Everything is blowing around … palm trees are bending, giant waves are crashing and spraying, wind is whistling, and the hurricane shutters are rattling loudly as a huge storm makes its way across the state. In the distance I can faintly see the towers at Cape Canaveral, and this week I’ve had the treat of watching rockets soar into space while the air around me vibrates.  

When I was a kid, I went to the 1965 New York World’s Fair, where we saw prototypes of Dick Tracy-style talking watches, flying cars, phones with TV screens so you could see the person you’re talking with, and robots who would do your work for you. We were told that one day TVs would hang on the wall like pictures. Rockets were something that happened annually, if we were lucky, and now rockets go up more than weekly. Now I can talk on my Apple Watch just like Dick Tracy, and my phone is the communicator from Star Trek (the only thing missing is the ability to beam me up). I can talk to anyone in the world on my screen. Flying drone cars are available now, as are jetpacks so you can fly, and rockets are going up frequently to put satellites in so we can have high-speed Starlink Internet and TV anywhere in the world. AI robots can do a lot of our work for us, freeing up time. We are living in the future. 

High-Speed Change

The rate of change we’ve seen in the last five years is greater than any change we’ve seen in our lifetimes — greater than any time in history. What happens in the next five or 10 years will blow your mind. You and I have to be ready for an unknown future, which is very exciting but also a little intimidating. For instance, I went to a conference that said, “If you can live 10 more years, you’re likely to live 30 to 50 more years.” Imagine how that impacts our lives. I know people who know their great-grandchildren, but they might end up knowing another generation or two.

Resistance

When I mention such things, I’ve had people tell me they don’t want to live that long. But what if you could do it and be healthy, vibrant, relevant, happy, and have plenty of money? Google says someday you’ll be able to transfer your brain to a new 3D-printed body, eliminating death altogether. (That brings up lots of social discussions I’ll avoid for the moment.) But at bare minimum, tech has changed so much that even now, you can reverse aging with a simple supplement protocol that is proven to lengthen telomeres on your DNA strands, and within just one or two years from now, a person who is 70 could reverse to 65, then 60, then 55. All within a few years. Again, this isn’t science fiction, it’s today. 

Maybe today, thinking about the next 30 years is too overwhelming. But what about the next five or 10? 

Programmed to Assume Age Causes Problems

I was recently with an elderly couple who were experiencing some health issues, and when I asked about why that was happening, the answer was, “Well, of course it’s because of our age.” What I wanted to say (but resisted) was, “I know people 10 years older than you who are not having these problems.” Old age was blamed when the reality is that the culprit was lack of exercise, poor diet, and bad attitude. Of course we can’t control the expression of our predetermined genes, but we can slow it, or reverse it. Physically, I’m younger today than I was a year ago; I’ve actually reversed my aging by following that  protocol, and the result is that I’ve lost 40 pounds, I’m stronger with more muscle mass — stronger than I’ve probably ever been — and I have boundless amounts of energy. 

I’ll Take What I’m Given

I’m not sure I want to live forever, and I’m not even sure what age I’ll want to live to, and I know I can only control it up to a point. I know it’s ultimately in the hands of my Maker. But I love the idea of knowing grandkids, great-grandkids, and maybe more. My brother has his photo with his mother, his grandmother, his great-grandmother, and his great-great-grandmother. People used to live to meet five generations.

So now I’m faced with a new challenge … I have to plan for my future. How do I make enough to live several more decades? And what do I want my future life to look like? Do I want to do more of the same? Do I want to occupy my time with new things?

Get to Know the New You

Whether you’re 20 or 70, it’s a good practice to think about your future self and lay out a plan. If you’re 70 and vibrant, how do you remain vibrant and relevant and healthy? How do you get healthier and in better shape? As my friend Tom told me the other day, “My trainer asked me why I never worked out when I was younger so I could prevent the issues I’m having now, and I answered that I did not need it then; I could do everything I wanted to do. Now I can’t.”

If you’re 25, you want to make a plan to get where you want to be as rapidly as possible so you can begin living the life you dream of. The more you exercise and eat right now, the more you’re buying quality of life when you’re older.

Write a Letter

I like to start with a letter to myself: “Dear Future Eric.” For starters, I want to focus on the next decade, so my letter will address that. How do I want to define my next 10 years? Do I want to work? Paint every day? Play Pickleball? Start a couple of new businesses? Your letter can address the next two or five years, or the next 50. But things change so rapidly, I like starting with 10 at a time. 

Where am I now?

Where do I want to be?

What are the most important things I want to accomplish?

What are the things that bring the most meaning in my life, and what can I plan to make sure those things occur? 

Your letter should define what you want your life to look like so you know what to focus on, what goals to pursue.A Ship Adrift

According to Dr. Ben Hardy, a specialist in this field, research indicates that we tend not to understand how different our future selves will be from our current selves, because we don’t take the time to imagine a new, fresh future. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”  But most of us take more time to plan dinner than we take to plan the next few years of our lives. And if you don’t make a plan, you’re a ship adrift at sea without a map, and you could end up in any port, or on the rocks. 

Reinvention Is Reinvigoration

When we reinvent, we bring new excitement into our lives, giving ourselves new energy and a better outlook. I watched my own father do this. 

When he was 60, he sold his business, reinvented himself, spent a year learning a new business, and then he launched it and ran it successfully for a decade. Then at 70, he sold that business and went a completely different direction, and did that for a decade. At 80, he did it again, and was actively doing it yet again when he died at 94. He never was one of those guys talking about the “good old days before he retired.” Instead, he retired, hated it, and then started a new business. When he got bored, or felt he had done all he could with it, he moved on to the next thing, then the next. As a result, his brain was pliable and sharp till his death. He even went to a Tony Robbins event at age 90 because he wanted to learn new things, and he left there with lots of new friends he stayed in contact with the rest of his life. 

