Artist prep steps for the holidays

Dearest artist,

The holidays are right around the corner, and as an artist, it’s a great time to take advantage of people’s openness to buying gifts and present them with the perfect gift… art!

So what are some ways that you can increase your revenue from your art this year during the month of December? First, your collector during the holidays is a little different than your average serious collector—they are looking for smaller giftable objects. I’ll break it down into three phases which are brainstorming, presentation, and marketing.

PHASE #1: Brainstorm! In this phase, think about your art that you have in storage, and how you might present it in a new way. Could you curate a collection of art prints under $100? Make notecards of your most favorite pieces? Or, think of other ways to create giftable products with your art. Think of what YOU might love to receive! Could you make a calendar? Silk scarves with your art printed on them? There are websites like Contrado, Art of Where and Gooten that specialize in manufacturing these kinds of products and make it very easy to upload your designs. Once you have some ideas, work backwards and think of a dollar amount you want to earn during December. Then, price your pieces accordingly and think of the kind of people that would love to buy your pieces. How many do you need to sell to hit your target?

PHASE #2: Presentation! Once you have your ideas, it’s time for presentation. Set aside some time for a day or two to do a photoshoot of your holiday collections. Make it as beautiful as you can. Show your art in use; in a beautiful home or held in your hands. Add holiday touches like candles and evergreens. Then, upload your photos onto your website. Make sure it’s very clear on your website how to order your pieces! You want to make this as easy as possible for people who don’t typically collect art.

PHASE #3: Marketing! A very important step, this is actually a very fun and creative part of the process. Think like your ideal buyer for a moment. Where would they be looking for inspiration for gifts this holiday season? Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook are all great options for advertising. And, don’t forget about your mailing list! You can do organic advertising, where you just post and share, or, you can do paid advertising, which puts your photo in front of more people. You can start out with a $10 and see how it works for you! You might need to try a couple different photo ads before you hit the one that works for you and pulls in a lot of people. While you’re at it, make sure there’s a way that people can sign up for your website once they get there, so you can capture the people who like your work but aren’t ready to buy! You can send them beautiful emails to follow up and make them fall in love with your work even more. Alternatively, you could look for shops and galleries that would like to sell your work during the holidays. Whatever you choose, I do recommend having an online shop on your website during the holidays so that people can easily purchase from you, especially during this year—everyone is shopping online! I recommend sending people one email per week, with a different focus on a product each week!

Lastly, share your joy about the holidays with your collectors and audience. Share through poetry, your art, photos of you creating in the studio, and your enjoyment of the wintery season. When you share yourself authentically, others will respond and you will create meaningful connections with your collectors!

That’s all I have for you this week! What are your plans for the holidays and your art? How will you leverage this season to bring in more passionate collectors?

Wishing you all success!

xo,

Jessica Libor

Replay for Accessing Your Artistic Genius

I believe every artist has genius inside of them.

I hope you were able to join me for the training on accessing your artistic genius this weekend. But if not...I got you!

The replay is now available-- CLICK HERE TO WATCH!

In the training, you'll learn:

-Your genius archetype
-5 steps to access your genius state of mind
-Common roadblocks and how to overcome them
-How to start believing in yourself!
-So much more!

I hope you get lots of value from it.

With love, light, and creativity,


Jessica Libor
Artistic Coach
The Visionary Artist's Salon

How to practice non-attachment while still goal setting in your art career

What is non-attachment?  A vision in your mind can come up of a monk sitting on top of a mountain, with no ties to any earthly possessions or event relationships.  I think that this concept can be misunderstood, so I wanted to write today about how you can use non-attachment to give you a better quality of life and sense of peace as you reach towards your artistic goals.

    In your art career, you may have been inspired to set certain goals like make ten paintings by a certain time, be published in a certain magazine, or win a prize or grant, or work with a certain gallery or art fair.  Or, your goal could even be monetary, you want to make a certain amount of money with your art this month.  You know what your goals are!  Goals are great in that they can motivate you to reach greater heights and put a good kind of pressure on you to perform at a level you might not have known was possible.  

I’m a big fan of aggressive, exciting, inspired goal setting, and then making a plan to get there!  Goals and plans turn wishes into possibilities that become realities once you step into doing the process and the work.  They help you get out of bed in the morning with purpose, and give you a healthy sense of accomplishment.  We are meant to do great things and it feels good to stretch to our full height, and setting parameters for ourselves like we are getting up at a certain time or completing a painting by a certain deadline can really increase your self of self trust and self esteem.  So goals are great!

    Now, how does the practice of non-attachment fit into this?  The basic premise of non-attachment is that you don’t let external things define or own you.  This can include where you live, where you work, the people you spend time with, how much you own, or your accomplishments. 

 For the purpose of this podcast, we will be focusing on non attachment as it relates to goal setting in your artistic career.  Non attachment is NOT about floating through the world avoiding responsibility or trying to avoid caring about anything.  That is actually not healthy and is more about trying to shield yourself from any hurt by not letting anything matter to you.  This is not what the heart of non attachment is talking about.

     The way to think about non attachment is to think about your goals as a tool.  The goals you set help you to rise to a level that is equal with that goal.  You are using the goal as a catalyst to help you raise your production level, artistic expertise, or as a locus where you can focus your energies and create something special.  But the thing to watch out for is equating your worthiness with achieving that goal. 

 Think of how sad it is, for instance, when someone loses a competition and is just completely defeated in their spirit.  That means that winning that competition meant more to them than just a title or prize — it had become attached to their sense of worth. 

 When you attach anything to your sense of worth, like making a certain amount of money, working with a certain gallery, or winning a competition, then the stakes are incredibly high for you—because your entire sense of self is on the line if that thing doesn’t happen for you.  Subconsciously, you think you aren’t worthy if you don’t win.

     Often, this is what drives super successful people, is the desire to feel worthy by accumulating wealth, success, or acclaim.  But, this isn’t the healthiest way to do this and there is a better way to attract all those things without the anxiety of your worth of self on the line.  

The better way of going after your goals and achieving your artistic dreams is to first, know that you are already worthy.  Simply because you are born and are alive, you are meant to be here and you are allowed to take up space.  You don’t have do anything or create anything specifically to be worthy of existing and of being loved.  That is the first step to releasing a tight grip on attachments—knowing that you already are enough.

    The second step is to choose your goals by what your soul and personality is inspired by.  Don’t let your goals be the product of other people’s choices, but let the things that spark your imagination be the catalyst for your goal.  Choose a goal that feels exciting and challenging for you.

    The third step is to use the goal as a symbol, an energetic marker, of where you would like to up level your art game to.  Release the attachment of winning the opportunity, getting in the magazine, etc.  Your goal is not to get the thing, but rather to become the kind of person whose work is aligned with winning the opportunity.  

That way, even if you don’t get the form of the prize, you have become the essence of what you were striving to be.  Let’s say you entered a competition where you had to make 10 of your best paintings.  And you made these paintings, and stretched beyond what you were capable of, and created the best work you’ve ever made. 

 And let’s say you lost the competition to someone else.  Did you really lose?  If you created your best work and unleveled your vibe to a new level, and are left with amazing new work that you can share through other opportunities, then you totally won.   This reminds me of the time when I did a fitness competition.  For three months I worked out 5 days a week, was very careful about my diet, with lots of fruits and veggies and protein, and entered this competition for a cash prize.  I didn’t win, but, it didn’t really matter at the end of that time period because I had already won with the person I had become and how healthy my body had become.  Even if I didn’t win, I had become the kind of person who could win.

