I was talking with an artist friend of mine yesterday and the conversation went into the direction of one’s idea of their own success. He felt that he wouldn’t be success until he reached a particular income level. My idea of my own success was a bit different. I’ll share with you the thoughts of how I measure my own successes:

Instead of having one singular goal I have many and I never really plan them.. I just enjoy them as they come along.  Here are a few of them so you can understand what I mean:

• The moment I sold my first piece.
• My first custom order.
• Repeat customers.
• Creating something just how I imagined it.
• Being happy with the end result of any project.
• Getting into a real art gallery.
• Being asked to participate in shows.
• Positive feedback from customers.
• Positive feedback from anyone!
• Hearing how others relate to my work.
• Shipping my work all over the world.
• Winning Toast of Music City 🙂
• Looking back at all the pieces I successfully finished.
• Touching the lives of others.
• Knowing someone liked my art enough to buy it and hang it in their home, becoming a part of their everyday life.
• Knowing that pieces of me will live much longer than I… hopefully touching the lives of others for many years after I’m gone.

These are the type of things that I measure my success by.  If I measured only by how much money I make.. I may or may not ever see that goal. There is no way of knowing … so in the mean time … I enjoy all the other successes that come my way.

Many Blessings,
Raventalker