Just because you are doing something today does not mean you have to do it forever. It’s your choice. But finding new things to add to your life will reinvigorate you.

What have you always wanted to do but could not do because of your condition or other restrictions?

What would you do if you did not have to worry about anyone else?

What would you do if you did not have to worry about money or paying a mortgage?

What do you catch yourself dreaming of?

What do you think about that you’re telling yourself isn’t possible?

Write Just Two Pages Today

Again, research shows that people dramatically underestimate how DIFFERENT their future self will be from their current self. Dr. Daniel Gilbert explains that this is because people don’t take the time to imagine their future selves. Pull out some paper and write two pages. On the first page, write all the ways you’re different from who you were 10 years ago. On the second page, write about where your future self could be, and where you want to be 10 years from now,  or what you want the next 10 years to look like. 

This may sound overwhelming, but it’s not. Have fun with it. Be playful. Be truthful with yourself. And don’t judge yourself. Don’t avoid writing something down just because your brain is telling you, “That will never happen.” Write it down anyway. Then once you have your list exactly where you want it to be, read it every day. Suddenly your rudder will steer you toward the future.

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” —  Napoleon Hill 

It’s Groundhog Day

In my letter to myself, I’m not only addressing the things mentioned above, but asking, “What are the things I do on autopilot? What are the things I’ve done over and over as a routine? Do I still want to do those? Do I still want to show up at the same places, with the same people?” (In my case, I love the people I interact with.) There are things in my life that feel like Groundhog Day, and it’s time to move on. What about you?

Perhaps you’re happy where you are. Great. Do the assessment and letter anyway, because it never hurts to have reinforcement. But if you want to live a rich, full life, exactly the life you’ve designed, or better, find a quiet spot and write a couple of pages. Look at it a couple of days later, and adjust it as needed, and then make it your guide. You’ll thank me later.

Eric Rhoads

PS: I sent one of my kids and his friend to a Tony Robbins event in Dallas last weekend, and I’m already seeing transformation. I used to think TR was just a motivational speaker, but that’s not what he is at all. He presents valid research on techniques to improve your life, and it’s not the same drivel you hear elsewhere. I’ve been, I’ll go again, and one day, I’ll be onstage with him. Mark my words. If you want to kickstart your life, find a TR event and go. After you get over the sticker shock, do it anyway, because there is no better investment you can make in the rest of your life. 

PS2: As you know, I have been flitting around Europe both on business and some play. I wrote about it here. You’ll learn about one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life …  so simple, yet so meaningful to me.

PS 3: Do you know what is proven to lower your blood pressure, improve your attitude, remove your stress, and put a giant smile on your face? When I’m stressed, I go to my studio and paint, and because it’s using a different part of my brain, I forget I’m stressed. Every CEO, MD, lawyer, nurse, or anyone in a stressful job should do it. It has an amazing impact. And ANYONE can do it, and do it well. It’s not about talent, it’s a learned skill. (Maybe I should teach 10,000 people to do it from the stage at a TR event.) 🙂My next training is in January at WaterColorLive.com. It will change your life or I’ll refund your investment. 

The best night’s sleep ever occurred last night, with all the windows open, the curtains blowing along with the cool breeze, and a wonderful 65 degrees. This morning I peeked out the bathroom window to see a red cardinal perched on a branch singing its heart out. I feel like I’m in a Disney movie, living in a perfect world. Of course, after a cup of coffee and a check on social media, reality strikes. Perfection isn’t possible. At least I had a great night of sleep to improve my focus and attitude, letting problems bounce off my chest like projectiles bouncing off Superman. 

Walking on Air

I have to admit I’m still on a high from our big artists’ convention in Santa Fe last week. It was the first time in almost three years that our family of artists has been together, with the surprise of hundreds of new people joining for the first time, and hundreds of others joining online. I knew I missed it but did not realize just how much it was missed, because my energy comes from being with other people. I had not realized how low my batteries were and how being with hundreds of others who share the same passions would give me a much-needed full charge that can last me another couple of years. Hopefully, we’ll all be together at this time next year in Denver. 

Cutting Loose

My wife and kids went with me for the first time to the convention. I wanted the kids to see what dad does for a living. They worked, helped out where possible, and found out about my 5 a.m. alarm so I can teach marketing at 6:30, and my midnight bedtime after entertaining people in my suite till the last person leaves. It’s a full day, it’s exhausting, and I would not change a thing.

But it was especially eye-opening for the kids, age 20, who maybe have never seen someone work so hard. And it was not just me — my amazing team worked from early morning to late night as well. They all deserved a chance to cut loose in our closing party. We were all dancing fools. It felt good.

Different Batteries

Arriving home, I was energized, but my wife and my daughter needed some extra sleep, because, unlike me, this activity drains their batteries and their only hope of a recharge is a quiet room, sleeping in or reading a good book. I’m told different personality types have different ways to charge their batteries. It’s evident in my own life and the differences between us.

How do you recharge? 

It’s All About Joy

For me, joy recharges my batteries. It may be the joy of being with people I love, maybe the joy of a party or dancing, the joy of being in my studio or being outdoors painting, the joy of travel to exotic places and seeing beautiful scenery, the joy of hanging on the couch with my kids doing nothing together, or even the joy of a great phone call connecting with an old friend. I also get lots of joy out of taking a creative idea and turning it into a product or a business, and at the convention I got a lot of joy out of coaching artists on their marketing and showing some of the vendors some things that were obvious to me that could improve their products or businesses. Sometimes my joy comes in the form of a special passage in my morning devotional time or a special moment in prayer.

