Ancient Artist: Developing an art career after 50

Taking Art Off the Grid

 

I recently read a Squidoo Lens about Myth-busting the idea of Living off the Grid.   The author (RenaissanceWoman2010) opened the discussion with a quote from Henry David Thoreau:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...I wanted to live deep..."

There is an abundance of information about the mechanics of being an artist ( and yes, I write my own share of it),  but at times I want to get back to the idea of creating deliberately...to create deeply.  I started wondering if a concept like living off the grid might help me return to those quiet moments where I find insight into what it means to create art.

When I first thought about taking my art off the grid I imagined shutting down my blog, my website, closing my facebook account, refusing to enter shows...definitely not something my creative side would allow the pragmatic side to do.  Was I thinking in terms of myths here?  Could I hypothetically take my art off the grid without literally doing it?

Perhaps I was complicating my thinking.

Myth #1 Off the Grid means retreating from all aspects of the Art World.

And yet both Agnes Martin and Georgia O'Keefe found strength by retreating from outside influences, while the Artist Retreat has a long and valued history. So an argument could be made that there are times when the artist will benefit by retreating from daily activities, finding space to synthesize privately what she has learned, and to understand from a more deliberate and personal perspective. 

Myth #2 Off the Grid means slipping into obscurity.

This was a huge myth for me - I had to really think about what I was fearing - the idea of not actively participating in "being an artist" and all that means - galleries, shows, websites, on-line networking - if there is an artistic equivalent of jumping off the bridge I was sure this was it. 

But I changed the way I interpreted the idea of "obscurity" by thinking in terms of "personal expression."  Moving off the grid of current popular taste could be a huge step toward strengthening the conviction in my own work.  By mentally freeing myself from the temptation of comparison, I am not stepping into obscurity.  I am actually reinforcing the expression of deeper ideas that resonate with viewers looking for the same insights. 

Myth #3 Off the Grid means trying to become that embarrassing relative dressed in macrame and peace beads.  

This seemed like another expression of fear to me.  I remember when we moved from California to Oregon during the early 70's craze of "getting back to self-sufficiency." That meant subscribing to The Farmer's Almanac, buying chicks at the local Farmer's Co-Op, and herding escaped cows with your car (don't ask). So this myth seemed firmly embedded.

But stepping back from actively seeking acceptance for your artwork does not consign you to the fringe unless you step so far back you are now spending your time playing golf. 

Again it is a question of re-framing the idea.  Refusing to follow the trends -if only for a short period of time - gives you the freedom to explore what living deeply and creating deeply might mean to you.  Maybe it's an opportunity to make space for growth and understanding, to bring insight back and apply it with fresh energy and momentum.

Do you think getting off the grid might be a useful idea?  How would you take your work off the grid? As someone who is always looking for that philosophical angle, I am curious about your thoughts regarding this idea. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New Reading/Discussion Guide for Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist as a Squidoo Lens

In response to those of you requesting a "book club" atmosphere around Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist, I've just finished a fun new lens on Squidoo called Ancient Artist Resources for Artists - Study Group Guide for Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist.  

There's new content, discussions, and my favorite feature - the Dueling Debate Modules, where you can agree or disagree.  Why not get your artist friends together in a cafe or a studio and have an old-fashioned Salon?

Here is a sampling:

INTRODUCTION, EXCERPT:

Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist is about your art - why you create art, and the choices you must make in order to create art. It is partly a discussion on the practical aspects of the art business, as well as an exploration into your own private understanding of what it means to be successful as an artist.

Just buying a book and reading it isn't always enough. The experiences of artists differ. The motives for creating differ, as well as the sources of satisfaction. While Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist is written from personal experience, as well as the experiences of others, it raises questions that are not easily answered.

This lens is an additional resource as you begin to identify your own questions.

This lens is about taking risks.

It's about finding your voice.

It's about art.

 

DISCUSSION EXCERPT

Creating commerce through our art work

...and the difference between the two

Art and commerce have always had a partnership: throughout most of world history, art was a commodity - a decoration, a fetish, forms of identification, or a means of story telling to an illiterate society. Artists worked for patrons and created on demand. Very few signed their work, and only within the last century has the idea taken root of the Artist creating Artwork as a means of personal experience - performance art, earth works art, environmental experience art. While expressive freedom has indeed opened the doors of opportunity for many artists, for others, the reasons behind the "why" of creating art have become far more nebulous.