    And when you think like this I promise you that even if you don’t achieve a specific goal, if you truly up level your efforts to match that opportunity, another opportunity will come by and be attracted to what you are doing that is an even better match for you.

    So use your goals but let go of the attachment that you have to reach them very specifically or else you are not worthy.  You are already worthy, and using a goal is just a way to get clear on where you want to go and create from the mindset of being a gift to the world.

    If you create from the mindset of a gift, of doing your absolute and passionate best and caring  your deepest and releasing that to the world,  then you can be certain that if it didn’t work out, it was because of things beyond your control.  And you can practice non-attachment to those things outside your control, which makes life a whole lot more peaceful!

      Another way to create more flow and peace within our goal setting is to stop resisting things are.  Let July by July and August be August.  When we force things, we are trying to pry open a flower bud before it opens, and destroy the process.  When we accept the way things are outside of ourselves, we are able to focus on what we can control, which is ourselves.  A great example of this is the pandemic.  

There is only so much one person can do to try and keep the world healthy.  It becomes very upsetting if we try to control that, we feel a sense of frantic frustration and overwhelm.  But, if we accept that it is what is happening in the world right now, then we are able to concentrate on the things that we can do.  Like keep our immune systems high, practice social distancing, wear a mask, et cetera.  We can also ask: what can I be doing during this time in relative isolation?  Think of how it can be an opportunity to create something in your work more deeply or more creatively than ever before.  Another example is in building a painting.  In oil painting, there is the saying “fat over lean” which is to say the leaner materials like lavender spike oil or turpentine go beneath the heavier layers mixed with oil like walnut oil or linseed oil.  

But what if we didn’t want to wait between each layer? What if we tried glazing on paint that hadn’t yet dried?  We would mess up what was happening.  The solution would be to let each layer dry in the time it needs, and build upon it.  Accept what is and stop resisting the way things are.   Another way to think of this is to “start where you are.”  So many times, we compare ourselves to other people, and think we should be further along.  So we rush to get to a big goal.  Whereas if you fully allowed yourself to be where you are and embrace that, you could make decisions from there that are more measured and more aligned with the kind of life you want to lead.

The last way to practice non attachment is to think of it as operating in the world without tying everything back to ourselves.  This can especially relate to art, because our creations are so a part of who we are.  They are directly from our imagination, and thus feels very personal.  It’s easy when we are rejected from something to take it very personally, when in reality the issue is that we need to have enough love and approval for ourselves.  So much so, that even when someone rejects our work, it doesn’t phase us. 

 Because that decision of you not winning may have everything to do with things outside your control—a curator’s personal tastes, personal relationships with other artists, or preference for subject matter!  This is where we can practice non attachment and realize that not everything is about us, and that is a good thing.

    This idea of not trying to tie everything back to ourselves is helpful in creating good work, as well.  If we lose the idea of the ego when we create, and simply create from a sincere desire to make something amazing as a gift of beauty to the world, then it becomes about something higher than ourselves.  Our art we create becomes a gift to humanity, an offering to the world, and is thus elevated as we create it to be more than something that reflects our own abilities.  It becomes a sacred duty.  And because of that, you’ll automatically have a higher standard of what you make.

So, I hope this helps you as you create and as you continue to make new goals and work towards them in your artistic career!  

And, I am giving a free training to artists next week about how to go from uninspired to feeling like an artistic genius—if you’d like to get in on that, just go to the Instagram @visionaryartistssalon  and you can sign up!

That’s all I have for this week so for now sending you light, love and creativity! And now I would love to hear from you.  Have you practiced non-attachment in your art career or life? How has it helped you?

xoxo,

Jessica

Little Promises for Massive Success

Hello my lovely visionary! I want to talk with you today about building confidence as an artist—and a person. Confidence is not about a sense of false bravado, or always feeling like the best in the world. Confidence is about having a sense of security in yourself. That starts with self trust.

Do you trust yourself? Let me give you an example. If you say to yourself “I will get up at 7:30AM tomorrow morning”, do you know that you will follow through on that?

How about when you say to someone “I’ll get back to you by tomorrow”. Do you get back to them tomorrow?

How about when you say “I’m going to go running today”. Do you know you’ll follow through?

How about when you say “I’ll paint an hour a day this week”. Do you put it in your schedule and show up for yourself?

These are little promises that you make to yourself that you can choose to either follow through on, or let fall away. For little promises to yourself like this, you might be tempted to think that they don’t matter. After all, what terrible thing will happen if you don’t go running today like you promised yourself?

Nothing, today. But if those promises you make to yourself keep being broken, two things will happen. First, the thing that you are trying to do, will not happen. It won’t happen because you aren’t doing the necessary little things to make it happen. A painting is a series of tiny movements of your brush and intentions that come together to create a beautiful masterpiece. Likewise, a skilled surgeon performs one surgery at a time, one tiny movement with her scalpel at a time. If you don’t do those tiny steps, the big goal—the masterpiece, the successful surgery—simply will not happen. It’s the tiny choices that make up what becomes the bulk of our lives, and compound to create the reality we live in today.

Second, you will start to internalize not trusting yourself. If day after day you say “I will paint today”, but you do not, pretty soon your brain won’t believe you, because you are giving it evidence of otherwise. It is dangerous to make this a habit because breaking promises to yourself leads to lower self esteem, a desire to hide, and avoidance—none of which will take you where you want to go! And when you are used to breaking promises to yourself, it becomes a habit to break promises to other people, too. It becomes a downward spiral. And professionally, people want to work with people who keep their promises and deliver on their word.

This is often what happens with new year’s resolutsions. We set very high goals, and then when we can’t follow through, we give up altogether, so we don’t have to keep breaking promises to ourselves.

There’s another solution though—one that will build confidence and character from keeping the tiny promises to yourself. The solution is to make yourself at least one daily promise, and follow through on it! It can be as easy as “I’m going to take a shower today.” Then, when you take a shower, you are fulfilling the intention and the promise to yourself! This tiny promise sets your mind up to believe you next time you make another commitment. The key is to keep making easy promises to yourself, and following through on it. “I’m going to eat lunch today”. “I’m going to respond to 10 emails today”. “I’m going look at art books for 15 minutes”. or “I’m going to sketch for 10 minutes”. These effortless goals, when you follow through on them, will train your brain to believe you and give you more confidence. Pretty soon, you will start to think of yourself as someone with integrity, who always follows through on what they say…even if it’s only to yourself!

From there, you can move on to bigger self-promises. Things like painting 4 hours a day, applying for grad school, or running a marathon. But always remember that every big goal is nothing but 1,000 miniature promises that you have kept to yourself. And with every promise you keep, you build confidence and cast a vote for the kind of person that you want to be!

So what promise will you keep to yourself today?

xo,

Jessica

ps—I’d love to empower you more. Click here if you’re an artist interested in upleveling your career with one on one coaching. I’m so excited to help you reach your goals!

How to create your own gravity as an artist

Hello my beautiful visionaries! So what has the concept of gravity to do with your art career? More than you might think! Let’s start with a definition. Gravity is a natural phenomenon by which all things with mass or energy—including planets, stars, galaxies, and even light—are brought toward one another. On Earth, gravity gives weight to physical objects, and the Moon's gravity causes the ocean tides.

To watch my youtube video on this topic, click here.

That’s the official definition!  But for our purposes, I like to define gravity as “The ability something has to draw things to it by using its own attractive pull, and create around it its own orbital path.

