Calm down, don't panic over the current economic news.

Think about this:  Our bodies and brains are wired to react quickly to emotional stimulus.  The old "fight or flight" response.

The pressures of the modern world puts stress on these ancient responses and, if we're not careful, will put is into panic mode.

Panic mode is dangerous because that's when we make bad decisions.


So take a deep breath and lets face this calmly, but realistically:  Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, a falling stock market and a weak dollar:  Obviously not the best overall economic situation.

Now,  take a deep breath, calm down and think rationally.    This is not the end of the world.  The media will report bad news 24 hours a day while ignoring all the "normal" and "good" things that are happening around the world.  Don't let media coverage work you up into a frenzy.  If it makes you feel better, think about the thousands and thousands of companies that are NOT going bankrupt and that ARE financially solid.   They're out there - there's just no reason for the media to report on those companies.

Let's get back to basics and think about things from your perspective for a minute:

You are not a bank.  You are not a brokerage firm.  You are not the underwriter of credit-swap derivatives. . .YOU ARE AN ARTIST.

Your job . . . . in a good economy or a bad one is to strive to produce the best possible artwork you can.  Even in a difficult economy, those who are "best in class" can prosper.  What does it mean to be "best in class?"  It means, to find those 2 or 3 talents that you posses that you can likely do better than anyone else given a large sample of people (say 100,000 people) . . . for you, one of those 2 or 3 areas of excellence is your art.  Make sure you're nurturing your artistic talent.  It is a God-given gift . . . . no it is a God-given responsibility.

YOU ARE AN ARTIST.

That means, unlike a huge percentage of the population, you know what your gift is.  You know where your passion lies.

So what do you do during these challenging times?

First and foremost, stay true to your gifts, stay focused on your talents.

YOU ARE AN ARTIST.  Hold on to that.  Focus on that.

Sincerely,


Clint Watson
Software Craftsman

PS - I'm aware of the fact that weathering a storm takes more than focusing on your art and being hopeful . . . but it begins with that knowledge and that hope.  Armed with confidence in your own abilities, you can move forward and face the world head-on.  We have a huge backlog of articles with practical marketing ideas that will work in good times and in bad, go back and peruse those and redouble your efforts to stay in front of your prospective collectors.  Also, stay tuned, we have some more articles coming up regarding marketing your work in a challenging economy.