Creative people struggle to find meaning and purpose as a daily experience. Without a "patron" we find ourselves on our own. And we ask: Who will buy our art? Who will help us sell our art? How can we justify the long hours of hard work with so little financial reward? Where will we find the funds needed to replenish our supplies, pay our mortgages, and contribute to our families while still maintaining our creative purpose without having to give up?

In Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist, the section on How to Mentor Yourself focuses upon how we can identify sources of inner emotional support, obtain practical knowledge, discover methods to improve our craft, and build resources to help maintain emotional balance. Discuss your response to these questions:

Do we create as a form of self expression? And if so, then when our "expression" is not appreciated why do we begin to doubt ourselves?

Do we create to sell in the marketplace? What does this mean in terms of the decisions we make regarding what we produce? How does this affect our interest in the work - whether the work sells, or does not sell?

What ideas did you respond to in the essay by Shannon E Myrick, Ph.D, titled "Motivation and Art: Does getting paid for your work lower its quality?" How does this theme of intrinsic verses extrinsic motivation work it's way through Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist?

Depending on the type of art you create (photography, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, clothing, painting) how have you integrated your personal expression into your work?

How do you think you are honoring your creative vision and why do you find this important?

What are your best methods for maintaining a balance between what seem like competing concerns?

***************

I hope you will hop on over to Squidoo and see what's there - it's too much to recreate on this blog. 

Best to all of you - thank you so much for supporting Amcient Wisdom Emerging Artist, and wishing all of you a happy, creative life every day. 

Book - Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist: the business plan (not just) for the mature artist

Kindle US Store  - Ancient Wisdom Emerging Artist: the business plan (not just) for the mature artist

Kindle UK Store - Ancient Wisdom Emerging ARtist: the business plan (not just) for the mature artist

Sign Posts Along the Way

This year I am participating in10th Annual 100 Artists Show at the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery in Salem, Oregon  - a very special art show titled the “Art of Communication."  The challenge set for this show was that each artist would receive an object in the mail, which would then be used as a starting point for a piece of art. 

A few weeks ago we each received a blank sheet of paper, with a stamped envelope – the envelopes were part of a "date of first issue" collection found at an estate sale, so the dates were from the 70’s, 80’s.  We were then partnered with another artist, and were instructed to write something on the blank sheet of paper – a note, story, poem – whatever we were inspired to write.  This would then be sent on to our partnered artist, and each of us were to respond to what we received by creating an “art object.”

Here is a brief quote from the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery:

“This year the proceeds from the 100 Artists Show “The Art of Communication” will be used to fund a special after school art and writing project for kids.  We want to replicate the DNA of this 100 artists show pairing children with each other as art pen pals and perhaps even with some of our 100 artists…an important component will be to record what takes place so that the curriculum can be shared free of charge with other communities across the country who are interested in this hands-on experience.”

My partnered artist is Jeanne Levasseur, a talented landscape artist from Portland.  Her inspiration was to write a poem, and she took some of her cues from the postmark date on her envelope of December, as well as a large  image of the Christmas themed postage stamp printed on the envelope.  The inspiration I sent her took the form of a story, played out in a letter from one young art student to another who had moved away to fly an airplane for the forest service (the image stamped on my envelope) – it will be very interesting to see how the various postmarks and images can “communicate” a story or personality or moment from one artist to their DNA partner artist, who in turn “communicates” that inspiration to the public in the form of a work of art. 

no title yet, 8 x 10, oil, ©2011

This is my current planned submission to the 100 Artists Show - unless I paint something I like better between now and the deadline.  It's actually the third painting - I was a little rusty and had a few "twenty-minute tone jobs" before I started to get the rhythm back. 

The 100 Artist Show will run from February 1 through March 3, 2012. All artwork will be online and for sale, as well as in a Blurb book - also for sale. As I get more details I will post them for you. The opening reception will be held on First Wednesday, February 2, 2012, at the Mary Lou Zeek Gallery, 335 State Street, Salem, Oregon  97301  It’s going to be a great show!

