How to approach change
It opened its silver jaw just enough and approached my trembling right hand.
A drop of sweat rolled down my temple.
Clack!
The clipper chewed on my thumb’s nail and I heard it ricochet on the floor.
I know it's a mundane task, cutting your nails. But it was this dramatic to me.
At 14 I took classic guitar classes for a few months. I needed my right-hand nails longer to pluck the strings, the hallmark of a classic guitar player.
I was now 24 and even though I didn't play classic guitar anymore, I still kept my long nails. Funny how we latch on to little things that define who we are.
Without my nails, was I still a guitar player?
The answer, of course, was yes. Now I was just a different guitar player. One with short nails.
Now it makes me think: if THIS had been so scary for me, I can imagine how difficult it is for artists to embrace bigger changes in their career paths.
Do you feel scared of making big changes in your creative career? Here are two things to help you with that:
ALLOWED TO CHANGE
If you are at a crossroads in your creative career let me reassure you: Nothing is set in stone. You can replant the flag wherever it fancies you.
Do you want to be an artist who only uses crayons and polka dots on cardboard? Go for it!
Do you want to use neon slime substances to create abstract paintings over bronze plaques? By all means, do it!
If that gives you power and inspiration, chase that path. But if you find yourself constricted, lacking creative oxygen because you’ve exhausted its possibilities, let them go and start afresh.
You are allowed to change and redefine yourself.
That’s what living things do: they grow and evolve.
THE NON-SCARY CHANGE
Some people cling to their old ways as I clung to my fingernails. It sounds scary to cut them out of your life suddenly. Especially if you are already known in the industry for using a certain technique or style.
The good news is, you don't have to be that drastic.
A great example is Lauren Hom: She went from designer to letterer to chef. She didn’t just ditch the quill for the apron. She started doing lettering with food!
When I coach artists I invite them to approach change like Lauren did: 1) Making incremental changes and 2) Keeping it experimental and fun.
You don't need to cut things off all of a sudden. Approach change as a gradient instead of a hard cut.
Start to blend something new into what you already do. This will allow your artistic career to evolve.
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