Being Deliberate

Joy can be accidental, or it can be deliberate. But I’ve found that most of my joy is deliberate, seeking it by following certain routines or orchestrating special moments. It can come if we wait for it, but why wait if you can feed your soul deliberately? Some of my best moments of joy came from things my parents did to create memories.

The hard part is finding joy during the most difficult times. How do we find joy at times when we’re suffering and hurting? The answer lies in seeking it, looking for it.

Finding Joy in Pain

When my dad died last year, it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever faced. Yet, in spite of being sad and depressed, my nature is to seek out the positive side of things, to look back on the memories, or to understand that he is now in a place with nothing but joy, where no pain or depression exist.

One of My Worst Moments

As a young man, I can remember being devastated over the loss of the love of my life. I could not get out of bed, I laid in a fetal position, I cried for days, I was not sure I wanted to live. I knew I was the most depressed I’d ever been, and I was not sure how I’d pull myself out of it. And I could not imagine not seeing her again. It was horrifying, and once I pulled myself out, which took over a year, I swore I’d never go through that again. It crossed my mind to avoid falling in love again so I’d never have the pain of loss. In that situation I got on my knees, prayed, and asked, “Why me?” And the thoughts I had made me understand that there was a plan for me, and that I’d not appreciate it without experiencing pain. It made a huge difference in my outlook. Years later, knowing what I know now, I’m so happy I did not stay in that relationship. I’m so much happier now, and I’d not have my incredible wife and kids had I been stuck in that relationship mud.

At the convention I was speaking with a friend who told me about a devastating year of pain and business problems. When I started to console him, he stopped me and said, “No, Eric, you don’t understand. This resulted in the most important lesson I may ever have learned.”

Outlook changes everything. It seems overly simplified, but it has a huge impact. There are lessons in every moment of pain. Seek them and you’ll find joy.

What’s going on in your life at this moment that is causing you pain?

What is happening when you’re asking, “Why me?”

Tough Love

As a child I used to wonder why my parents were so hard on me at times, why they made me suffer without the things I thought they should give me, why they disciplined me. It was because they cared deeply, and they knew I needed to learn lessons that I was too blind to see for myself.

Instead of “Why me?” ask, “Why not me?” and, “What can I learn from this?” 

Whatever you’re going through now, no matter how hard, how devastating, it has another side. Seek it. 

Eric Rhoads

PS: I want to thank all the people who showed up for the Plein Air Convention for the joy you brought me with your presence. We had some people cancel at the last minute because of the news of fires in the area. Yet we had mostly clear skies and incredible painting every day during the convention, and we had what some say was the best convention yet. It sure felt that way to me.

PSII: At the convention we revealed that we’re going to Colorado next year. We’re painting in some amazing places like the Garden of the Gods and the Rocky Mountain National Park, plus some other places nearer to Denver, where we’re holding the event. 

Because I always offer attendees a chance to get our best price ever if they get their ticket during the Plein Air Convention, we have 58% of the seats already sold. And before COVID, our Denver convention had 1,000 seats sold. Our limit is only 1,200 seats. That means there are only about 500 seats left, and I suspect they will go fast, especially with what we’re going to announce in the next week or two. If you’re thinking of going, book it now to make sure you have a seat. It’s our 10-year birthday bash, which means there are lots of things we’re going to do to celebrate. It’s not the one you want to miss. 

PSIII: Next week I’m going to take a few days off and drive to the Adirondacks. My big artist retreat is June 11-18. It’s a week of painting together with about a hundred others. We paint all day, play at night (music, cocktails, and more painting), and we stay on campus on a beautiful lake. There are about nine seats left. I’d love to see you there. I think this is the 12th year. I’m not sure how many more years I’ll do it. If you’ve always wanted to come, I hope you’ll do it. Upstate New York is stunning, the Adirondack Park is protected and about the size of three National Parks, and the beauty is unexpected and stunning. I’m especially fond of painting waterfalls, and there are lots of them we paint every year.

PSIV: Our next online virtual conference, Pastel Live, is coming in August. It’s all about pastel painting. I’m really getting into pastel lately, and I’m doubling down on pastel at Streamline. We’re going to make a major announcement about pastel this week (that is not about the conference). If you want to attend, we have a free webinar called The Future of Pastel with me and Gail Sibley. I think you’ll be pleased. 

PSV: I’m told this week is the last week to register for Paint New Zealand, my private painting trip to see and paint the sights of that amazing country. I’m guessing this will be the only time we do it because there are so many other places I want to take people. I think there are about eight seats left (of the 50-seat limit). It’s the trip of a lifetime, and I think you need to get signed up ASAP. 

PSVI: People have been begging me to return Fall Color Week to Maine one more time. This is our fourth time there, and we’re staying inside Acadia National Park. We always pick the peak of fall color, and the scenery is amazing. In fact, most of the Hudson River School painters painted there too. Join me. I think there are 12 seats left. 

I feel like I’m living a scene from a James Dean movie … it’s so hot that everyone has stripped down to the bare minimum, they are fanning themselves, and sweat is rolling down their hot red sunburned faces. Texas heat isn’t for the faint of heart. Our springs are short here, jumping right into the heat of an early summer. The ice in my cup has melted and the outside of the glass is sweating and my sticky fingers keep slipping off the keyboard. 

Have you tried to buy a bag of ice lately? A bag of ice has doubled in price. And it seems like the cost of everything is rushing out of control due to scarcity, supply chain issues, and just plain inflation.

Child Labor

I remember the stories my dad would tell me about the Great Depression. He was just a child, but he had to work to help support the family, and they had to rent out the home they owned in order to survive. They moved to my Great-Grandfather Rhoads’s farm out on Illinois Road, which was 88 acres. Even though they grew much of their food, they barely survived.