This is Thanksgiving Week, a time to be grateful for family and friends and the support that is all around us.  I am both humbled and very appreciative for the support I receive from the readers of this blog – and especially from those of you who have purchased Ancient Wisdom: Emerging Artist.  I am truly grateful for your overwhelming support.  I value all the emails I have received and I am so glad you are finding the book meaningful.  However, in all the edits and rewrites, there is at least one sentence that did not make it into the final version that I wish I had included – so I am including it here – feel free to write it in the book if you like:

There comes a point when you have to open your hands and let go of your expectations, when each brushstroke is an act of faith.

There is another quote from Robert Henri that I have always found meaningful:

“There are moments in our lives, there are moments in a day, when we seem to see beyond the usual. Such are the moments of our greatest happiness. Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom. If one could but recall his vision by some sort of sign. It was in this hope that the arts were invented. Sign-posts on the way to what may be. Sign-posts toward greater knowledge.” (Page 13, The Art Spirit)

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

 

The Important eBay Question

Elizabeth B Tucker asked this important question about how I handle my mailing list with eBay customers: 

One question, two actually....1) Do you automatically add the person who bought your work to your email list? and 2) Do you send out a notice to your list every time you put something up on Ebay, or just let the "public" find you?

Thank you for bringing it up, Elizabeth, because Ebay has a very stringent policy against marketing to their members outside of the eBay system. If you do so, they consider it spamming, and you risk being banned from the site.

Here is how I manage my mailing lists with regard to my eBay clients:

I use an excel worksheet with a code that tells me they bought through eBay.

I do not initiate any contact outside of the purchase communications.  If they email me then I consider that a permission to add my email signature with website information in my communications back, but I do not ask them to visit my site.  What I do is include the bio/vita in the shipment so they have the artist contact information with the painting.  I think you have to be very careful that you do not violate - or appear to violate - eBay's rules against trying to complete an eBay-initiated sales transaction outside the system as a means of cheating them out of their commissions. 

I do not email eBay customers when I post a new auction - I think this would definately fall under the "spam" definition that eBay is so adamantly against. What I DO use is the same tag lines in my listings: Paintings From the Oregon Outback or Sue Smith, to make it easier for clients to identify my items.  Many of the repeat purchases came from items listed on the same day or over several days spaced close together. In one case, a previous eBay client emailed about a painting she saw on an expired auction and I put it back up on eBay with a Buy Now, emailed her, and she was able to purchase it immediately. I think there is also a way for clients to "bookmark" you as a "favorite seller" and check in to see what you have available.

If I had started an "auction-type" blog (which I haven't) then all updates would go out to those who had subscribed (opt-in), with links to the auction site.  I think this is the best approach to avoid being listed as a "spammer."

I do send out Christmas Cards to my eBay clients with a "thank you for supporting my art" message.

I do send occasional postcard mailings where there is an announcement/accomplishment that might reinforce their decision to  have purchased my art and generate interest in looking at my website and signing up for my newsletter.

I do try to respect their privacy and do not consider them in the same "marketing category" as those who have opted-in for my mailings, so my marketing efforts are far more passive with these customers.

While I don't think that eBay "owns" your clients anymore than a gallery "owns" the clients, I treat the relationship in much the same way, respecting the boundaries and obligations while still promoting my art, opening the door for subsequent "permissions-based" marketing as the client desires.

Please add any comments or experiences to help clarify what can often be a gray area in marketing.

 

 

 

Ancient Wisdom:Emerging Artist is officially launched today through my eCommerce page.  The book will soon be available on Amazon, and they are in the process of converting the files for the Kindle. 

Here is an excerpt from the section titled Know Your Market:

"While your marketing efforts may not address all three goals at once, it is essential that your message addresses the prospect's point of view: what's in it for me?

Go back to your journal and pull together thoughts and words that resonate emotionally.  If you have testimonials from buyers all the better: having someone else describe why they responded to your work is a strong motivator for others considering a purchase."

