As this year comes to a close, I find myself observing the custom of reflection. It’s actually something I do regularly - maybe even a little o.c.d. at that. In fact, I think I drove my dad nuts at times with the thoughts I had to share with him throughout my youth (he always listened, just a lot of shaking his head)

Nonetheless, it has been a year of epiphanies and I enjoy sharing the wisdom with whomever may find it to be valuable.

1) The phone never rings for you. If you want to be a success, you have to toot your own horn, border-line brag, and convince people (truthfully) why you are the BEST at what you do. Keep your eyes and ears open and be prepared to be where those opportunities are and chase them down.

2) BE THE BEST. It’s not enough to work hard. Your efforts must produce tangible results. If you’re going to make the “best” widget, then you have to be your own worst critic and keep raising your own bar. I can guarantee the competition is.

3) Be open to ideas. You are not the only one with them. Nurture creativity and listen to all ideas. You may think they’re bad or poorly timed, but sometimes the goofiest things are the most successful (pet rock, anyone?) Of course, this doesn’t apply if you’ve all ready had the idea, tried the idea, and/or learned it to be a terrible failure.

4) Be ready to tell people about you and what you do. People who find you interesting, clients, supporters, etc. want to know and may be giving you an opportunity to be convincing. The big break can sometimes come from people who just want to be “that person who gave me a break”

5) Be interested in people! We’re social creatures. Ask about their lives and care about the answers. If dogs can smell fear, people can smell “phony” I can guarantee the more you try to care, the more you will develop the capacity.

6) Be careful. There are a lot of sycophants, spies, “friends” who smile through their teeth, and those who simply want to pick your brain to promote their agenda. Listen to your instincts on these people. It can also be called your conscience, gut, or muse, but it’s usually dead on.

7) Be grateful. Your opportunities, successes, victories and all other positive experiences are more-often-than-not the result of someone else. An attitude of gratitude is a MUST if you want that grace to continue.

My parents were always supportive.  I don’t remember a time when they discouraged my dreams or suggested I develop a “fall back.”  Consequently, I’m living the dream of a professional artist.

They were also very good about giving me a variety of experiences.  I had the swimming lessons, little league, piano lessons, cub scouts, etc.

My eclectic upbringing continued to incorporate a strong faith, a love for family, and a value of things intangible - they didn’t raise a boy with expensive tastes.

And as I reached college, I remember thinking that with all the interests they had fostered, I would only be able to dedicate true development to one of them.  Such was the way my perfectionist mind worked (and still does to a degree - if you’re a creative, you get this.)

So at the crossroads my confidence wavered a bit.  I had always known that I wanted to be a professional artist and now I was HERE.  Where you learn how to be what you want to be “when you grow up”*

(*The ironic thing here is the human brain isn’t fully developed until age 25 - about 3 years after most kids graduate.  One of the last things to finish “cooking?” Commitment!)

So now what?  I stayed the course - with no regrets.  I still keep the other interests alive.  But ultimately what feeds my soul is the idea that I’ll leave this world a better place than I found it.  Passing the cosmic tests, influencing the young and giving peace to the aged.

But all idealism aside, I find myself at those cross roads again from time to time.  Sometimes it’s a peaceful time for reflection, sometimes is a dark night of the soul.

But a life without examination isn’t worth leading, right?  We might as well be a cow in a field blissfully ignorant of its fate.

I write this in hopes that it will challenge you to reflect as well.  And that the happy problem will be a choice of fantastic direction A and fantastic direction B.

But in all things, reflect, pray, and savor the decision. 

I’m living the dream.

I may not be living your dream, or even your idea of what my dream should be, but I am enjoying success.

It’s an eerie feeling in a way - almost as if this is the end of it all, I should be awarded a medal or somehow credits should be scrolling in front of my face. 

On the other hand, not a lot of people ever get to this point.  It’s worth savoring for a while.  And the fact that I’ve achieved it at so young an age, (again a relative point) is even more exciting and disconcerting at the same time.

The dichotomy is a bi-product of a clear focus I’ve had since I was in 2nd grade.  I’ve always known that I wanted to be a professional artist.  I still remember the internal dialogue and had it all figured out by lunch time.

Yes.  very rare.  Freakish even, no?

Of course I’ve run into nay-sayers, negativity, backlash - all the things that can either galvanize your resolve or derail you completely.  I don’t know anyone I could define as “great” in any category of life who hasn’t had such adversity.

So, at the continued risk of sounding cocky, what do I do now?

I spend a lot of time reflecting on the choices, decisions, paths I’ve taken, and the directions I’ve influenced or led others to take.  The conclusion I’ve come to is that it’s important to keep raising your own bar.

I don’t know anyone who will continually challenge or expect more of me.  I’ve got to be ready to shoot for the next step.  Even if I’m living the dream, maybe it’s time for a new one.

People I find interesting are always doing this.  It’s not the same as job-jumping or being one of those annoying free-spirited people with no responsibilities or (even worse) someone who never has to worry about money.  It’s a paradox of satisfaction and hunger.

So it may take a change in attitude, outlook, location or even circle of friends, but what do you expect?  And even more important, what happens WHEN you achieve it?

I find myself discussing the nature of the professional with many clients.  It can be an intriguing conversation.  While I’m under no illusions that many people in the world can do what I do, few can do it well.  Even fewer can offer the service as a professional.

But why and what does that mean?

It seems every category of business has it’s definition - from simply being paid for the work to a library of handbooks and corporate dogma.

In our world, it’s an elusive topic because the stereotypical artist is alive and well.  Creativity outweighs a lot of conservative traits.  In fact, we almost WANT our artists to be weird to be qualified, don’t we?

The downside is that it also makes art and its creators dismissible.  The devaluation of talent is world-wide.  When it comes to business matters such as negotiating a contract, ascribing philosophy to a project, or just having the verbal skills to discuss something outside of one’s profession, too many artists fall short.

Ironically, the reverse seems to be true also.  With the right marketing, a talentless hack can make a fortune (”It’s good art because it’s expensive”)

And I’ve yet to find an art program in continuing education that prepares students for marketing themselves and their services.  So it seems the trend continues.

But in light of this, here are a few universal truths (as I find them) that separate an artist from a professional artist:

1) The professional communicates thoroughly and seeks to understand the need of the client - not promote their own agenda.  This means being sensitive to the client’s availability to discuss things - and being patient with them if necessary.

2) The professional confirms all details and doesn’t leave anything to assumption.

3) The professional shows up early - with enough time to prepare for a successful event

4) The professional does their best work - always!

5) The professional doesn’t disparage, cater to drama, subscribe to gossip, and always speaks well of others (especially in public - someone always sees or hears everything!)

6) The professional delivers what was promised

7) The professional does a thorough and complete job and doesn’t cut corners (on time, materials or quality)

The professional checks for satisfaction and addresses any concerns to the best of their ability

9) The professional says thank you!

10) The professional follows up for the next event!

You’ll notice that the type of service and the price are not points of professionalism.  Intangible things matter most. 

How do you compare?