If you don't know your purpose, how can you make art with meaning?

(Transcription)

Artist, Laura Lamm,
Kent, England

What were you struggling with?

Laura Lamm: 00:03 I felt overwhelmed and confused because like a lot of creative people, I’ve got a lot of talents. I can actually do a lot of things and I just was like, I don’t know where to put my energy. That’s what I’d be saying to people all the time. I don’t know where to put my energy because it just was scattered. Yeah. Yeah. Then the second one is the one that you’ve the, I mean there’s both. The ones you mentioned is confidence. I really lost my confidence. I had some really big knock-backs that I felt like I can’t get back up off after this. Like this is, you know, just just really, I don’t want to do a lot of my own inner work and personal work anyway, like trying to combat these things, issues with my mental health and something about this program. It just snapped through and it’s, it’s really, it’s really lifted me out. I think I agree with you that the study parter thing is amazing because it holds you accountable as well. Cause I know I’ve got some, some sessions, booked in with other people and we’ve talked about what we’re, what we’re doing and I, I want to show up for them.

Have you tested your comfort zone?

Laura Lamm: 01:23 Some of the, the things you asked to do, they challenge me and um, and I think, Oh, I don’t want to do it like the one where you, you have to interview the people and also what their top two challenges were. When, when I got that on the course, I thought, Oh, do I mean I wonder like you just to get this bit. Oh like, no, Laura, you signed up.

Ann Rea: 01:44 But if you, if you read some of the Facebook comments or hear some of the other interviews with students who did it, they’re like, Oh my God, I’m glad I did it .

Laura Lamm: 01:55 Yeah. Well, I’ve spoken to three people and everyone said amazing things that have been so useful to me.

Laura Lamm: 02:03 Yeah. I was surprised. I thought I knew what people’s challenges were.

Why must you know your customer?

Ann Rea: 02:09 Oh yeah. Artists want to sell art. Right. That’s their problem. Not, not, not their problem. Their problem, their top two challenges were that they feel that they don’t know. They don’t have enough focus and they don’t have enough self confidence. And with that feedback, I would have never asked my friend, Dr. Pratt to be part of the whole program because with those top two challenges, quickly like he could quickly with his years, decades and decades of experience and expertise. So is, Hey, do you mind, would you be part of this program? And he’s like, Oh, I’d love to. I’m happy to support you. And so that’s as direct result of me asking artists what their top two challenges were and not relying on my assumption.

Why must artists have focus and self-confidence?

Ann Rea: 03:00 If you have more self confidence and more focus, what’s going to happen? You’re going to sell more art.

Laura Lamm: 03:05 Yeah. Well those, those were the two problems I arrived. Yeah. Through through the studying and through these, you know, the, I love those morning exercises, um, really powerful. I’ve, there’s a shift. Things are different. I feel different. I feel more confident in myself. Even just doing these interviews the last couple of days and ringing people to ask the questions and they ask me, Oh, what’s this course you’re doing and what you, what you’re doing. And I felt so happy to talk about myself and my projects, whereas before I was like apologizing to myself different.

Laura Lamm: 03:43 Yes. really thank you so much.

You can trust your own authority.

Laura Lamm: 03:47 I loved that. Um, speaking from your higher self, I did. I, I was speaking from my higher self and then crying at the same time cause I was like woo.

We can all find our purpose.

Laura Lamm: 04:06 And some of your interviews and things I’ve heard you saying about when people discover their, Why it was there along. When I’m doing this uncovering work it’s just like, Oh it’s so clear. Obviously now I know what I’m doing. Obviously I already knew but it was, you know, through my own, you know, being down on myself, doubting myself. And I think as artists you have to be really resilient cause you get a lot of knock-backs and I had a few too many in a row and I started throwing a pity party for myself and because I didn’t have the support, a lot of my friends have more regular jobs. It was hard to get the right support. You know, everyone’s just saying, Laura isn’t it time you just pack in? And I was ready to pack it in. I’m thinking I’m going to train as a yoga teacher and just not do my music anymore because I can’t, I can’t do any more pain. I was like, Oh God, I’ll just sack it off and do something else. Right. But this just woke me up. I feel so clear about my mission.

What is it like to know your mission?

New Speaker: 05:17 I feel awake. I feel like I just woke back up. It’s like I’ve been slapped on the face like, Ooh, I’ll go live again. It’s great. Feeling confident in myself?

