  Eventually, if you keep doing one thing daily, you'll make it.
-Keep your eye on the prize.  Figure out what you want, so your goal is clear enough to shoot for.
-Make sure you cherish Eve.  She's the most important person in your life and don't you forget it!!
-Be thankful.  Right before you go off to bed (and/or when you get up), think of one thing you're thankful for.  It'll keep your heart in the right place.
-Limit your time on Facebook and with videogames.  Use a timer if you can't exercise self-control.
-Be happy about your work.  No one is the final arbiter of your work/your life's value besides YOU.


Think about the type of person you’d NEVER want to be 5 years from now. Write out your own personal recipe to prevent this from happening and commit to following it. “Thought is the seed of action.”
(Author: Harley Schreiber)

alive-est

I most recently felt the most alive when I was at our gallery show The Undiscovered.  I was at a tiny little gallery/smoke shop in the mission and was surrounded by friends and supporters.  There wasn't really any smell, besides wood and maybe a little bit of sweat, but I was constantly talking with friends about my work and just hanging out and happy that people were deeply pondering the Secret of Deadbrook.


When did you feel most alive recently? Where were you? What did you smell? What sights and sounds did you experience? Capture that moment on paper and recall that feeling. Then, when it’s time to create something, read your own words to reclaim a sense of being to motivate you to complete a task at hand.
(Author: Sam Davidson)

Call to Arms

Over the next 12 months we're going to focus on turning Monkey + Seal into major players in the art market.  Over the next five years, we expect to be household names for artists with books, toys, and many other licensing deals signed or in progress.

Over the upcoming months, we're going to do our usual round of conventions and fairs, but make sure that we leave an impression.  Zine Fest, APE, and Baz Biz Holiday are all going to be huge events for us.  We'll release a comic by APE, hopefully a new zine by the Zine Fest, and more of everything by the holiday season.

This next year we'll focus more on seasonal opportunities  - next May and June will be big for ties for graduates and fathers.  We'll use August and October to build up interest in monsters and our books.  Late January and early February will be a great opportunity to tell ladies and gents that their male partners would look great in a tie.

We'll also explore more venues for sales, including becoming licensed SF street artists and increasing our areas of exposure by pursuing more wholesale venues.  Aquariums, both domestic and international, as well as bike shops, SF-specific gift shops, will be new opportunities for selling our products.

LETS DO ITTTTT!!!!!!!





What if today, right now, no jokes at all, you were actually in charge, the boss, the Head Honcho. Write the “call to arms” note you’re sending to everyone (staff, customers, suppliers, Board) charting the path ahead for the next 12 months and the next 5 years. Now take this manifesto, print it out somewhere you can see, preferably in big letters you can read from your chair.
You’re just written your own job description. You know what you have to do. Go!
(bonus: send it to the CEO with the title “The things we absolutely have to get right – nothing else matters.”)
(Author: Sasha Dichter)

Intuition

My intuition would look like a dragon made out of flames and scorched rock.  The first thing he'd tell me is that I need to be less scared and face my fears.  Hmm, good advice.


If you could picture your intuition as a person, what would he or she look like? If you sat down together for dinner, what is the first thing he or she would tell you?
(Author: Susan Piver)

Courage to Connect

Hmm, not sure about anyone I'm rally dying to connect with.  Maybe...hmm, I feel like I'm fortunately enough to be in a place where there's no one I'm really dying to connect with, or maybe I just don't know the right people to want to connect with.


Who is one person that you’ve been dying to connect with, but just haven’t had the courage to reach out to? First, reflect on why you want to get in touch with them. Then, reach out and set up a meeting.
(Author: David Spinks)

Enthusiasm

To be totally excited about it, I think I need to believe that it's meaningful, awesome work.  To bring even more enthusiasm, I need to know deep down that my work is interesting and that people like it.  I suffer from such a debilitating self-doubt, especially being around so many other great artists that I need to figure out how to deal with this so I can really fall in love my my work again and make something worthwhile.

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” is a great line from Emerson. If there’s no enthusiasm in what you do, it won’t be remarkable and certainly won’t connect with people on an emotional basis. But, if you put that magic energy into all of your work, you can create something that touches people on a deeper level. How can you bring MORE enthusiasm into your work? What do you have to think or believe about your work to be totally excited about it? Answer it now.

(Author: Mars Dorian)

You Know

"What do I know about this?"  I know a lot of stuff, actually.  Time to go and think about it - perfect for spending the day reflecting and trying to heal my self-flagellating need to be perfect and naturally gifted at everything in the world.

