Must An Artist Serve a Mission?

(Transcription)

Artist, Arden Rose,
Vancouver, British Columbia

QUESTION: What were your challenges as an artist?

Arden Rose: Not really having a mission or a vision. Just sort of painting away and expecting a market to kind of appear. So, that was one of them. I’d say the other challenge was– There’s a certain level of self-confidence that you need in order to put yourself out there.

QUESTION: Is it helpful to know your mission?

Arden Rose: Yeah, absolutely. For me, the process of going through that course, too, where you’re figuring out your most joyful and most painful moments, I mean was really eye opening for me. And by actually understanding what my why is all about, I feel like I’ve just … Like, there’s so much personal growth has gone on in that, and I’ve sort of become more of who I really am. And I think that when you are or can define and realize who you really are, it’s just a heck of a lot easier to talk to people about what your art means and what it can do. So that’s how it ties into the art. But even not tying into the art at all, it’s just improved my life so much, you know?

QUESTION: Are you competing with other artists?

Ann Rea: You don’t need to compete with other artists. You just need to be more of who you are.

Arden Rose: Yeah.

Ann Rea: That’s how you’re gonna distinguish yourself and differentiate yourself from all the other amazing talent out there.

Arden Rose: Mm hmm.

Ann Rea: There’s no sense in trying to compete with it. It’s not gonna work, but if you can really come from a place of pure authenticity and offer value to a target market, then that’s when possibility opens up.

QUESTION: Do you.

Arden Rose: If you actually truly come from that place of authenticity, as you say, then it almost doesn’t even matter if your target market is big, small, or whatever. If you’re serving it, then, you know, you’re doing what it is that you need to do. And the fact is, is that, you know, if there’s seven billion people out there. You know, hopefully, you’re gonna get enough business.

Ann Rea: Yeah, and I mean, authenticity is sort of, such an overused regurgitated word that I think it’s lost some of its meaning. So, I mean, I think, you know, really a better description of– And I’m wondering what you think about this. Like, when you really understood your ‘why,’ do you feel like it led you to authenticity? Or, do you feel like it led you to your soul’s truth?

Arden Rose: Definitely led me to my soul’s truth. Like, absolutely. And I mean, maybe that’s, you know, a better way of saying authenticity, but yeah, that’s, you know, that’s what has significantly changed for me is actually identifying that and recognizing it. And then working with it and finding the joy in it.

Ann Rea: That’s what the intention is, is to help artists; help my students find their soul’s truth. But it sounds very dramatic, and that I’m somehow overselling it. But I’m just wanting to see what you think.

Arden Rose: Yeah, I don’t think you’re overselling it at all. I think that that is really the crux of the whole program. I mean, for me, anyways, I mean, I’m just working in course five now. And, yeah, I mean, to me, that’s what it’s all about. And I think I posted on a Facebook group. It’s like, even if I never sold another piece of art, I would never regret one moment I’ve spent working on this course and with study partners.

QUESTION: The power of gratitude.

Ann Rea: It’s something that’s made a huge difference in my life. And when I first learned about it, I was like, ‘Yeah, sounds really nice,’ but I didn’t do it. And then I did it, and then I was like, ‘Damn, this makes a huge difference in my entire outlook. Everything is in its proper perspective with this discipline.’ So, art and rote, every morning I think of five things I’m grateful for. And I thought I’d post a couple of them. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to work with some amazing study partners: Mirna, Michelle, Peter, Debbie, Cornelia, Sandrine, Jill, Mariana. And I signed up for this life-changing course by Ann Elizabeth Rea, that’d be me. If I never sell another painting, I have changed my life significantly and I just wanna say, thank-you. Well, thank-you for saying that. And you better damn-well sell another painting because you need to graduate.

Arden Rose: I will. I’m on my way.

QUESTION: How do you practice gratitude?

Ann Rea: Before you get your head inside of emails and Facebook, you shouldn’t let any of that electronic media infect your mind. You should design your day and start by … Really thinking deeply about the things that you’re grateful for, and write them down. Because it has much more power when you write them down. And I have to say, I’ve been doing this for a long time, so I wind up saying I’m grateful for the same things over and over, nothing wrong with that, but I actually added a twist to it, and I’ll share this tip with you. Instead of just saying, ‘I’m so grateful for the ocean view I have,’ which I am, I add ‘because.’

Arden Rose: Mm.

Ann Rea: So, I might be grateful one morning, I’m looking out right now, looking at the ocean view, is because it makes me feel peaceful. Or, because it makes me feel abundant. Or whatever ‘because.’ And that’s a really good way to just deepen your gratitude. And this is really game-changing because everything gets put in perspective when you’re grateful, but that’s enough about me. That’s what I think. How has the gratitude practice impacted you, Arden? What’s changed?