This is the perfect book for you if you feel "stuck" or "discouraged", no matter what your age or experience. 

Art is life...create on purpose...step into your dream

 

 

 

Selling on Purpose

Taking control of your art business often means making the choice to sell your work on your own. 

This doesn't mean selling all of your work on your own.

This doesn't mean setting up your easel on the corner with a donation can at your feet. 

This means making a decision to create work specifically for a particular niche.  Work that is different from your usual work.  Work that is special because it's affordable and appeals to people you might not otherwise connect with in the normal day-to-day interactions with your primary art business.

Over the past many months I have been selling my work on purpose.  And with the profits I have been able to accomplish the following goals:

• purchase unique art supplies that I normally would have considered a luxury
• purchase an Isaak Levitan book that I would never have considered, given the cost
• pay the small fees associated with several on-line art competitions without having to worry about whether or not I had the money available in my checking account
• pay the membership dues of one arts organization
• pay more than 50% of the cost for the American Women Artists group ad in Fine Art Connoisseur
• sell another painting from my website to a collector who first found me through this process
• sold again to a collector who has purchased from me over the years through this process
• haven't had to expend a lot of time and energy building a following of fans through a blog
• built up my mailing list with clients who have purchased my work
• done it in a no stress, perfect-for-the-introvert environment, at my convenience

And this process?

It's no secret - eBay.  In fact, Jack White wrote a fascinating article on the Fine Art Views Blog, which offers another point of view. Sure, there's lots of really bad art on eBay.  Yes, they have those annoying rules, sometimes hold your funds for 21 days with what seem like arbitrary reasons, and both eBay and Paypal take their cut of the action.  True, not everything you list sells.  There's always the chance that your fabulous painting, which you sell for a pittance, will end up at a street fair with a huge pricetag and you'll never be paid what you're worth.  And if these statements or ones similar to them are annoying you right now then you aren't thinking about the title of this post: Selling On Purpose.

Consider these successful, personal experience ideas:

• You create work specifically for this venue. It is different, smaller, but still represents your talent, professionalism and creativity.
• You know going in that eBay loves a low price point.  And affordable shipping costs.  You create in a size that keeps your costs low and can be sent in a small box Priority Mail (don't use the "if it fits, it ships" box because you can send it for less in your own packaging and still get the Priority speed.  Always add in the delivery confirmation).
• You surprise your buyer by including your bio, a postcard, a magazine where your ad is marked prominently, or some other "thank you" that directs them to your website where your real art is available. 
• You think in terms of quantity. This is not an individual price idea but an accumulation of small sales approach because you are dealing with a purchasing demographic right now that is looking for "affordable."
• You also think in terms of quality.  Do your best work.  Just do it smaller. Take these buyers as seriously as you take those entering a gallery.  Imagine the good will and repeat interest when they receive what they thought was a nice painting and discover it was painted by a real artist (we're talking Jack White here).
• Plan ahead and have plenty of inventory on hand before you start listing.
• Experiment to find the best days and times for your auctions to end.  In my experience there is very little meaningful activity until the final hour.  My best days are Mondays and Thursdays, ending at about 6pm PT

On average, I sell approximately half of what I list.  Some things are re-listed and eventually sell.  Others never appeal to the audience so they are retired for another day.  There also seems to be a cycle: I will sell multiple items in the same week or month, for several months, and then sales decline for awhile. 

On average, my prices are in the $30 to $60 range, for 5 x 7 and 6 x 6 paintings.  I do add in a shipping charge in the $7 range.  I have sold larger work, offering free shipping once, and a $15 charge another time; in both cases the purchase price of the painting equalled the shipping charge so it was either a wash or a loss for me after the fees.  Since calculating shipping charges is an annoyance and a time drain, I experimented until I found an amount that was consistently accurate.

Some of the more interesting clients I've encountered include one who asked me to repaint  a small area of the painting after she bought it, another who loved to email me to talk about his art, several fellow artists, a few who became repeat buyers, two who went on to purchase full price paintings, one who signed up for my email newsletter and has continued to follow me for years, several who live in major art destinations, and many more wonderful enthusiastic people who loved their paintings. 