Applying this to your art career, we could imagine everyone in the art world is their own celestial body.  We see galaxies of people who are like minded making similar work, and solar systems of institutions like schools or galleries.  If artists are like stars or meteors, we see them flocking around these larger solar systems and galaxies, hoping to be a part of it.  But what happens when you have this attitude?  You become a part of the galaxy, yes, but you also get lost in the hundreds of other celestial bodies who are trying for the same thing, hoping to orbit a specific gallery or institution.   It is placing all your identity on something outside your control. And sometimes, you don’t quite make it into the orbit and you get thrown off into space again, on your own.

What I want to talk to you about it building your OWN planet of your art career, so that just like in space, you draw other celestial bodies towards your art planet—and with a strong gravity like this, you have your pick of opportunities and don’t have to worry about being thrown out of orbit, because you have direct control over your world.

So the first thing you can do to create your own gravity is to strengthen your foundation.  Planets with a strong gravitational pull are very dense and have a lot of weight to them.  What I mean by strengthening your foundation, is strengthening your discipline.  Make a schedule for how many hours you will be working on your art each week, and stick to it.  Research opportunities and make a calendar that you can refer to each month to see what you need to apply to.  Keep track of your finances going in and out, and make monthly income goals for your art and ways to achieve them.  And, have your long term goals posted where you can see them in your studio.  The idea behind strengthening your foundation is creating a work schedule for yourself that keeps  you accountable, and with systems in place so that you can gain momentum the more you do them and scale your art career.

The second thing you can do is create an opportunity for yourself and others.  In space, large planets have lots of celestial bodies orbiting them, because they have an attractive pull to them.  They are not alone.  In the same way, you don’t have to join another person’s galaxy to create your own tribe of people, you can create your own.  The key is to make something that you wished existed or wish you would be a part of.  For instance, if you want to be showing more, perhaps you could talk to some artist friends and start curating shows together.  Or, maybe you have a blog, and instead of ONLY featuring your own work, maybe you could interview different artists and art luminaries!  Once you get more people involved in your art career by creating something attractive for them, you will start to see your tribe flocking to the gravity you are creating with these experiences!

The third thing you can do is to beautify your planet.  To create your own gravity as an artist, people need to be drawn into your world and the planet you inhabit.  

So think about everything you do: the work you create, the supplies you use, and even the way you set up your studio, the photos you share, all describes the world that you are creating with your art.  So be very intentional about the aesthetic that you are sharing within your art career.  A consistent aesthetic within your art will draw luminaries towards you, because they want to be a part of your world.  That’s when you start seeing requests for collaboration, loyal buyers of your work, and growing your following.

I also wanted to let you know that I’ve just created a gift for you from my heart that I am SO excited to share with you.  It is a free guide called 30 days to 3k: the definitive guide to authentically increase your art sales.  In this 15 page guide I share how I’ve created amazing results in selling my art online, while retaining the worth of my art and feeling authentic.  I’m sharing the process that has worked to get results for me.   All you have to do to get it, is go to my coaching website, www.thevisionaryartistssalon.com , or click the link in bio, and enter your email, and it will be delivered right to your inbox!  I hope it brings you so much value, and let me know how it works for you!

    For those of you ready to really transform your art career from the inside out to experience more abundance, creativity, and success, I encourage you to consider my completely personalized coaching program, the Artist Soul Mastery Academy private coaching.  In this one on one coaching program my mission is to empower you to become the artist you’ve always dreamed of being by helping you remove internal blocks and step into the powerful and worthy artist you are meant to be.  For a limited time I’m doing free 30 minute explore calls to find out if this would be the right fit for you.  To apply for a call, visit the coaching website at www.thevisionaryartistssalon.com or, shoot me a DM @visionaryartistssalon —I’m here to chat!

Thanks for reading, and I will talk to you soon!  Remember that you are already worthy, and everything you make is an expression of your unique spirit.  Go forth and create!

3 things to give up to uplevel your artistic creativity

Today I want to talk about 3 things that you need to let go of if you want to increase your levels of authentic creativity.

    Now, you may be wondering why I am dwelling on the negative in this topic but I’ve realized in my own life that in order for me to reach to new levels in my creativity, I had to let go of some of the thoughts that were not serving me, and were actually a major DISTRACTION from me reaching a higher level in my art.  It’s like if you could picture a beautiful crane in a lake, and it’s hanging out there, and then it started to fly but it had a weight attached to its leg so it couldn’t make it up into the air.

The same can go for your art creation—once you let go of the weight of these negative habits then you will be able to soar to new heights!

The first thing that you have to let go of is any attitude of victimization.  You may feel that the gallery you worked with did you wrong, or that the art world rejected you, or that people just don’t get your art, that you are not in a situation to sell art because you don’t have enough time, money or talent, and that you are the victim in these situations.  However, thinking like this robs you of all of your power. 

 The way to over come the mindset of victimization is to really forgive whoever it is that you believe hurt you. When you forgive, then you take all your power back because you are no longer spending your time thinking about how that person did you wrong, and feeling those toxic emotions, and instead are letting that weight go free. Forgiveness can really be an internal thing for you, so that you are no longer being held hostage by that other person.  It’s not your fault what happened to you, but it is your responsibility to heal if you want to truly take ownership of your life and specifically your art career.  It’s a decision to no longer let others who did you wrong have a hold on your life!

If you want to take it one step further, then think of something positive that came out of this situation.  Like for an example if you had a gallery that acted unethically towards you, that might have prompted you to start building up your own collector list so that you didn’t have to totally depend on an institution again.  The point is to let go of the label of being a “Victim” and think of yourself instead as the “Victor!”

    The second thing that you can do is to reduce the importance of outcomes.  For instance, if you are applying for a grant or a prize, reducing the importance of the outcome of that situation.  An outcome is just a symbol of a state of being, of who you are.  A great example of this is when academic institutions bestow a degree on a great artist, author, or luminary post-humously, or after they have died.  They want to honor the contributions of that artist, and be associated with what that artist stood for.  Did that artist apply for a degree there, work for it, and attend the graduation ceremony?  No they did not, they simply lived their life passionately and followed their dreams and mission on their own.  However, the dedication was recognized as equal to or greater than the effort that goes into getting a degree.  The degree (outcome) was a natural outcome of who they were already being. 

This applies to making art because sometimes we attach our self-worth to getting a certain achievement as an artist.  And if we don’t get it, we feel bad and unworthy.  The trick is in still going for what you’d like to achieve, but decreasing the importance of it as it relates to your self-worth as an artist.  You must believe that your art on its own, without any awards or validations, is worthy, beautiful, and important.  When you decrease the importance of these external validations, then you free up creative, pure energy in the studio so you are able to make work that is more free, creative, and risk-taking.

     The third thing that you can let go of in order to really see your creativity bloom is jealousy and comparison!  In this age of social media, it’s easy to compare our own work or our own talent with other people’s.  You can feel like you are never enough or always second best, like there’s always someone “better” than you out there.  The truth is, it’s not about being “better” or “worse” or who wins the game, but it’s about following your own path and expressing the greatest amount of beauty, creativity and emotion in your own work! 

Don’t get caught up in trying to become “better” than anyone else—the comparison trap is something you can never win.  Instead, see all other artists as collaborators and as beautiful candles lit from the same flame.  Another artist is not your competition—you are your only competition, and the way to an art career that is fulfilling and authentic is to follow your own inner creativity.  There’s a phrase I love which is “Stay in your own lane”.  It can sound limiting, but it’s actually quite freeing to give yourself permission to only measure yourself against yourself.  When you do that, you will make progress by leaps and bounds that will surprise you!