Inflation is not necessarily an indicator of a coming depression, but it is having a serious impact on the cost of goods, making living more difficult for all of us.

I hear a lot of chatter about these things lately, and part of that chatter is people giving themselves excuses to fail. 

Not-So-Great Expectations

I’ve already heard people telling me they expect the current situation to have a negative impact on their business or on their lives. I’ve encountered artists and galleries who tell me they are expecting this to be a bad year. Meanwhile, I’m hearing from others who tell me that business has never been better.

There are facts we cannot change, but there are attitudes we can change. The attitude needs to be: “I’ll succeed and thrive no matter what outside circumstances exist.”

The Worst in My Lifetime

2008 was a pretty dire situation. The economy had crashed, big companies like AIG and Lehman Brothers had failed, and spending had slowed. During that time in the art world, I watched businesses react negatively, leading to their demise. Simultaneously, I watched others double down on spending, building their businesses bigger, especially when their competitors were not spending on advertising. I even saw a new gallery launch and quickly grow, taking away the customers the others would have had if they had not operated with a shrinking mindset.

The New King

During the Great Depression, there was a giant shift in a lot of categories. Post was the dominant cereal brand, with something like an 80 percent market share. When business got bad, the board decided to stop all advertising. Suddenly a new startup called the Kellogg Company came on the scene. They went after Post, promoted heavily, and spent big ad dollars. To Post, this was a gnat they thought they could swipe away. Kellogg would never touch them, because they were too big to fail … they thought. So they did not react and didn’t keep their ads going, because they wanted to save money. 

By the end of the Depression, Kellogg had taken the lion’s share of the market and become the leading cereal company. Post became number two, and to this day has never regained its dominance.

Mindset made the difference.

The Kellogg Company could have said, “Bad time to start up. Let’s hold back.” Or they could have said, “Let’s start out small and see what happens. if we grow a little, we can spend a little more money.” Instead they went full speed ahead. It took courage and confidence and a “never say die” attitude. It worked.

How is the current economy impacting your mindset?

Are you planning to succeed no matter what, or will you shrink yourself to failure?

Mindset is the starting point. Courage is important, as are creativity and willingness to find a way, and willingness to work harder than ever. Often others stop working as hard because they think working harder won’t make a difference. 

Time for Change

A little-known fact is that there were many businesses that thrived during the Depression. Many of those companies chased new opportunities when they saw dominant players lay low and stop promoting. They had to be creative and find new and different ways to promote their businesses, and they had to step up and do some things that were frightening (like spending on advertising). But many survived, and many thrived.The key is to have a Churchill mindset … “Never, ever, ever give up.”

And it starts by making up your mind, by telling yourself, “No matter what is happening in the world around me, I will find a way to survive and thrive.”

What will you do? 

How will you respond?

Eric Rhoads

PS: Feeling like a caged animal, unable to leave home for two years, I am thrilled to be free and able to hold my Plein Air Convention this May. In fact, we just got BREAKING NEWS that the State of New Mexico has lifted all restrictions, so we are no longer being told to limit attendance. And there is no longer social distancing or masking required (you can still wear a mask if you wish). This is great news, and may result in a massive number of people signing up. I’ve even decided to NOT raise the price on April 17 as planned and will wait to raise it on May 12, allowing everyone a chance to get the low price. You can sign up at www.pleinairconvention.com.

One person who is coming told me, “I am not going to let gas prices or travel costs or anything get in my way of getting out. I’ve missed this, and I don’t know if they will lock us down again.”

Here’s what’s happening at my company Streamline at the moment…

Our 9th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo is quickly approaching and we’ve just learned that ALL restrictions have been lifted and more seats have opened up! So sign up now to gather with your fellow artists in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico for our first in-person event in two years! Study with the plein air masters, get discounts on art supplies in the Expo Hall and paint with over 500 of your fellow plein air enthusiasts. Sign up now at PleinAirConvention.com.

We’ve just launched our 12th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition. Head over to PleinAirSalon.com to see how you can win $15,000 for your art.

We are going to New Zealand again! Our last trip in 2017 was a huge success so we’re doing it again. Join me and 45 other artists in painting some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. PaintingNewZealand.com

Our next virtual event, Pastel Live, is happening in August. About 40% of the people who attended PleinAir Live have already signed up. It’s going to be fun, fun, fun! Check it out at PastelLive.com.

The scent of concord grape soda fills the air as purple Texas mountain laurel trees are in full blossom. Bare twisted live oaks with thousands of tiny twigs are starting to sprout little brilliant green buds. Following a brisk wind, the air is fresh as I deeply fill my lungs to enjoy the arrival of spring and the sound of songbirds. I keep filling up the bird feeders to support my local bird choir (and a few dozen random squirrels). A small aircraft flies overhead — the view of the blossoms from the air must be a beautiful sight.

Any pilot will tell you that when flying a small airplane, if you get into a spiral dive, you don’t even really know it. You can’t feel it, and can only tell from your instruments. If you try to control the airplane at that point, you won’t be able to, and holding on to the controls only makes things worse. A Death Dive

When I was a child, my dad went into such a dive, and in spite of all his training, he wanted to control the aircraft. But in the back of his mind he remembered something he had read in a classic book called Stick and Rudder that said when this happens, simply let go.

Imagine spinning out of control, in a steep dive, only a few seconds to make decisions before you slam into the ground, and having to give up control. But let go he did, and the plane corrected itself just seconds before he would have crashed. Once the plane was corrected, his altitude was less than 200 feet. His life was saved by doing the opposite of instinct and letting go. And I’m thankful he did, because I had my dad my entire life until last year.