Maybe not what you equate with serious art.  But worth it. 

 

Two Collaborative Sites That Connect Artists to Artists - Plus MoMA

Recently, I came across two collaborative websites for artists - The Arts Map, and My Art Tutor  - that enhance the way we interact with each other.  Plus, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is offering new online courses for the Fall 2011 season.

The Arts Map was created by collage artist Robin Colodzin, and painter and collage artist Jonathan Talbot. The Arts Map connects people within the arts community through free listings that appear on the map like push pins.  Click on the push pins in your area and you can see details, such as artist or gallery name, the location, services offered, and upcoming events. I particularly like the opt-in feature for potential clients to get on the lister's mailing list and I see The Arts Map as a growing collaborative tool for making important connections.  The creators - both highly respected artists - have this to say about The Arts Map:

When we first created The Arts Map, our primary intention was to enable new connections between artists, arts organizations, galleries, museums, art schools, art materials suppliers, and the general public...The Arts Map is like a baby learning to walk. It needs help until it can stand on its own. Please tell your friends and colleagues about The Arts Map. Be sure to tell them that listings on http://TheArtsMap.com/ are FREE and will remain free forever.
Thanks,
Robin Colodzin & Jonathan Talbot

My listing on The Arts Map was easy to create.  It features an artwork image, contact information, the type of artwork, and studio hours, workshops and lessons.  It is easy to edit, so there's no excuse not to keep your listings and events current.  This collaborative tool is one of the best I've come across for connecting people within the Fine Arts Community.

My Art Tutor introduces a unique collaborative twist to the digital workshop experience.  Created by Chief Muse, Vicki Ross, My Art Tutor currently offers on-line workshops with 6 different tutors, in a variety of genres and mediums.  Using Voice Thread technology, founders Vicki and Randy Ross have recreated the actual workshop experience with a level of interactivity and support not found in static workshop delivery systems, such as DVD's or digital lessons. 

The key benefit is that students can ask questions, either by pausing the lesson and typing the question, or posting one using a video cam. Because the workshops are stored "in the cloud," the content is constantly refreshed: tutors sign in weekly to answer questions, and the interaction is added to the workshop content. This was part of the design concept behind the workshop interactivity, as the founders believe much of the learning comes from the social interaction.

The other interesting feature is the development of a Facebook page, where students and tutors, as well as others, can ask questions, get answers, and support one another in their efforts to improve their artistic skills. Facebook is a wonderful platform for providing immediate feedback - although it is not specific to the workshop topics, but art questions in general, as well as tips and technique. 

Vicki Ross explains,

"Our plan going forward is to add more classes and tutors...watercolor, acrylic, drawing, charcoal.  We have a non-profit grant company actively pursuing educational grant monies for us to get our program in schools, especially under served populations, and we have several art educators on board as advisers."

If you would like to learn from the workshop experience, this is an innovative resource to investigate.  There are two free videos - an introduction to the concept, and a free "Sepia" portrait workshop by Leslie B. Demille - on the My Art Tutor site. All you will need is a good internet connection, and some free time to discover what this site has to offer. 

And although some of you may already be aware of MoMA's online courses, I wanted to include them in this post.  The Museum of Modern Art in New York City has always been at the forefront of innovation and education, and their new online course offering is an opportunity for people around the world to gain access to this resource and learn from the curators and educators.  Registration for the Fall 2010 classes is currently ongoing, although only the self-directed classes have available space.  The next round of classes are scheduled for the Winter/Spring 2012 session.  This is definitely a site you want to bookmark if you are interested in modern art history and the practices and techniques used by artists whose work is exhibited in the museum.  

Confusing Expediency with Accomplishment

    I don’t know about you, but in my household the designated lawn person hates his job.  It’s not that he hates everything – he likes the lawnmower, so anything green that is above four inches is likely to be shortened.  And he likes his pump sprayer, especially when it’s filled with weed killer.  Seriously, I’ve taken to planting my vegetables in containers and I gave up on green bushes years ago.

    If you ask Lawnman why he chooses the tools he does, he’ll tell you it’s because they do the best job. They do the best job at what he wants to accomplish, which is finishing a boring and repetitive task as quickly as he can.