    So there you have it, three things to let go of in order to really blossom in your fullest creativity and let go of any mental weights that are bringing you down: let go of an attitude of victimization, reduce the importance of outcomes, and let go of any comparison of your art with anyone else’s.  

    I hope this helped you, and gives you more freedom and upliftment in the studio!  Now, if you’d like a very practical guide to selling the art you’re making in your studio, I just released a free 15 page guide: 30 days to 3k, the definitive guide to authentically selling your artwork online. I created this from my heart and it definitely works, because it’s the exact process I used to sell my artwork online to interested buyers, and I’m holding nothing back.   It’s totally FREE for you to download, go to the home page at www.thevisionaryartistssalon.com to download your free copy!

I also have a free facebook group you can join, I do lives there once a month, you can join that for free on the website as well—the link for that is on the home page as well.

And lastly for those of you who feel like you would like more personalized guidance in your art career, I have an intensive transformational course where you will work with me one on one called the Artist Soul Mastery Academy, which will empower you from the inside out to step into the artist you have always dreamed of being.

Does that sound like you? Apply for your free 30 minute explore call today.

Until next time, go forth and create!

What can artists do these times?

As I write, the nation is being rocked by one of the biggest civil rights movements in history. There is a lot of movement happening, and things are beginning to change.

First of all, if you are an artist of color, I want you to know that you are welcome in the Visionary Artist’s Salon. This is a safe space for all artists who wish to achieve their highest potential in their work and their career. The VAS is about empowering artists to take control of their destiny as artists, and that applies especially to black artists.

Secondly, know that all artists are leaders of culture. Roy DeCarava, an award winning black photographer, said, “The artist creates material that we look back on as part of history.” Never is this more true than now. This year, 2020, keeps bringing us challenges…and it’s our job as artists to experience these things, and make art that reflects our experiences. (Above, my piece from 2018, “Wonder”)

Even if your art is about something else, people still need art. Art gives us space to dream of a new future, imagine something better, create connection without words, and record our own feelings and thoughts as part of the great collection of humanity.

So, what can an artist do? They can lead by creating. They can inspired by making. They can make a difference through inspiring others to a better world.

What will you create today?

Sending you love, light, and creativity,

Changing your identity to change the results in your art career

We act in accordance with who we think we are.

Have you ever thought about that?  To listen to my youtube video on the same topic, click here!

I wanted to talk today about your identity as an artist and a person. The results in your artistic career are coming from your actions, and your actions only happen because they are in accordance with how you think about yourself, or your identity. Your identity is constantly being shaped, but by around age 25 or 30 we have a pretty set identity, or way we think of ourselves within our mind. However, change is possible at any age because of the way that the brain is wired.

Most of us can easily identify our biggest goals an aspirations. A few sample goals I have:

1. I'd like my work to be on the cover Beautiful Bizarre Magazine

2. I'd like to do a residency in France

3. I'd like to have a solo show at a great gallery in New York

Goal setting is super important, and it's actually really vital to identify your goals you want to move towards. It's like setting a GPS destination. It helps you find direction. When faced with choices, you can ask yourself, does this take me further towards my goal, or away from it? It helps to clarify decisions you make every day with your time and energy.

However, goals in and of themselves won't get you where you want to go. Because what you REALLY want is to become to type of person who gets asked to show in a great gallery in New York, be on the cover of a great magazine, earns 10k a month, or does a residency in France.

If you don't truly become the type of person who matches the goal, the goal will always remain elusive to you and far off, or when it does happen you will feel like you don't deserve it, and will push it away energetically so that it is quickly lost, is a one time fluke, or feels hollow.

Think about this. If you won the lottery tomorrow for a billion dollars, and could pay to make a lot of your artistic goals come true, would that feel the same as winning the opportunities by your talent, hard work and determination? Of course not. When you win opportunities by your talent, hard work, vision and determination, you feel like you deserve every opportunity that comes your way because it is an authentic and sincere effort. This proves that you don't just want the goal. Nothing against lottery winners—just trying to make a point! You are not actually in pursuit of the goal, you are in pursuit of becoming the kind of person who reaches that goal.

When you become the type of person whose life naturally leads to the goal, it will feel natural, authentic, and deserved.

So how do you become the kind of person that matches your desired goal? It is really a matter of shifting your identity. You must become a new person, one that has a life that creates the outcome of the goal coming true.

A good way to do this is to write down the goal, and find a picture that represents that goal. Look at that picture of the goal you want to experience and then close your eyes and imagine who you have to be in order to reach it. You'll still be you, of course, but it will be a different version of you!

Let's say a dream of yours is to make work that will make a cultural impact on the world, and inspire people and make them think for generations to come. You envision your work being collected by museums, covered in art journals, and culturally celebrated. In your vision, you feel really proud of your work, and your identity is as a painter who contributes to society.

Let's say that right now, that is not your reality. In your current life, you are working a job you dislike, have no time to create your work, and paint maybe once a week. You make art you hope will sell, so price it cheaply and are always thinking about how to market your work. You are thinking short-term.

There is a big difference between the reality you are living in, and the dream of the life you want to live. There is no argument that there is a big difference. But really, the difference is only in identity. Once the identity shifts, things naturally change. It is like rerouting a stream. If you take the time to point it in a different direction at its source, the water will naturally flow in a different way.

So ask yourself these questions to help you shape this new version of your identity.

In your highest version of your artistic career you aspire to...

1. Who are you?

2. Where do you live?

3. What does your work look like?

4. What do you do every day in your practice?

5. What does your schedule look like?

6. What are you wearing?

7. What kinds of opportunities do you participate in?

8. What kinds of opportunities do you say no to?

9. What are three words that describe who you are?

10. Who are the people you surround yourself with?

When things change inside you, things change around you.

Once you've answered these questions and written them down, now you have a clearer picture of the identity that matches the goal have: it's you, but 2.0!

However, your brain is going to fight this new identity: after all, you are still living in the same space and going to the same job, with the same friends—essentially, you are still the same person, even through you are telling your brain that you have a new identity. This is when you could get discouraged. Don't be! Change takes time, and incremental changes in the way you do your day can add up to big results.

You see, our identity is shaped by what we do, just as what we do is shaped by our thoughts about who we are. So a great way to shift into your new identity is to create new habits and stick to them: habits that borrow from the new and improved life of you, 2.0.

Some examples to help you shift into your new identity would be:

1. 1. Reading your goals every morning and evening and imagining reaching them

   2. Adopting the clothing or hairstyle of your new identity

   3. Spending time with people your new identity would be friends with

   4. Spending dedicated studio time creating your highest work every day

   5. Curating your social media presence to only reflect work that your new identity would be proud of

   6. Submitting to higher opportunities that your new identity would naturally be a part of

   7. Create a mantra! Read it every day and post it in your studio. Here are some examples: “I'm the kind of person who fulfills my sacred duty as an artist.” “I am the kind of person who makes a deep cultural impact with my artwork”. “I am the kind of person who values the work that I do” “I am the kind of person who works to create a better world through my art.” “I am the kind of person who uses my talent to the fullest of my ability for the good of myself and others”. “I am the kind of person that makes art that is truly amazing.”

   8. Go new places and switch up your routine. This will help your brain accept a new identity by creating new neural pathways.