We live in a society of advice columns, experts and make-over shows. Without even knowing it, you can begin to believe someone knows better than you how to live your life. Someone might know a particular something better – like how to bake a three-layer molten coconut chocolate cake or how to build a website – but nobody else on the planet knows how to live your life better than you. (Although one or two people may think they do.) For today, trying asking yourself often, especially before you make a choice, “What do I know about this?”

(Author: Jen Louden)

Speak Less

My various graphic novels.  What's stopping me?  All the various other projects that I also have been thinking about but haven't made progress on.  My list is pretty long, including getting wholesale orders up (need to take photos, design packaging, do research on buyers, etc.), finishing the paintings for people (just time), and working on my "Alone in the Dark" series.

All are being preceeded by the need to finish this e-book that I'm working on to battle my Impostor Syndrome and feel right about myself.

What would happen if I actually went and did it?  I would tired due to lack of sleep, but I probably would get a lot of shit done.  Hmmmmm...

I once received a fortune cookie that read: “Speak less of your plans, you’ll get more done.” What’s one project that you’ve been sitting on and thinking about but haven’t made progress on? What’s stopping you? What would happen if you actually went for it and did it?

(Author: Laura Kimball)

Facing (and Fearing)

1.  The cost of inaction is getting stuck, slowly withering away at an unfulfilling job that isn't making much money.  I'll grow old and be forever stuck at this level of poopiness. I'll work retail at least for the next five years and be stuck there potentially until I'm at least 50 or so.

2.  The type of person I want to be is someone who is courageous, intelligent, and successful.  I want to be someone who calls my own shots and waits for no one else but myself.

3.  In the event of failure, which could be a total loss of income resulting in being evicted, the only possibly outcome is that I might have to move someplace else and break up with Eve and basically lose everything.  I guess completely starting your life over, in debt, and in a new city might be a good thing, but honestly, not sure if it is.

Trusting intuition and making decisions based on it is the most important activity of the creative artist and entrepreneur. If you are facing (and fearing) a difficult life decision, ask yourself these three questions:

1) “What are the costs of inaction?” I find it can be helpful to fight fear with fear. Fears of acting are easily and immediately articulated by our “lizard brains” (thanks Seth) e.g. what if I fail? what if I look stupid? If you systematically and clearly list the main costs of inaction, they will generally overshadow your immediate fears.

2) “What kind of person do I want to be?” I’ve found this question to be extremely useful. I admire people who act bravely and decisively. I know the only way to join their ranks is to face decisions that scare me. By seeing my actions as a path to becoming something I admire, I am more likely to act and make the tough calls.

3) “In the event of failure, could I generate an alterative positive outcome?” Imagine yourself failing to an extreme. What could you learn or do in that situation to make it a positive experience? We are generally so committed to the results we seek at the outset of a task or project that we forget about all the incredible value and experience that comes from engaging the world proactively, learning, and improving our circumstances as we go along.

(Author: Dan Andrews)

Dreams

Top 3 dreams:
-1. Showing at top-tier galleries internationally
-2. Illustrating for Magic:the Gathering
-3. Having to hire people to print ties for me due to having wholesale orders in the thousands

What's holding me back?
Not having a spare $200,000 for the loans.  Not having a portfolio of Magic:the Gathering-level stuff.  Not promoting my ties outside of San Francisco.  A day job that prevents me from working on these goals in a timely  manner.  Not making new packaging for my ties.  Not having a linesheet yet.  Fear.  Being too tired to work on the shared Wacom during the evenings.  Fear, again.


Write down your top three dreams. Now write down what’s holding you back from them.
(Author: Michael Rad)

Write about your future

My future is pretty grand.  I get to sleep in most days until noon.  I paint and print ties for a living.  I'm showing internationally, and my biggest stress is making sure that I'm getting my paintings framed in time to ship to Tokyo and London or New York.  My art is selling for thousands of dollars per painting, and I get to travel around the world to sell at Cons, and craft fairs.  I hire a small team of awesome sellers to sell for me when there are conflicting craft shows, and my student loans are all paid off.  I've travelled to Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia, and am planning trips to Africa and South America.

I have a few Magic:the Gathering cards underneath my belt and get asked to guest teach/lecture at various art events.  I've also juried the Spectrum annual and the NY Society of Illustrator's annual (after winning golds in both).

Eve and I had our gigantic, epic wedding, and we now live in our house/studio that we own in San Francisco, although we're thinking about also getting an apartment or condo in New York and LA, since I have to travel over there so much.

