THRIVING Artist with Chelsea Dinsmore of Live Your Legend

I sat down with Chelsea Dinsmore, the Owner and Chief Inspiration Officer, of Live Your Legend*, founded by her late husband Scott Dinsmore here in San Francisco. LYL was designed to support people in living their passion. It’s a growing global movement with chapters in 150 cities and 48 countries. I asked Chelsea to describe the three things that hold people back most from pursuing the work they love.

• The people around them are not supporting them or they’re telling them that their ideas are stupid.

I hear this all the time. Artists tell me that their parents steered them away from art and they now wish they would have stood their ground. You need support. We don’t succeed alone. That’s why I designed the Study Partner System into The Semester so that many types of artists from all ages, backgrounds, and cultures can meet with, and support each other, from across the globe via Google Hangouts. Scott actually inspired this feature. Chelsea is so right when she says that

The people you are surrounded by make such a tremendous difference.

• People just don’t know what their passion is.

Often times people just had their passions stamped out of them. I was one of those people for a very long time. Some artists I’ve worked with are too tired and depressed to feel very passionate. They’ve lost touch with themselves.But it’s there. You can find your creative purpose and your mission if you give it some time and space, trust that it’s possible, and get experienced guidance.

• People don’t do the work they love because of their self-limiting beliefs.

But with today’s on-line world it’s possible find anyone who is doing what you want to do. It’s easy to find examples that can inspire and inform your journey. Some artists believe that they must sell their art full-time for it to matter. Hog wash! There’s no shame in selling your art part-time or you can build your art sales on your time line. I actually don’t recommend that artists do what I did. I quit my job, moved to a new expensive town where I didn’t know anyone, San Francisco, and then gunned for over $100,000 in art sales in my first year as a full-time artist. It all worked out but that goal is not right for everyone. One piece of parting advice. Surround yourself with people who are doing the things that you want to be doing or get as close as you can. As Chelsea says

They will change your idea of what is possible.

Chelsea couldn’t help herself from giving a second piece of parting advise and I’m so glad she did because I completely agree.

Knowledge is not power. Execution is everything.

Hopefully Scott’s example and life will inspire you to live your legend and remind you that you never know how much time you have left. So just do it! Don’t get stuck in regret. Move on. It’s you’re only healthy option. Dive in. The clock is ticking. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain from pursuing your passion.
*The name “Live Your Legend” was inspired by Scott’s favorite book The Alchemist, which is required reading in The Semester.
Are you pursuing your passion? If not, why not? Please share below.