Well now that I have your attention, let’s talk about something that many artists face but don’t really want to talk about it. Complacency. (DUN DUN DUN) If that word doesn’t make you uncomfortable, it really should.
Complacency is the silent killer to all artists at some point in their lives. We get into a system that works well for us and think we don’t have to go any farther with our craft. WRONG! See, this past month has been a huge challenge for me. I’ve gone about my days planning for events, the next book, and author appearances.
“But that sounds great, Ceara! What’s wrong with all that?”
Great question! Nothing is wrong with any of that actually, but it’s how I approached it. In my mind, I kept thinking that those three things should be my only focus. I couldn’t have been more wrong. When I only fixated my attention on what I’ve been doing for the last two years (what kept me comfortable) I was missing out on some GREAT opportunities.
Let me give you an example. I had my heart set on a HUGE event coming up later in the year. I had all my ducks in a row and was prepared to dish out a ton of money for it. I probably could have made it work (emphasis on probably). But then I couldn’t do all the marketing I wanted for my new book. I ended up making the decision that marketing was more important. It was a new thing…it was different…but when I made that choice, I felt so much better about my career. The complacency killer ran off and I felt like I could do anything I wanted to do—as if a weight was lifted from me.
Now, I’m not going to lie, complacency isn’t always easy to get rid of, especially if you’ve dealt with it for years. Sometimes you have to break the repetitive cycle. And whether you’re an artist like me or just work that normal 9-5, complacency attacks everyone and it slowly drains you. Might I encourage you, this year, to step out of your normal routine? Find something small to add to it, something you have always wanted to do. All it takes is one foot forward to vanquish the silent killer.
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