Four Things I Learned from Doing Something Completely New

What have you never done before that you want to do now?
Earlier this year I had never sold any art, but wanted to formally launch an art business.   Here are four things I learned from the process:
1 - Listen deeply to those closest to you.
As I got more serious about launching an art business, I felt I needed more dedicated studio space.  Being an architect by training, I thought of all the neat things I could build or ways to remodel the house.  I got a cold response from my wife and when I shared my building ideas with my adult kids, they all began to challenge me to think in a different direction.  Get studio space outside the house.  "You are an extrovert, you need to be around people, you are a community guy, don't get more and more isolated here." I heard their love for me and their knowledge of me. That led to a studio search in April, a lease in May and ultimately to the launch of business in June!  God speaks most loudly through the people with the most love for you.  Listen deeply!
2 - Adventures have a life of their own.
Renting in Dragonstone studios enabled me to sign up for the Santa Fe Studio Tour (which would not be possible in my house). The tour being in 6 weeks from the signing of the lease led me to switch from oil painting to acrylics so I would have dry paintings to sell!  That led me to get an acrylic painting lesson from an abstract artist, which led to a whole new direction in my paintings and a new color palette that I absolutely love and so do many others... wow what is next?  It all started with one step in a new direction and just keeps on rolling!
3 - Real deadlines force accelerated action.
I have a gold medal in the procrastination Olympics, in fact several. I had 3 salable paintings six weeks from my first show and needed at least 20 more! I had no fully functional commercial website.  I had no business cards.  I had Facebook artist page. I had no email list. I had no clue in a lot of what it takes to be a practicing art pro.  Seth Godin says, "If you don't ship, you ain't no pro(in my Texan translation)." I got all this done in six weeks only because it was a real deadline with real consequences.  It was a goal with teeth!
4 - Relationships are what really matter.
With God all things are possible. With people, I found encouragement, new ideas and timely help. The best thing about the Studio Tour was all the new artist and art lovers I met. Those closest to me guided me in a relational direction and it all flowed from there.  The adventure continues!  I have a show at the Santa Fe Library in January 2016 because I met Liz Pawlak (www.lizpawlak.com) on the Studio Tour.  I am hanging art in a Elle's wellness clinic today because I rented studio space in May across from Ellewell (www.ellewell.com).  
So do something new. Start something you have been putting of. Sign up for something.  It all starts there!