A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. Yet he dismisses without notice his thought, because it is his. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
My favorite quote of all time is Alan Kay: ‘In order to predict the future, you have to invent it.’ I am all about inventing the future. Decide what you want the future to be and make it happen. Because you can. Write about your future now.
(Author: Cindy Gallop)

Wholly Strange and New

I think the only time I really felt like I was starting life over was from jr. high to high school.  All my best friends from the time were going to different high schools, and while I had classmates going to the same program as me, I wasn't really friends with them.

It was interesting, as I could practically reinvent myself, and there wasn't any legacy telling me who I should be or what to do.  While I've made some other big transitions in life, (ie high school to college, starting a corporate job, going back to art school), I've always had friends or partners there for me to keep me grounded in what had gone before.

In that transition, I guess I sort of broke out of my other, more popular friends' shadows and started coming into my own.  I ended up playing sports, dating people, running clubs, running for homecoming king - it wasn't the worst of times, and I think that experience of being able to really start being myself allowed me to create the foundation that lets me thrive today.

---

Can you remember a moment in your life when you had life in yourself and it was wholly strange and new? Can you remember the moment when you stopped walking a path of someone else, and started cutting your own?

Write about that moment. And if you haven’t experienced it yet, let the miracle play out in your mind’s eye and write about that moment in your future.

(Author: Bridget Pilloud)

One Goal

One goal I've had for about 15+ years or so is to be a Magic:the Gathering illustrator.  Even when I first started playing in elementary school, I've always loved the card artwork, and half the fun of playing the game was looking at the cards.

How am I going to do this then? I'm going to work to create a portfolio of 15 highly flushed out, fantastic illustrations and then email the guys who work at Wizards of the Coast (I got their cards from Revelations a few years back) and hope that they still work there.  If not, I'll dig around in forums for contact info until I can find someone who works there who can put my stuff in front of an AD's nose.

If I still don't get a job, I'll keep working the portfolio and keep submitting.  Bam, done.


Take a moment, step back from your concerns, and focus on one thing: You have one life to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted. Sounds simple, but when you really focus on it, let it seep into your consciousness, you realize you only have about 100 years to get every single thing you’ve ever wanted to do. No second chances. This is your only shot. Suddenly, this means you should have started yesterday. No more waiting for permission or resources to start. Today is the day you make the rest of your life happen. Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do and how you will achieve that goal. Don’t be afraid to be very specific in how you’ll achieve it: once you start achieving, your goals will get bigger and your capability to meet them will grow.
(Author: Colin Wright)

Alternative Paths

Because my goal is so broad "making a living off my art," recently I've been definitely exploring more and more paths.  While my painting is always a focus, I've been able to sort of work on some concept art  and push my ties forward.  I'm working towards more craft fairs and vending opportunities (a la the SF Street Artist program), so we'll see where that all goes.  Basically, my eyes are open and I'm constantly looking for new ways and opportunities to expand my framework and see what's out there.


The world buzzes about goals and visions. Focus. Create a vivid picture of exactly where you want to go. Dream big, then don’t let anything or anyone stop you. The problem, as Daniel Gilbert wrote in Stumbling Upon Happiness, is that we’re horrible at forecasting how we’ll really feel 10 or 20 years from now – once we’ve gotten what we dreamed of. Often, we get there only to say, “That’s not what I thought it would be,” and ask, “What now?” Ambition is good. Blind ambition is not. It blocks out not only distraction, but the many opportunities that might take you off course but that may also lead you in a new direction. Consistent daily action is only a virtue when bundled with a willingness to remain open to the unknown. In this exercise, look at your current quest and ask, “What alternative opportunities, interpretations and paths am I not seeing?” They’re always there, but you’ve got to choose to see them.
(Author: Jonathan Fields)

Surprising myself

To be perfectly honest, I have never really surprised myself in this way.  I'm too much of a quitter and excuser to really ever surprise myself.  I do things that I know I can do, and I back off of things I think I can't do.  Everything that I've had my doubts about have ended up in failing.

This is the challenge, to figure out something that I think I'm not capable of doing and then to do it.  I need to find something small to boost my confidence, as the one biggest challenge for me (ie living solely off of my art), is definitely something I am not confident about, otherwise I would have already quit the dayjob.  Thus, to prove to myself that it's something I can really do (over the course of the next few months and not the next few years), I need to challenge myself to do something that I can realistically get done in a day or so.

Any suggestions?

Think of a time when you didn’t think you were capable of doing something, but then surprised yourself.  How will you surprise yourself this week?

(Author: Ashley Ambirge)