   9. Imagine shutting the door to your past, and opening up a new door that leads to your new identity, and walking through it into the sunlight, and a new level of your life.

   10. Change the space you live and work in. This could mean moving, decluttering, or rearranging your furniture. This simple change will also help your brain to accept that you have entered a new chapter of your life.

When you become the person whose life naturally leads to the fulfillment of your goals, you will have a sense of authenticity to you and a feeling that you really do deserve your success. The energy you put out will come back to you. There will definitely be some back and forth as you adjust to living as a new identity, because you have identified as your old identity for so long. But as you build trust with yourself by creating new habits, going new places, meeting new people and participating in higher opportunities, your brain will start to accept this new identity. And like a stream falling downhill, the positive consequences of your new identity will start to flow to you. You will start to see results once the momentum gets going.

Are you ready for more? At Visionary Artist’s Salon, there are a few courses you can take with us to uplevel your art career and transform from the inside out.

Casey, a recent student of a course, said, “Discovering Your Artistic Voice has been such a find for me! I had been struggling to realize what my unique style is so I purchased this course. It took me down paths of discovery that I've never been exposed to ever! I go to explore my unique preferences in the areas that would allow my inner iconic style to emerge. These lessons really allowed for me to get focused on how to breathe life into the stories and visuals I want to create with my art!” Thanks so much Casey! You can follow Casey's art on instagram at @caseymichelleart .

If you’re ready for a total transformation of your entire art career, send me an email at jlibor@jessicalibor.com about applying for the Artist Soul Mastery Academy, the 3 month one on one coaching program for the emerging artist ready to step forward into the career she was meant for.

I can’t wait to hear from you.

With love, light and creativity,

Dealing with jealousy of other artists

Let's talk about jealousy!  It can be easy to be jealous of other artists in the art world, wether that be skills or opportunities or exhibitions that certain artists are a part of.

What happens when you are jealous is that you are triggered.  When you're triggered by someone, it means that person has something that you want.  It means you want to experience that for yourself, and there's a part of you telling yourself that you can never have that or achieve that.  

Here are three tips to help dissipate jealousy and use it as fuel to propel yourself forward.

First of all, close your eyes and imagine embodying what it is that that person has.  So if you are jealous for instance of an artist who is having a solo show at a prestigious gallery, close your eyes and imagine being the one shown at that gallery.  Feel the feelings of elation, happiness and pride in your achievements.  This is a trick so that you feel like you are sharing in their achievement, and lessen the feeling of antagonism.

Two is to give that person an active compliment.  It can be in person, or on social media, email, whatever.  Identify what you are jealous of, and compliment them!  Let's say you are jealous of an artist's recent publication in an art review.  You can reach out and say “I really enjoyed your recent feature, thanks for the inspiration!”  Just keep it brief—this isn't as much for them as it is for you.  This is a trick to help you feel like you are on the same team as them, instead of in competition.

Three, is to tell yourself you are not in direct competition with them.  You are a separate person with separate experiences and unique gifts to the world, with your own memories and offerings that the person you are jealous of does not have.  You are not in direct competition with them, only with yourself.  Remind yourself you are not competing against them.

Fourth and most important is to identify what it is that you are jealous of.  If someone really makes you jealous, it means that they have something that you want.  If you want to be a full time artist making work that makes an impact on culture, and you see someone who resonates with you doing just that, then you know where your desire is pointing you---to be a full time artist making an impact on culture!  You can be jealous of endless things: travel, job, recognition, career, money, status, physical appearance, youth, maturity, relationships, opportunities, press, exhibitions, house, health, location, even good mental health...there are really endless things that we can be jealous of!  

And here's the most important thing: identify what it is that you want, and start to cultivate a plan to do, be or attain what it is that you desire, that this jealousy awakened in you.  Don't let it just sit there and become bitter.  It only becomes bitter if you tell yourself it's something you can't have.  When in reality, jealousy is just a GPS pointing you towards your deepest desires.  You must know that you can attain what it is you desire, give yourself permission to hope for it, work for it, and create it for yourself, and step into it.

I hope this has been super helpful for you, let me know in the comments below any times you may have been triggered with jealousy and how you can use this new method to move forward into what you want to experience! 

Watch my youtube video covering this topic here.

Remember what is inside you is unique and can only be expressed by you. You are priceless!

xox,

Meet your inner advocate

Hello my beautiful visionary friends! How are you doing with all of the social isolation because of COVID-19? Although the isolation has been tough, we can look for a silver lining.  What has been really cool though has been seeing how the art community has responded to this crisis; I've seen a lot of galleries having virtual exhibitions, and lots of communities forming having Zoom conversations to keep the human interaction going.  I do have to say though I miss going to exhibitions and seeing people within the art community!  Even though artists are typically ok with being more solo people, after a few weeks I was definitely ready for things to go back to normal!  I can’t wait to get into today's topic which is actually a really powerful concept, and something  I can't wait to share with you as I think it's going to be very useful to you!

To listen to my podcast episode on the same topic, click here.

  Today’s topic is about meeting your inner Advocate.  As artists, we all have a tender side to us.  Most artists I've met have always loved creating, and making art has been a lifelong journey that began when they were children.  They remember expressing themselves as some of their earliest memories.  I remember one of my very first memories was drawing.  I couldn't have been more than 5 years old, and I was laying belly down on the floor, and I remember it was blue carpet.  I had paper and a pencil in front of me, and I was drawing.  I just remember knowing that this was it.  I had this inner knowing that this is what I was going to do with my life.  Nothing at the time matched the joy that I felt and the total control that I had over my world on the paper.   I could make everything in my imagination come true on the paper, and communicate stories, words, ideas.  I just loved it, it felt like magic.  There was definitely a time where I felt like I was boundless in my creativity, and I had no fear of rejection, no sense of competition, and just a sense of expanding to fulfill my creativity.

Think back to when you were a child and you discovered art for the first time.  Do you remember the joy and the magic that made you fall in love with creativity?  Do you remember that sense of losing track of time, that boundless feeling of being totally absorbed in creating?  Think back to when creating had no pressures but the absolute pleasure of making something.

     As we grow up, we start to have experiences of rejection as we move out of childhood and into the world.  We learn about the concept of money, we start to form judgments around money and art, and we start to have experiences of competition.  Maybe you remember the first time your artwork was judged harshly.  Maybe you have a lot of those memories!  But, if you're still an artist today, you were able to still keep that spark alive of joy and pride in what you do.

    As adults now and still choosing to be artists, we have choices every day about how to run our art career.  And now we have lots of input coming to us from memories of our early experiences with art, and also our experiences in art school, which can help or hinder us.  I listen to the podcast the Jealous Curator and I remember the host telling one of the artists she's interviewing that she was told by a professor that she should just stop painting.  So she did for like 10 years or something, which is just tragic!  Have you ever had an experience like that?

     I have had several experiences like that.  Both were in art school.  One was during undergraduate, where several professors told me that I probably wasn't going to pass the 2 year review, which is where all the professors get together and discuss whether or not you have what it takes to make it as an artist, and then if they decide you aren't good enough, you aren't allowed to finish out the next two years in an art major and are required to change it.  I remember being shocked being told that, because in my head it was settled: this is what I was going to do with my life, and nothing was knocking me off that course.  And, I felt like I was trying really hard!  I knew what I was capable of, and I was just shocked that they couldn't see it.  Well, it stung for a while, and then I got a little angry, and I was like, this isn't what's going to happen.  So I worked really really hard for that month and overproduced work that was of a higher caliber than I had been making.  I remember feeling the tide turn, when the professors started looking at me after I turned in my projects with an approving eye.  And, I passed!