No Control

Last week while we were in church, our pastor said something that reminded me of my dad’s death dive. He was talking about things we cannot control, saying that sometimes we simply have to trust God to resolve things. He talked about how hard it is to let go, but that sometimes our attempts at control only worsen the problem.

Control Freak

Being a control freak, which is a natural direction when you build and own a business, letting go is the hardest thing to do. Yet people cannot grow when you “mansplain” every answer. The same is true with kids. If they don’t suffer a little, if they don’t have to figure things out, if you rescue them at every turn, they leave the house unprepared. 

What are you trying to control that isn’t working?

Those of us who think we’re in control need to understand that we are not, not really. We simply cannot solve every problem. And sometimes the best solution to a problem is to let go and let it work itself out. Like letting go of the controls in a plane, this is counterintuitive, but it often provides the best possible result.

No one likes to be controlled. Especially me.

Mr. Big Shot

When I was 25, I bought my first radio station. The day we closed on the station and I took over, I walked into the big beautiful manager’s office and thought, “What have I got myself into?” I had no idea what to do or even how to behave. So I did what I had seen from some of my mentors and what I had seen from “typical bosses” on TV. I became a control freak. I started barking orders, being demanding, and trying to show who was boss. I even fired a couple of people on the spot for insubordination, humiliating them in front of others. I did not listen — I knew all the answers.

A Sad Day

One day we faced a tragedy, when a fellow employee died suddenly. It hit me and everyone hard, but because one of the managers had been engaged to this employee, and another manager had been overly demanding the day this person died, there was a lot of anger and guilt. Within 12 hours of this person’s passing, those two managers resigned and got all of their people to resign. Suddenly I had only two employees left. In hindsight, I realized I got no loyalty because I tried to control everything. It wasn’t working.

Screamers

I’m lucky to have learned that lesson early. I had to learn the proper way to manage people, which is to pull and inspire, not to push and fire. There are legends about people like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, who are said to be screamers. I think people will put up with more when working for a brilliant visionary. The rest of us mere mortals need to manage by inspiration, and I had to learn how to stop controlling every little thing and let go.

Perfection Is the Enemy

There is a saying I learned when running my tech company, RadioCentral, in Silicon Valley. “Perfection is the enemy of greatness.” In other words, deliver — and don’t wait till something is perfect to deliver it. You can always make adjustments and changes after you launch. My mentor Keith Cunningham disputes the idea that “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” He insists that it should be “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly” because we won’t do things if we’re waiting for perfection. We have to learn to do things, and we’re going to make mistakes along the way, which is OK. What he is talking about is letting go.

In what ways is control getting in the way of your success in your family or work?

What’s the worst that would happen if you let go?

In what ways is controlling hurting yourself, and your relationships?

How would you feel if you could just let go and wait to see what happens?

It took a lot of mistakes for me to discover this. It’s why I’m calm, why I tend not to stress or worry much, and why I believe everything will work out. Maybe it will work out now, maybe later, maybe years from now, or maybe I have to wait for eternity for correction. But things are out of my hands and in God’s hands. Knowing that gives me peace and reduces my need to control everything.

Like anyone, I play “what if” games in my head. What if this fails, what if this doesn’t work out, what if the kids don’t turn out OK?

Let go. 

Eric Rhoads

PS: I have to admit I had a few tense moments after receiving a call from the people who run our convention hotel for the Plein Air Convention in Santa Fe. “I’m sorry, but we can’t let you have more than 750 people. We’ll be required to spread out the seats in the auditorium.” 

After two years of cancellations and no income from my most important income source, I was hoping to get something coming in again. Prior to COVID we had 1,200 people attending. And though they may change their minds at the last minute, for now, I’m only allowed 750 people. So I have only about 97 seats left. 

If you are planning to come to this festival-like celebration of plein air painting, the world’s largest paint-out, and four stages of lessons over four days from the top landscape artists in the world, I’d recommend you book one of those 97 seats this week. May is coming up fast.

I know you’re eager to be back with people again. I know I am. I hope to see you there. 

Wanna come and paint?

Spring and fall are my busiest times of year. Soon after the Plein Air Convention I’ll head to the Adirondacks for the summer, and I’ll hold my Publisher’s Invitational artist retreat for a week up there. It’s a week of just painting, and one price includes your room, meals, and the event. It’s a blast, and all levels of painters from beginners to pros paint together. We play a lot, have music, paint portraits at night (optional), and it’s summer camp for painters of all ages. I’ve become very close to lots of people who attend. I’m looking forward to seeing you there.

Let’s go paint in New Zealand

Clearly my Russia painting trip had to be canceled, so we replaced it with a 50-person trip to New Zealand. It’s a premium trip, and it will be amazing. And we hit NZ in springtime, when it’s green and flowering. Of the 50, I have 30 seats left. Come join us.

Here’s what’s happening at my company Streamline at the moment…

We’ve just launched our 12th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition. Head over to PleinAirSalon.com to see how you can win $15,000 for your art. 

We are going to New Zealand again! Our last trip in 2017 was a huge success so we’re doing it again. Join me and 45 other artists in painting some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. PaintingNewZealand.com

Our 9th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo is quickly approaching. We’ve only got 97 seats left so sign up now to gather with your fellow artists in beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico for our first in-person event in two years! Study with the plein air masters, get discounts on art supplies in the Expo Hall and paint with over 500 of your fellow plein air enthusiasts. Sign up now at PleinAirConvention.com. 

Our next virtual event, Pastel Live, is happening in August. About 40% of the people who attended PleinAir Live have already signed up. It’s going to be fun, fun, fun! Check it out at PastelLive.com. 