    How many times do we confuse the real goal?  And how does our work ultimately suffer?

    I’m not beating up on Lawnman here, just making an observation that it’s human nature to want to get through the tasks we hate.  The consequence of that may not be what we intended. 

    When we confuse expediency with accomplishment we lose sight of why we deemed the task necessary in the first place.  And when we forget why something might be necessary then we've taken our eyes of the real goal. 

    This applies to everything we do.  Whether it’s lawns, gardens, or the art business.    

Getting out of Panic Mode

   For the past few months I have been operating in panic mode without being conscious of the motivation.  I know it had something to do with two conflicting events that set up the fear and kept me out of the studio.  I lost confidence in my direction at the same time I panicked about repeating recent successes.  I explored new/old directions and visited galleries and art fairs and looked at a lot of art that seemed in demand but wasn't the art that I resonate with. I dug out old books, bought a new book, and wanted to be an itinerant Russian painter working along side Isaak Levitan.

  I eventually found my way back to a clear understanding of what I want to say as an artist, but it was a summer-long struggle that included doing the Dave Ramsey thing, experimenting with marble dust and pigment in a series I had abandoned years ago,  several long afternoons in the back garden with a glass of red wine, growing my own tomatoes, and writing that got me back to the real business of art.

  I began writing the second edition of my book Ancient Wisdom: Emerging Artist, the business plan (not just) for the mature artist as much for myself as for others. In the process, I rediscovered my voice, my courage and my passion.   I have received tremendous support from others in the art industry, for which I am immensely grateful, and my excitement for this project has been steadily growing.  In the process of building the Resources Section I came across a wealth of new sites that are too good not to share with you now.  They might provide the jump start you need to get back into creating your art.

 

This is a teriffic post from KISSmetrics, titled True Colors Infographic - Breakdown of Color Preferences by Gender.  

Following that, I linked up to the sources sited in the True Colors article and found these sites:

Color Matters - Everything about color - from color expert Jill Morton - fantastic resource.

Color Survey Results, from xkcd The blag of the webcomic, which is hilarious but definitely R rated so don't read it at work.

Which led me to Doghouse Diaries Monday Wednesday Friday. Thank you Ray, Raf and Will for the grins, chuckles, and outright laughter that accompanied a pleasant half an hour or so of what was definitely not wasted time.  Here is just one of the Random Comics  and another called Morning Routine which could easily be adapted to the activities of the artist upon entering the studio...yes, this site is addicting. 

Then I found an interesting service used by artists, called Blog Talk Radio.  Here is a sampling:

Artists Helping Artists

Art and Soul Radio

Annette Coleman

Nancy Wait Art and Ascension

And I began painting again. 

____________________________

Have a safe weekend.  Keep artist Carol Marine - who lost both her home and her new studio in the Texas fires - in your thoughts, as well as the others who are struggling with the effects of severe weather and national security issues. 

How To Create Portfolio Images Using Microsoft Word is a new tutorial available. Easier to do than the one using photoshop.  Check beneath the Resources for Artists and Patrons section in the right sidebar.

AS ALWAYS, I enjoy your comments and feedback.  And please forward this blog to others who might enjoy it. 

Why Your Fine Art Should Go With The Couch

We like to joke about buyers only looking for fine art paintings that go with the couch.

What we're really thinking is that maybe they aren't sophisticated enough to appreciate "real" art when they see it.

Which makes no sense when the purpose of creating art ought to be that you sell it to the people interested in buying it, and if they want to buy art that goes with the couch why shouldn't they?

Sure, some art buyers don't know a lot about art history.  But they know what they like.  And they like the idea that artwork can provide design inspiration, pulling their room together.  They like the lifestyle implied by what they see in the art - that it appears sophisticated, hip, sculptural,  fashionable, wearable, humorous, funky, affordable, expensive, or potentially valuable.  They like the idea that they can find something unique, hand-made, possibly one-of-a-kind that is also multi-functional.  And they like to create their home and office environments according to their own priorities. 

There is an entire generation that may not view art the way their grandparents viewed art, but since when is that so new? 