Laura Lamm: 05:40 I was so boring. I’m just hearing like what you want me to say? No, I knew. I really wanted to know like what? I don’t know. But it’s um, you know, and it’s like, it’s just so typical of like everyone is doing your program, but I feel so much more confident and it’s, it’s, it’s just rippling into other areas of my life. Like I’ve realized where I’ve been a bit down or shut myself off. So I’ve been, you know, last week I went to a life drawing class. This week I’m going to go to a choir. You know, just it’s given me a confidence to sort of get out and about again and confidence to work with my projects.

What else has changed?

Laura Lamm: 06:15 Faith because I know I’ve seen the results already from my dedication, from how I feel and the results I’m getting back from when I speak to people and from my study partner. So I have faith that this is all working out and I feel like my plan is coming together and I feel so good about my plan and every day when I look at it and I’m refining things, I just feel yeah. As as well as like having rational thoughts is more that I actually just feel good about what I’m creating.

What would you have told yourself ten years ago?

Laura Lamm: 06:50 Your, your music comes from a really pure place and a really pure place of self expression and it’s really powerful and don’t get distracted by the music industry and all the bullshit. Yeah. You can say bullshit distracted by all the bullshit and focus on honing your gift and bringing it to the world and it is going to work out because if you dedicate yourself, it has to.

What was your misconception about being an artist?

Laura Lamm: 07:26 Someone else is going to do it for me. Yeah. You know, the, um, someone’s going to discover me and I’m just going to, you know, speed short into stardom because, you know, I’m so great. And if I did, rather than actually me having go out and get it and it’s, I think it’s basically fear and another suit or someone will come and find me, so I don’t have to put myself out there.

What another misconception?

Laura Lamm: 07:54 That you have to be at the top, top, top of the pyramid that you’ve got gotta be beyond, say you’re Jay-Z or Damien Hirst or my famous artist.

Laura Lamm: 08:04 You’ve got to be right at the top to make it, to live a successful life. Yeah. But actually that’s crap because there’s a whole, there’s a whole spectrum and there’s so many other opportunities. I think that’s scarcity thinking, you know, thinking, Oh, only a few people can crack through. So I might not as well even try because percentage wise it’s a lottery and I’m never going to get to those high Heights.

What stopped you from applying?

Laura Lamm: 08:36 You know I was thinking, Oh it’s a big investment and you know, feeling stressed about money. It’s like this is the last thing I shouldn’t doing. You know, spending more money cause you know, all to spend a little money on producing their things. Don’t they, yeah. That was, that was the big thing that stopped me.

Is the program worth it?

Laura Lamm: 08:53 So this is worth it. Thank you. It is worth so far? I mean, just don’t fit now and then feel like, Oh I got my money’s worth but I’m not going to carry on.

Should other artists apply?

Laura Lamm: 09:05 But the best time is now. I discovered your course December last year and I would have waste. I would have saved a lot of misery and a lot of stress, if I had signed up back then. You know, I wish I could go rewind the clock and I signed up back then. Um, this, this is a powerful program. And if you’re feeling, cause if you’re feeling down in the dumps, like if you’re feeling pretty worn down by your, your attempts at making a career from your art, why not give this a shot? Because you’ve seen all the other stories. I’m telling you my story about how I feel and I call wait in a few months to tell you my success story of what I’ve done because I know it’s gonna I know it’s gonna work. Um, so just do it. Just bloody do. Sign up now.

What am I like as a mentor?

Laura Lamm: 10:00 I can just feel your authenticity so much and that you really do care.

Laura Lamm: 10:10 And that’s what’s so nice. And I like your, I like your firmness as well. You know, that you’re not letting things slide because that’s, that’s not helpful. It’s not helpful. You know, it just, it just shines through everything you do that you really care and as well, because especially hearing your story and what you’ve been through, you’ve been through the same thing that we’re all going through. And I just think it’s the best thing ever. It’s, you know, the hero’s journey to come out the other side and then to help the other people out the hole, that’s what you’re doing. Ann help.

What else would you say about the program?

Laura Lamm: 10:47 Yeah. I’ll just, I’ll just call it believe the transformation in such a short time. And I’m so grateful because I know that this isn’t easy work for you. You work hard on this and you dedicate yourself a lot. And I’m so grateful that you’re doing that because what you’re doing is spreading a massive ripple. You don’t even know how far your ripple travels because w when you know all these artists that are popping up and then spreading out ripples, it’s like, it’s powerful work you’re doing. I’m so grateful. So thank you.

Ann Rea: 11:16 Everyone. Look at her new hair. Nothing like a new, do you know you’re changing when you have a new do. Oh yeah, definitely.