Peacefully, I sit staring out at the gnarly oaks, twisting and moving in all directions. In the distance, a barely visible gray mountain and a dull white sky. Soon sprinkles begin, and the mountain disappears as the clouds move toward this old porch overlooking the vast Texas land. Suddenly, I’m disrupted by barking dogs, tearing off my red wicker couch to chase a rogue squirrel who dares to dart into their territory. Sniffing and barking, they look aimlessly around, not understanding the squirrel went up a tree. It’s entertaining the first time it happens, but by the fifth time, it’s a little disruptive.

The Camera Lens

Years ago, when I was in my early 20s, I supplemented my radio DJ income as a wedding photographer. I had studied under Rocky Gunn (1940-1983), who was considered one of the best. He taught me a ton of techniques to make spectacular and interesting photos, one of which was the use of filters. For instance, I had a filter that made the photos look dreamy, another that colored the entire photo in a color like red or blue, another that made the sky darker. Anyone who knows photography knows filters.

But most of us don’t know about the filters that color our lives. We each have a set or two, and as in photography, if we were to use the same filters in every shot, our photos would have no variety and everything would be the same.

Recently when I spoke of disruption, I mentioned that rarely can someone “inside” come up with disruptive ideas because they are too close to things. That closeness is a filter.

Reinventing Radio

In 1999, when I started RadioCentral, one of the very first Internet radio companies, I had success raising money from people outside the radio industry (and raised millions). But those inside the industry, who had the most to gain, were reluctant to participate. They could not see (or admit) that they would be disrupted by music online. Their lens was colored with the idea that radio has to be delivered through a transmitter, and they thought consumers would never get their music through their phones — people wouldn’t want a small speaker, they couldn’t easily listen in their cars, and the cost of data for music streams would be too much. Costly it was, at the time, but soon – like so many things — it no longer was. Though I was unable to keep my company going after the 9/11 recession, other disruptors came along, following in my footsteps and doing it better. Those disruptors could see things even I could not see, and as a result companies like Spotify approached things with a very smart membership model. I was too close to it and did not believe people would pay for their music. I was wrong because of my filter.

Golden Light

Our filters create a bias. For instance, ever since I became an artist, I see everything through the eyes of an artist. One day, at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention, I had gone to dinner with two or three friends who owned radio stations. We were walking down the street in Boston right as the golden afternoon light was washing the red brick buildings. I saw the light, saw its beauty, and thought about how I would paint it. When I pointed it out to them, they glanced and moved on, thinking I was just weird. One of the biases I fight is that I tend to make decisions in my business based on what artists need, which helps me relate and give people what they want, but it can also keep me from seeing where things are going and how things should be done.

Roadblocks

In my art marketing classes, which I hold annually at our Plein Air Convention, I’m teaching a room of a thousand or more artists, and I try to get them to embrace new ideas about selling art. Usually about 10 percent in the room embrace them, and the others cling to “that’s not the way things are done.” The bias is like handcuffs, preventing them from moving forward. That same bias has gotten in my way many times, even though I’m aware of it.

Angry and Negative

We also have emotional filters. Tony Robbins is the first I’ve ever heard point this out, in his new book, Life Force. Some of us have angry filters; we’re just angry at the world. Others have skeptical filters and are skeptical about everything, and others have loving filters, believing that everyone is loving and therefore treating everyone with acceptance.

Emotional filters can serve us well. There are times when being a skeptic is a good thing, times when accepting everyone is a good thing. But when these filters are applied all the time, it can hurt us. Ever know a Negative Nelly, someone who looks at the world and finds something negative to say about everything?

This Is Who You Should Hate

We also have filters based on our beliefs. At the moment, the filter is that Russians are bad and Ukrainians are good. Those filters are being reinforced by the images and video we’re seeing. And in America, we’ve always been told Russia is the enemy and is bad. When I started visiting there to paint, I changed my perception because of some of the amazingly sweet people I’ve met. I did not meet anyone who fit the narrative we’ve seen in the movies. My filter now tells me that some Russians, or Russian leaders, or Russian oligarchs, or the Russian Mafia, are bad, but the people I know in that country are just as upset as we are.

Finding Common Ground

Tony Robbins was teaching when the Twin Towers were hit on 9/11, and there were people in the room who worked in the towers, people who later found they had lost family, and a few people from other countries who were ambivalent about the action or even called it “justice.” The conflict was polarizing. And because they were all stuck there anyway, he helped them see how their filters were preventing them from seeing the viewpoints of others. Once they opened up and saw other perspectives, they understood one another and came to peace.

The One and Only Way

Religions — or the lack of belief — are also filters that color our biases and perceptions. The media has often portrayed Christians as nerds and bigots, yet I’ve found the opposite to be true. In America some have portrayed Muslims as different or maybe dangerous, yet through my daily broadcasts with international artists, I’ve made friends in Egypt and other countries only to find them to be sweet people. We are brought together by our commonalities, and though we might not see eye-to-eye on who our God is, or what happens to us when we die, sometimes our filters prevent us from being willing to listen to one another and see others’ point of view.

Blue Vs. White

Filters run deep because of our upbringing. Think of the differences in the ways you might perceive the world if you grew up as a blue collar worker in a union town, versus growing up middle class with parents who worked as executives. I’ve had people tell me that all corporations are evil, and that “the man” is out to get them, to squash them down. I’ve also had people tell me blue collar workers are lazy and deserve their low income because they are not willing to step up and do anything extra to get ahead, they just want to put in their eight hours and go to the bar. Neither is accurate, but our filters influence our thinking.