     When I tried to go to graduate school, I had to apply three times to the school I ended up going to, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in order to go there.  I had to make a new body of work each time!  But eventually, I did it—I got in.

    And once I was in, it was my first experience in the modern art world.  Which is great because it really exposed me to the good and the bad of today's contemporary art world.  The thing is it's like with everything else, you have to take the good out of the experience and use it to your advantage, especially if you're paying for it.  You can't allow people to destroy your will.  I remember one lady came in to my studio for a private critique.  She was a well known visiting artist, and she told me I couldn't paint.  She said “Most people can paint figures by your age (I was 26 at the time), so if you can't paint figures by now you should probably just give up.”  She literally said those words!  I remember just staring at her at a loss for words, as I was surrounded by all these big paintings in my studio, paying lots of money per year, about to graduate.  What do you say when someone you respect literally is so rude to your face?  Eventually I was like, “Oh, ok, thank you for your feedback”.

    So, I know what it is to feel that vicious sting of rejection from the art world—in college and even beyond!  For every 10 compliments you get about your work, you'll get someone being critical, and even harsh.  Constructive, kind criticism is one thing, but if it's unnecessarily cutting, then just know that something about you is triggering that person who is criticizing you, and it is 100% about them needing to feel “above” you.  Just respond with kindness and strength, and you can often disarm their criticism of you.

    All of this to say that the mixed responses to your work that you may have gotten throughout your life may have created within you fear about moving forward in your career, being seen, or taking big risks.  After all, the negative experiences that have to do with your art probably came about when you were stepping forward in your artistic career, taking a risk by showing your work, or opening up to someone about your work, and were hurt by their rejection of it.

     You see, your inner artist is that beautiful, innocent, childlike spirit that comes out in pure inspiration when an idea comes to you, you are carried away in a good day of painting, and you are expressing yourself with pure delight.  That is your inner artist who needs to retain that childlike innocence and protection of their spirit in order to move the work forward, give it life, and a fearless vision—just like how you created without fear as a child.  Your inner artist creates for joy, for the fun and play of it, to create worlds, to delight in color and texture, to invite others into their private world, to expand their imagination . In order for your inner artist to feel safe to expand and create, they must feel safe!  Your inner artist must feel taken care of, valued, appreciated, and loved.  They must feel they are special and that their vision is the best, most sparkly, genius thing ever.  With gratitude and praise and belief in them, your inner artist will grow their skills and spread their wings.  When they feel safe, your inner artist child will mature and create fearlessly the ideas that were made to be born from them.  The inner artist is courageous because we must uncover our heart, the most vulnerable part of ourselves.  And the more true to ourselves we are, the better and more touching the art is.

But what happens when your inner artist child is hurt by art professionals, when their dreams are laughed at, or when their self esteem is trampled on so many times that they feel afraid to move forward?  This is when we start to self-sabotage in order to avoid rejection.  Have you ever not applied for something you really wanted, because you felt like you wouldn't win anyway, so why try?  Or, you procrastinate starting your masterpiece because you don't think you have enough skills yet, or you don’t get your website up because you convince yourself that you're not good enough to start selling your work yet?  This is just your inner artist child, the sensitive, vulnerable, innocent part of you who is trying to protect themselves from past rejections, future rejections, and shame.  It has kept you safe for a long time by doing this.  You can thank your inner artist child for keeping you safe, but let them know that they are going to be taken care of from now on!

    Enter the Advocate. 

The Advocate is a different part of you that also lives within your personality.  The Advocate is awesome, but in a different way than your inner artist child.  Think of the Advocate as the adult part of you that will take care of your inner artist child from now on.  The Advocate will make sure your inner artist child is fed, clothed, gets regular walks and play, and praise about the amazing work that they are doing.  If you have children, think about how you want the absolute best life for your children.  You will work hard for them by making sure they have a roof over their head, food to eat, and by giving them praise and encouragement to follow their dreams.  You give them all the love you can.  You want them to have a great life, and will go to bat for them, right?  If they are in an unfair situation, you will set about making it right.  If they have a chance of getting into the best school, you help them to get the spot, by supporting them, staying up late to help them apply, and by being there for them.  You protect them, but you also help them make their way in the world by providing them with the best opportunities that you can.  

This is how I want you to think of  your Advocate.  Just like your hypothetical child deserves love, support, and the best chance at a good life, SO DOES  YOUR INNER ARTIST CHILD.  It is your inner Advocate's responsibility to make sure your inner artist child takes every chance so that they have the best career.  It's helpful to think of your Advocate as a different identity than your inner artist child because I know that as artists, we can take things very personally.  Our art is an extension of our most tender part of our selves, and facing rejection can be crushing.  But if it's your Advocate's job to take care of you, some of that inevitable pain of growth and rejection can be mitigated.  Your Advocate's job is to apply for that residency where you inner artist child would thrive.  Your Advocate will help you apply for art school. 

Your Advocate will get your website done so that your inner artist child will have a way to make an income with their art.  Your Advocate will email a few galleries a week inquiring about representation.  Your Advocate will balance the budget to make sure your inner artist child can eat this month.  Your Advocate will respond to emails in a timely manner so that people will want to work with your inner artist child.  Your Advocate will drive your inner artist child to the exhibition so they can meet people that could help their career.  Your Advocate will get up early so your inner artist child can play all day in the studio and create something amazing.  Your Advocate will apply to exhibitions and risk rejection so that your inner artist child can have the best life possible.  Your Advocate believes and loves and even cherishes your inner artist child so that they thrive.  Your Advocate will create structure for your inner artist child, to help them feel safe.  

The Advocate feels the fear of rejection and moves forward anyway, because it loves the inner artist child and wants them so succeed.  

    So next time you want to apply for something but feel like it's too much work, or you shy away from something because of a fear of rejection, call on your inner Advocate to take front and center, and ask yourself, what would my Advocate do in this situation?  Would they go the extra mile in order to take care of my inner artist child?

     I like to think of my Advocate as the CEO of a major company, in a beautiful cream power suit, briefcase in hand, ready to go to bat for me.  She is always in my corner and ready to jump at any opportunity that will give my inner artist child a better life.  She is willing to go the extra mile to fulfill her obligations, be assertive, reach above her current status, and secure the best possible life for her charge: my inner artist child.  She believes in my inner artist child's vision and represents her wholeheartedly.  When my inner artist child is innocent and emotional and tender, my Advocate is strong, protective, assertive and mature, able to handle anything and take care of business.

     So, I'd like to ask you now, what is your inner artist child like?  And, what about your inner Advocate?  It might help to give them an outfit, a personality, so you can visualize them when you need to channel your Advocate energy and get an application done, finish a deadline, or do the caring work of sheltering your inner artist child and giving them the best life possible.  

     Just remember that if you have a child, nothing is too good for them, right?  You wouldn't think twice about trying to get them the best education or opportunity.  So think about your inner artist child the same way.  She is relying on you to help her get somewhere—and your Advocate can do all that work, so your inner artist child can create from the heart in a pure space of creativity.

So, this is a bit of an unconventional way of thinking about taking care of yourself as an artist, but I've found it can be really helpful to be able to switch between roles as the CEO and creator in chief of your own art career.

    Let me know what you thought about this idea in this post!  Feel free to shoot me a DM on Instagram at @visionaryartistssalon, or you can always email me at jlibor@jessicalibor.com.  