As baby boomers pull back on their art investing this might be a good time for artists to look at the emerging core reasons the younger generation might have for buying art.  People still buy art that makes them feel good.  They buy art that helps them define a lifestyle.  And sometimes, they buy art because they like the way it goes with the couch. And their lifestyle.

Just one point of view worth thinking about.

 

 

 

6 Ideas To Help You Rethink Creative Resourcefulness

The question we've all been asking is how to prosper in these tough financial times.  The last two Sunday Salons featured artists who are facing challenges and finding success on their own terms. What are they doing that could be incorporated into resourceful creative thinking?

Because I'm so familiar with my own belief system, I don't always recognize options that might benefit me. It's a habit I want to break.  So I went looking around the internet to discover the best ideas on creative resourcefulness I could find - and most came from the major business blogs.

• From Brian Clark at Copyblogger I found this quote from the article Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking?

 Trying too hard to find the “right” answer

"One of the worst aspects of formal education is the focus on the correct answer to a particular question or problem. While this approach helps us function in society, it hurts creative thinking because real-life issues are ambiguous. There’s often more than one “correct” answer, and the second one you come up with might be better than the first."

•  From business blogger Vanessa Summers I learned about CANI, in her article 7 Tips To Being More Resourceful on Entpreneur.com

CANI

"My hubby and life partner Andor and I have lived by this Japanese saying ever since we first met: Constant And Never-Ending Improvement. Extraordinarily successful entrepreneurs are always seeking to learn and grow.

They understand that if they are constantly nourishing their mind, they are automatically upgrading themselves and giving themselves a competitive edge. You know the saying “knowledge is power.” It’s true. It has been significant and inspiring for me to watch the rate of growth of close business colleagues who understand and embrace CANI."

• From S. Anthony Iannarino: The Sales Blog I found this article, the fifth in a series he wrote on the foundational attributes of sales effectiveness titled Resourcefulness: The Ability To Find A Way 

 Resourcefulness is the ability to find a way to achieve your goal or to make one

 "Resourcefulness follows the first attribute, self-discipline. Self-Discipline is the ability to keep the commitments one makes to oneself and includes the ability to take actions that are in your long-term best interests. Self-discipline is not simply the ability to control one’s actions and behaviors; it is also the ability to control one’s beliefs. This includes the belief that you can find a way or that you can make one."

• And from John Baldoni , writing for The Harvard Business Review, the first of two excellent articles: The Importance of Resourcefulness 

Redefine the Possible

"You must first start with an open mind. "Redefine the possible." This line is attributed to Nandan Nilekani, a co-founder of InfoSys, India's $2 billion IT services company. According to The Economist, Nilekani used this statement to encourage fellow Indians to realize how they could leverage their talents and resources to empower themselves to fulfill their goals. Being open minded about new possibilities is critical to putting resourcefulness into action. The leader who steps up and says "yes we can do this" is one who can push colleagues to do things that some might consider impractical."

• Also from John Baldoni and his article How To Encourage Small Innovations:      

Implement locally

"Since most small innovations are limited to a department or a function, put them into action as soon as possible. If the idea does not work as expected, don't abandon it immediately — see if you can tweak it. Implementation itself can be creative and sometimes it takes several tries to make innovative ideas work as expected, or beyond expectations."

• Finally from Buon Vaggio, written by Barbara Winters on her Thoughts on the Joyfully Jobless Journey Blog, this suggestion on Portfolio Building, Italian Style:

During the Renaissance, there was a cultural expectation that the well-lived life was about exploring and exploiting these many selves.

"What started out as a quest to relieve my boredom, became much more than an amusement. Building a portfolio of profit centers was not only interesting, it also gave me flexibility, numerous options and was as good for my imagination as it was for my pocketbook.

The real reward of this portfolio approach became clearer when I came across a quote from James Dickey. He said, “There are so many  selves in everybody and to explore and exploit just one is wrong, dead wrong, for the creative process.”

Sometimes a fresh look at information we've heard before can be the catylist we need to open our eyes to the possibilities around us.  At the very least, its a good shot of optimism.

My thanks to the authors of the blogs quoted and linked to in this article for their insights and wisdom.