Stupid People

Our world is polarized because of our political filters, and the media we follow tends to distort things, finding and highlighting the worst examples. Too often we look at the other side with pity, or we mock them for their stupidity in believing what they believe. But what if we gathered information on our own, did not believe everything we’re told, and were willing to listen to our friends on the other side? We’re all too quick to judge. Families are divided because one cannot tolerate anyone with a different opinion. How sad is that?

I’m not suggesting you change all your filters. Our filters make up who we are.

But what if a filter is preventing you from doing something that will make life better?

What if it’s preventing you from seeing something that would strengthen your business, your job, or your artwork or hobby?

Awareness is the first step to not allowing our filters to control us.

Finish this sentence:

I see myself as…

What is the first thing that comes to mind? What comes next? What’s after that?

Now ask yourself: How is this helping me? And how is it hurting me or my relationships with others?

Fresh Eyes

Since I started painting years ago, I see myself as an artist, a painter, an oil painter. I was reluctant to try other things because I still have not mastered oil painting. Yet when I created my virtual art conferences and they were teaching watercolor in one and pastel in another, it opened my eyes, taught me new things that helped me take up these other mediums. Though I was uncomfortable at first, I now happily embrace these mediums and techniques, and they have given me new freedom, new ideas, and made me feel more balanced.

You can tell from the paragraph above that my lens is that of an artist, yet tens of thousands of people reading this have never picked up a paintbrush, and their filters may be telling them they have no ability or talent (something I can prove wrong), or just that they have no interest.

If I were into antique cars, my filter would lead me to sharing different examples.

How are your filters serving you?

How are they hurting you?

Where are they getting in your way?

Where are they hurting relationships?

Where are they preventing you from seeing opportunity or disruption?

How do others perceive you, and are they right?

Filters prevent us from being situational. If my filter is anger or negativity, I’m always looking for problems, or always wondering why everyone does not see my viewpoint. And that could be hampering my relationships and opportunities.

The Wedding I Screwed Up

I once shot a wedding where my film was bad in many of the shots, and the only things left that came out nice were the filtered shots, which the client hated. I was not paid, and endured (rightly so) an angry lecture. Not everyone likes the filters you like.

Over the years, some filters remain while new filters are added. My interests in photography, technology, marketing, radio and TV broadcasting, podcasting, etc., have made me more well rounded, yet during those periods in my life, I saw everything through that lens, and it discolored opportunity.

Your filters are who you are, but they don’t have to be.

Eric Rhoads

PS: Last week I mentioned the need for spontaneity, so Laurie and I got on a plane (the first in a long, long time) and headed to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. It made me realize how much I’ve missed travel and exposure to new things. Today, we return home, with our brains having been exposed to new things, new perspectives, and added filters.

My next big adventure will be our annual Plein Air Convention in Santa Fe. We get beginners, people who’ve never painted, as well as experienced pros. We learn from top people on four stages teaching oil painting, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, and other things. We go paint together (which is loads of fun). If you’ve never done anything like that, and if you are in a high-stress job, or you are just looking for more in your life to add filters to your bag, take the risk and join us. You’ll easily meet others, make friends, and gain a new perspective on life. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do it (a filter getting in the way) but that you should try it and find out.

Here’s what’s happening at my company Streamline at the moment…

Our next virtual event, Pastel Live, is happening in August. About 40% of the people who attended PleinAir Live have already signed up. It’s going to be fun, fun, fun!

Bright light burns into my retinas as I step on to the back porch in my bare feet. The sky is intense, shining brightly after days of gray soup, sleet, and ice. Goosebumps pop up along with the hairs on my bare arm as I leave the warm air inside to be assaulted by the cold outdoors. Yet hope for a warmer day and early signs of spring are on today’s agenda.

I Met a Girl

As a young teen, probably 14, I saw a girl at a party, and she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. I watched and stared until I got up the courage to ask her to dance, and we danced to “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Slow dancing, with a beautiful girl, was something that had never happened to me. The feeling was incredible. 

Soon my mom was dropping me off at her house — supervised, of course. I remember one day, after a harsh winter, at the first sign of spring, probably 50 degrees, we walked to a local park and laid out on a blanket looking up at the sky, celebrating the return of warmer air and sunshine. The park was filled that day with others doing the same, as if it were summer. All celebrating spring in unison.

Old Flames Die Out

My time with that girl ended at some point, I’m not sure why, but to this day I hold that first innocent exposure to boy-meets-girl dear in my heart. Like many of our old flames, I sometimes saw her on Facebook. We were both in a local “Up with People” group back then, where we developed a lot of friendships. She married one of the other boys, and after decades together, he passed a few years ago. She seems to have disappeared. 

One Sunday, while I was still seeing this girl, we hopped in the car, drove an hour or two with her mom, and drove through the gates of a big property with lots of red brick houses, a vivid memory. Soon we were sitting and talking with her dad. Until then, I had no idea he was in a rehab facility. It was my first realization that alcoholism existed and that it could tear families apart. But weeks later, he returned home, and things felt back to normal.

Other Passions

Not only was I in love with his daughter (at least I thought I was), I had fallen in love with radio. I had managed to get a Saturday and Sunday radio show on a local college station, and so anything to do with radio was cool to me. Knowing that, her dad found and restored an old radio as a gift to me. That led me to a lifetime of collecting antique radios — a passion I lost a decade ago, selling most of them off, but keeping a few favorites. That one I’ll never sell.

Looking back on my passions, my interests, and even my love interests, some stuck, while others lasted only a little while. Some I loved so passionately, I made deep commitments, but others were shed after a season.

Few Things Stick

In almost every case, I had told myself that this interest, this passion, would never die, but only a few things have stuck throughout my life. It’s why, when I’m coaching my son about his passion for a girl who does not seem to share his feelings, I can lend the perspective that she probably won’t be the only one. But to him, as it did with me, it seems like the end of the world.