Arden Rose: Well, I mean, you know, I used to do it ages ago and then kind of stopped. And it was during one of my study sessions that someone was talking about it, and I thought, ‘Yeah, I need to start doing that again.’ And, I mean, just for an example, I just remember waking up, it was the other morning, and, you know, when you kind of wake up on the wrong side of the bed, and I felt, you know, a little bit kind of down, and not great. And I thought, you know, I don’t really feel particularly grateful for a damn thing, right? But I thought, I’m gonna figure something out anyways. And I would just grab my little journal that’s beside my bed before I even get up. That’s when I write, I write in it. And so, I made myself think of five things I was grateful for. And by the time I finished, my whole mindset had changed, right? All of a sudden, I did feel grateful. I completely, it changed my whole day. I felt so much better, you know? So, that was really, it was like, wow! Like, this really does work, you know? And then, the other thing I think of, is that you talk about you know, it’s 80% attitude, 20% strategy.

Ann Rea: If you’re making art, and you can afford art supplies, and you have access to the internet, and you can watch this, then you’re living far above the living standard of most people on this planet, so you’ve got nothing to whine about.

Arden Rose: Yeah, absolutely.

Ann Rea: Being grateful for what you do have. And focus on what you do have, and not what you don’t have.

Arden Rose: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I sit there and I think, you know, you have a bath, and its like, ‘I’m so grateful that I can have hot water like, running out of a tap in my house,’ right?

Ann Rea: And its clean.

Arden Rose: There’s a lot of people that don’t.

Ann Rea: And its clean and you’re not a woman–

Arden Rose: Yeah.

Ann Rea: You have to walk to a well, and wonder if she’s gonna get raped on her way.

Arden Rose: Yeah.

Ann Rea: That’s a reality that so many people on the planet are dealing with. So, shut your whining. You’ve got nothing to bitch and moan about. If you’re watching this, you got nothing to bitch and moan about. And if you need to sell your art, that’s a freakin privilege, to sell your art.

Arden Rose: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Ann Rea: You’re not entitled to sell your art.

Arden Rose: Yeah.

Ann Rea: You’re not. No one’s entitled to anything.

QUESTION: Were you uncomfortable meeting the artists?

Arden Rose: You know, I get it, you have to make yourself feel uncomfortable. Otherwise, you’re not gonna do anything different today than you did yesterday or the day before or the day before. So, it’s yeah, push yourself. So it did make me feel uncomfortable, but it was like, you know, so helpful, and so great just to meet, you know, these other people who are kinda doing the same thing that you’re doing yourself. And yeah, great you know, great insight, and creation of friends.

QUESTION: What is your experience of artists outside of this program?

Arden Rose: A feeling of competition, you know, among artists. And you know, the not sharing. Because somebody feels like, oh, well I’m gonna give a little piece of advice that’s gonna help somebody else, and that’s gonna take away from my sales, that sort of thing. Which, you know, when you start learning this, and your ‘why,’ and creating unique value composition, everybody can have exactly the same skills, the exact same skill set and everything else, and everybody will still get their own different markets, and still, you know, sell to whoever it is that, you know, that they speak to.

Ann Rea: Exactly.

Arden Rose: So yeah, it’s made a big difference in just recognizing that there’s no need for competition in the art world. It’s ridiculous really.

Ann Rea: You mention of people not wanting to share, and people being competitive. Do you find any of that in The MAKING Art Making MONEY program amongst any of these study partners that you mentioned, for example?

Arden Rose: Yeah, absolutely none. It’s all just about … You know, its about helping. It’s about, you know, when you put two minds together you’re gonna get synergy, right? You’re gonna create more than the two separately. And I really feel like that’s, you know, really a key thing in The MAKING Art Making MONEY program. Because, I remember when, you know, I interviewed to get into it, and it was like, well, you know, you talked about having the study partners, and I’m kinda thinking, uh, you know? But it’s so funny, because everyone I talk to is like, oh yeah, well I’m really shy, you know, so I didn’t really feel comfortable doing this, but you know, now that I do it, I love it. And its great, right? So its, again, its good to be pushed, and be made to do things that you don’t really want to do, because you’re gonna find out some things about yourself and its all just a benefit, right?

QUESTION: Should other artists apply?

Arden Rose: I mean, absolutely, without a doubt. Anybody, I think, would benefit from this program. And if you, you know, you wanna sell your art. Even if you don’t wanna sell your art, I would definitely recommend this program to absolutely anybody. I mean, I talk about it all the time, about just how great it is. And just the kind of experience I’ve had with it. And I would definitely just say, you know, do something for yourself. Like, this is about your personal growth as a human being and as an artist. And you know, you’re worth it. You know, spend the money. The money is nothing in the scheme of things.