I hope you got tremendous value out of this!  I just actually launched a coaching course for artists called the Artist Soul Mastery Academy, and this is a 3 month intensive one on one course that is meant to transform your confidence and identity as an artist from the inside out.  This is for the artist ready to up-level their vibe and career, and is ready to be seen and step forward into their full potential!  If you're interested in finding out more, just email me at jlibor@jessicalibor.com and we can do a free consultation call, in which I'll give you 30 minutes of my time on Zoom assessing where you are in your art career, and how you can begin to build confidence by building your presence online and selling more work.

I can’t wait to connect with you.

Remember you have the power to take care of yourself and your inner artist child. Your inner advocate has got you!

Image credit: Kerasan Lamar Photography

xox,

The artist in the time of Coronavirus

Hello friends,

     How are you doing?  Right now we are in the middle of a global epidemic that is affecting everyone in the world.  As we speak the Corona virus is still spreading, and in addition to the devastating cost of lives, there are economic consequences of this both immediately, and that we haven't seen yet.  Many people have lost their income, and many have or will lose their businesses because of the quarantine.  Not only that, but because of the social distancing measures we are asked to take, people are lonely right now—and frightened.  As the situation grows more serious people are feeling more and more out of control.

     We are living in a very unique time in history.  My heart breaks for the world right now going through so much pain, uncertainty and upheaval. As I sat quietly in prayer and mediation this morning, I heard a question. What do you want to give the world during this time? How can your talents as an artist bring hope, bravery, meaning, courage, and beauty to the world? How can they tell a story that inspires hope? Artists have a powerful responsibility- a sacred duty- to inspire a frightened world right now. So I wanted to give a message of hope in the midst of all that we are going through.  As we are in our homes for a long period of time, how can we use this time?

     First, this pandemic I think is teaching us the value of human life and what really matters.  Life and love are the most important thing—something people are realizing all over the globe.  They matter more than profit, keeping a schedule, or self-interest.  People's hearts are open right now and they understand that the most important thing is love.  This is a beautiful consequence—the coming together of the world in this way.  I want to read a poem that was written called “Lockdown” by someone named Brother Richard (I couldn't find any more information on the name), but I thought it captured something really beautiful about this time:

Yes there is fear.

Yes there is isolation.

Yes there is panic buying.

Yes there is sickness

Yes there is even death.

But, they say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise, you can hear the birds again.  They say that after just a few weeks of quiet,

The sky is no longer thick with fumes.

But blue and grey and clear.

They say that in the streets of Assisi,

People are singing to each other

across the empty squares,

keeping their windows minded-so that those who are alone

may hear the sounds of family around them.

They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland

Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.

Today a young woman I know

is busy spreading fliers with her number

through the neighborhood

So that the elders may have someone to call on.

Today churches, synagogues, mosques and Temples are preparing to welcome

and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary

All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting

All over the world people are looking at their neighbors in a new way

All over the world people are waking up to a new reality

To how big we really are

To how little control we really have

To what really matters

To love

So we pray and we remember that

Yes there is fear.

But there does not have to be hate.

Yes there is isolation.

But there does not have to be loneliness.

Yes there is panic buying.

But there does not have to be meanness.

Yes there is sickness

But there does not have to be disease of the soul.

Yes there is even death.

But there can always be a rebirth of love.

Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.

Today, breathe.

Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic

The birds are singing again

The sky is clearing

Spring is coming,

We are always encompassed by Love

And though you may not be able to touch across the empty square, Sing.

So now I want to address you specifically as an artist, just to ask some questions about how you might use this time.

It's a time of “pause,” and to some of you, although you might not admit it, it feels like relief.  If you've ever had the wish to stop the world and get off of it for a while, this it as close and you're going to get.  Embrace that feeling and get the rest you need.  Sleep for 14 hours a day if you want to and get all the rest that you've been craving.  Take long walks in the woods or by the sea and remember the feeling you had as a child of being delighted to be alive, without any pressure to perform or get things done.  Feel again the joy of just being, with no responsibilities and no sense of time.  

And, as an artist, being homebound is a perfect chance to dream up new work.  Allow yourself the freedom to doodle in your sketchbook for hours while listening to your favorite music, draw your family members, or nature.  Imagine your greatest works and spend time creating them.  Embrace the total immersion in your art and let this immersion propel you into a deeper relationship with it.  Ask yourself, what do I want to give the world during this time?  What do I want to look at?  What ideas do I want to put forth?

Also, embrace the total focus that comes with an absolute lack of fear of missing out.  There is absolutely NOTHING that you are missing out on!  The most interesting thing going on is happening right inside your home.  There are no exhibitions you are missing, no parties you've missed out on, no guilt that you “should be” going out more, networking more, or pushing yourself socially.  This total focus means that you can catch up on whatever you need to catch up on.  Imagine yourself as a chrysalis, protected and cocooned.  This time can be a transformation if you let it.  Imagine emerging in a few weeks or months totally transformed into a beautiful butterfly, ready to fly!

    Also, take a moment to realize that we are all human beings alive on this planet, and that status is an illusion.  We are all the same when you get down to it.  Movie stars are getting the virus—and the Met Gala has been cancelled!  Even the most famous, most successful people in the world are still just people like you and I.  It's a good reminder that we are all equally valuable on this earth, and that your voice as an artist is important in this time.  Your vision can shine in this dark time and be a light for people.

      It might also be fun to make a list of things you want to do once we are out of quarantine.  In our society up until this happened the main thing we complained about was not having enough time in the day.  Well, now we have all the hours!  So, use this time to catch up on everything you've been wanting to do that requires you to focus in isolation—like painting, writing a book, decluttering your house, getting all your art inventory up online, organizing your inventory, or any other creative project.  Think of something you have been wanting to do for a while but put it off because “you don't have time.”  Well, you have it now!

You could also think of this as a home residency.  Pretend that you are in a residency and have a month to make 10 pieces (or however many feels good to you).  Then you can take long hours of uninterrupted time to create this suite of works, so you're able to hit the ground running once we are out of quarantine!  How amazing would it be to have a group of pieces you feel really proud of once we emerge into society again?  This is actually something I've decided to work on... since so much emphasis is on isolation right now, I got interested in the idea of selfies, and how they are records people make recording their own existence, and creating beauty within their own small world.  So I'm going to be creating a bunch of “Selfie” drawings of different women... we will see how many I can get done before being let out of the house!

     So yes, while you are doing your thing in the house, you can also make a list of all the things you want to do once we are out of it!  This can be a time to redesign your life outside of the house.  Brainstorm things you've always dreamed of doing and write it down!  It can help you to look forward to life once this is over.  A few of mine are, horseback-riding on the beach, swimming in the California beaches, having an art show in New York, getting involved in the acting world again, taking a weekend to visit the Salt Flats in Utah, which if you don't know what that is just look it up... it's what looks like an extremely reflective ocean meeting the sky, so it seems like you're walking in the clouds!  It's totally magical.  

   You can also use this time to up-level your environment.  Like think of your house as a reflection of your inner world, and start by getting rid of anything that doesn't serve you any more.  You can rearrange, put things in bags to donate, gather wildflowers and make beautiful little corners of your rooms with beautiful objects that you love.  If you do it with delight and creativity instead of self punishment, it can really be a fun thing to do!

     So, I would love to know what you are working on right now during this time of quarantine!  Share it in the Facebook group.  We are all in this together!

      If you are an artist I also have a gift for you, and that is my Visioncasting mini-course and worksheet I've created.  So the purpose of this gift is a way for you to get clarity on where you see your work headed this year, planning it all out, and overcoming barriers that have stopped you in the past.  It's really about clarity.  In the free Visioncasting mini course I cover making money from your art, how to take inspiration from your artistic heroes and heroines, thinking of the big picture, shifting the way you think of yourself, how to set yourself up for good studio habits, and how to plan out your year as an artist—as much as we can in this time!  This is TOTALLY FREE and is available by clicking here.  If you're stuck at home this is definitely the time to do some introspection about the direction you'd like your work to go in, and creating some good studio habits.  

     If you're looking for something a little more, I have created an online video course called Discovering Your Artistic Voice,  which is an immersive, more comprehensive course that really is meant to help you shape your strongest style and body of work.  This can all be done from home, as the worksheets and videos can all be done from your laptop, and the artistic exercises and assignments can be done at your own pace, in the comfort of your home—in quarantine!  It's a deeply immersive and introspective video course, really mean to pull out of you the essence of what you're trying to say artistically in your work, and helping you shape that.  I created it to help you discover and strengthen your unique style as an artist and create your best and most authentic body of work yet. If you're interested in this course, I am doing a special pricing right now, so go ahead over and check it out by clicking here.

Lastly, if you’re really ready to overturn your mindset and transform your art career from the inside out, you might consider my 3 month private one on one coaching course, The Artist Soul Mastery Academy. If you think this could be right for you, shoot my an email at jlibor@jessicalibor.com and we’ll get you set up for a 30 minute free explore call!

      So those are some of the things you might consider doing as you move forward in this quarantine time, to look at things in a positive way and really use this time to create something new within yourself and for the rest of the world to see.

In the meantime, imagine this time as a precious gift. Stay healthy and radiant, visionaries!

With light, love and creativity,

Art and healing

Hello my visionary artist,

I'm excited to talk to you today about art for healing yourself.

Click here to watch my Youtube video on the same topic.

Just as a way for you to know a little bit about me, my name is Jessica Libor, and I'm an artist, curator and art professor at a university here in Philadelphia.  My own journey as an artist started when I was just 5 years old, I was holding a pencil in my hand drawing and as soon as I knew what being an artist was, I knew it was what I wanted to do with my life.  My work is mostly about nature and the feminine, and how the beauty and glamour of nature are reflected in women as well. I'm interested in living closer to nature as a way to be more grounded and fulfilled in life as well!  As human beings, we ARE nature, so it makes sense that when we get out in the natural world, we experience higher levels of peace.  

     However, humans are quite special out of all of the world's creation because we alone have the power to create.  Although you could argue there's a lot of artistic beauty made by animals, like the beautiful nests of birds or the spider webs designs, these were not made with the conscious intent of creating art or of communicating a message...they were just made out of instinct, and utility, as beautiful as they may be!  That's why we don't see galleries of animal art that reflects the experience of being a cat, for instance.  They don't have the consciousness to create something beyond instinct.

But we as humans, we have the incredible power to create!  We can record what's around us, our own feelings, and our own imagination.  This is so powerful!  That means that anything we are going through, can be transmitted onto the paper or canvas.  This is very magical.  There is a process called “transmutation” that occurs when we take our thoughts, and our way of seeing the things around us, and use our hands to create an image with paint or pencil.  It's a direct reflection of the spirit of the person making the art.  Just like your signature is a reflection of your identity, so is each stroke of your brush!  That's why each artist's work is different—we all have different experiences so we all come from a different place of identity!

     There's a lot of uncertainty going on right now, with the virus sweeping the world, and with that can come a lot of stress.  We worry about our loved one's health, we worry about getting sick ourselves, and on top of that many of us have lost our jobs, and are worrying about where the money is going to come from, or what we are going to do next in our lives.  There's a lot of anxiety around this situation, and I definitely empathize.  I definitely have moments where I am worried about my loved ones, about what comes next, about finances—all of that!  However, I wanted to share a few things that can help to alleviate stress and anxiety thinking when that happens for you and how making art can help you let go of this anxiety.  

     So, the first thing is to write down exactly what is making you stress.  Just as short and concise as you can, just write out in your journal the main thing you're worrying about.  It should take less than 5 minutes!  But, it's good to get it out of your brain because studies have shown that once something is written down, you have better power to let it go.

     Next, go outside and find a few flowers or branches—anything from nature that catches your eye! It doesn't have to be flowers, it can also be sticks or leaves.    To day I have some bluebells, and a beautiful pink hyacinth!  Arrange them in a way you like.  Then, gather some art supplies of your choice!   I like watercolor for this exercise, because it's so flowing and easy to work with, and it's fun to see the colors together!  What I have here is a sheet of watercolor paper, watercolor set, and a few brushes.  However, you don't have to use watercolor.  If all you have is a pencil and paper, use that.  You could also use markers, colored pencils, oils...anything you like!  Ok once you have your supplies set up, I want you to put on your favorite music—anything that is peaceful and gets you in a good mood!  I like to search for “upbeat classical” or “lofi beats” or anything atmospheric that kind of gets you in a relaxed mood!  

       And then just get painting!  You don't have to be an artist or know anything about art to express yourself.  Just let your mind drift off with the music, and don't worry to much about making a masterpiece.  What I DO want you to do is to look very closely at the objects that you are painting.  Look at the way each one leans, the texture of it, the color of it, its personality.  You don't have to capture every little detail, just the mood and shape of each object.  When you concentrate on capturing the object, you start to lose any other worries and just focus on the task at hand.  For most people this will be challenging!  Art is a challenge, and anyone who does art understands this focus.  During times when you are stressed or anxious, this challenge is really good, because it puts your worries on pause and gives your mind a different challenge to work on.  One that you have a lot of control over.  And one that will put you in a state of flow!

      I wanted to talk about Flow for a second because some of you may not be familiar with the concept!  So “Flow” describes a  flow state, also called being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time.

     I remember creating a drawing in my studio one day and losing track of time.  It was a huge piece, and I started and finished it within a 6 hour period.  I remember being shocked at the time that had passed because if felt like just an hour.  I was SO absorbed in the task of the drawing that I didn't realize so much time had passed!  And, when I stopped and looked at the piece it was one of my favorite pieces I'd ever done.  Now, you don't need to paint for 6 hours to create flow in your own practice, it can happen very quickly—whenever you absorb yourself in a project!  And art is one of the best ways to do this. 

    Once you've finished your piece, you'll probably feel very calm and relaxed.  This is because being in a flow state will produce endorphins, the feel good chemical in your brain.   When you're finished you can go back to your journal and look at what was making you feel stressed.  Then, write down 5 ways that you have the power to help or solve the problem you were worrying about---this will help you feel more control of your situation and that you aren't helpless.

      I hope this has helped you guys and brought some light into these times!  If you want to see more about what I do, I have a podcast on Itunes called the Inspired  Painter Podcast, and a free mini-course for artists to visioncast their ideal year creatively and financially—click here to grab it for free!

     I also have a master course for the artist who wants to discover her own worthiness and create beautiful, aligned artwork that readies her for high-level opportunities in the art world.  If you're interested in this, just shoot me an email at jlibor@jessicalibor.com or DM on Instagram @visionaryartistssalon!  

Remember that you have all you need within you to heal, to bring peace, and create joy! Art can be a way you can bring that into your life.

With love, light, and creativity,