Love Lost, Again

I can remember sitting on the edge of my bed, sobbing, with my grandmother comforting me over the loss of another girl who was, at the time, my great love (there were many, till I found my true great love). It was the end of the world, I could not go on without her. But I healed, and when she came back to me many years later in hopes of getting together again, I had moved on. She popped in to explore getting back together several times over the years, perhaps realizing that she did feel the same for me as I had for her. Even toward the end of her life, she approached me again, but I was in a better place.

Floating in the Clouds

In the moment, we lose perspective, we are smitten with passion, we are addicted to the dopamine rush — there is no better feeling than floating on the cloud of new love. Practicality rarely enters the room when new love is present. But eventually it rears its ugly head, at which time we realize it’s either time to go, or time to stay. And if we’re really lucky, we realize that there is more to life than fresh and new, and it’s replaced by stable and secure, with the realization that the depth of love isn’t fireworks, but a small burning candle that never goes out, even when the trials of life and child-rearing take their toll. There are times when the wind is blowing and the flame flickers, and there are moments when it briefly seems to die but soon reignites itself. True love is an eternal flame. I’m lucky to have found that.

Fields of Flowers

Springtime, like fresh love, brings new hope. Soon, here in Texas, fields will be covered with bluebonnets as far as the eye can see, followed by fields of orange flowers called Indian paintbrush, followed by the LYFs (little yellow flowers). 

And spring will come to you soon. After the harshness of winter, spring renews our spirit. Life isn’t all springtime; we have to endure all the seasons, including the autumn, when the leaves of love and passion fall, and the winter, when everything freezes. But when facing those moments, there is hope knowing that spring and summer are around the corner, even though sometimes it seems the winter moments in life will never end. They always do. 

Eric Rhoads

PS: Lately I’ve been doing a lot of playing. Last week I tried my first portraits in watercolor. Though not terribly successful, I learned a lot and became inspired to master the medium more (using much of what I learned at Watercolor Live). This week, I bought about 50 pounds of Monster Clay and I’ve been doing my first full-size bust of a head, just to see if I can do it. I’m having a lot of fun trying things I’ve not done before, and it’s making me more excited about everything else. I encourage you to play, to get outside your comfort zone, try something new, get out of your routines.

This week, starting Wednesday the 9th with Beginner/Refresher Day, is my virtual conference called PleinAir Live. If you don’t know the term, plein air is a French term that has come to mean outdoor painting. This virtual conference is all about landscape painting (studio and outdoors), and it features 30 of the best landscape painters alive, including people teaching from other countries. We will have a massive audience, a chance to learn for three days, March 10-12 (four days if you do the Beginner/Refresher day on the 9th, which you can sign up for without the rest of the event). And there are replays you can watch if you can’t make the dates or if you want to rewatch. This might just be the thing you need to pull you out of your comfort zone.

Also going on at Streamline this week…

Plein Air Salon Entry Deadline

$30,000 Art Competition/Deadline: March 31, 2022

Annual Winners Will Be Announced Live at PACE on May 17 in Santa Fe, NM.

Enter this monthly online competition to win cash prizes and recognition. Monthly category winners will be entered into the Annual Competition where the Grand Prize is $15,000 cash and the cover of PleinAir Magazine. Enter one of our 18 categories in plein air and in studio painting.

Learn more. Share

3rd Annual Plein Air Live Virtual Conference

Virtual Event: March 9-12, 2022

Beginners Day: March 9

March 6 is the last day to save up to $300 on a ticket

Replays available if you can’t make the date.

PleinAir magazine presents Plein Air Live, a 4-day online training event featuring 30 of the world’s top landscape and plein air artists doing demonstrations and presentations. Join thousands of artists from around the world to take your work to the next level and learn about the plein air lifestyle and how to become a part of it.

Learn more.

Goosebumps rise on my cold arms, though I’m covered with a cozy green flannel shirt, a sweater, and a blanket draped over my shoulders. The sky is dingy gray, one giant cloud with a slight hint of blue popping out in the distance, providing hope that maybe spring is making its way to us. Sleet drizzles from the sky, building up icy patches on the dry brown winter grass that crunch under my feet as I make my way out to my studio across the yard. Upon arrival my hot cup of coffee is barely warm, but the cranked-up heat inside is welcoming.

Sadly, there are people in this world who are not having a cozy morning. This week I communicated with Vera Kavera, who is a pastel artist living in Ukraine. I had reached out to see if she was OK, and though she was, she was clearly frightened. She told me the first morning she awoke to the sounds of bombs.

No human, no child, none of us should ever have to experience that kind of fright.

As you know, I avoid political topics because everyone has an opinion. But today, I can’t write this little note without acknowledging what is on all of our minds.

Also this past week, I reached out to my dear friend artist Nicholai Dubovik, simply saying that I know there is a possibility our two countries could be in conflict, and if communication is cut off, I wanted them to know they are loved. He replied that he too loved us.

War is always awful, even though it may be justified by some, but it takes on a new face when you have friends whose lives are being impacted. I know a few other artists in Ukraine, and my heart breaks for them.

The feeling of helplessness overcomes me. I asked Vera how I could help, because I was lost, and she simply asked that we keep her in our prayers. One of my employees suggested that maybe we should suggest people buy her video, because she will be needing more money. But I felt that would appear opportunistic. But if that works for you, I’m sure she would love your support.

Throughout history, small voices, individual voices, have had a big impact, either because they are the relentless squeaky wheel, or because they organize and gather others for protests or to contact their representatives. I can’t tell you what to do. You have to follow your heart.

When I learned about prayer, I was told to use names, and to be specific about the outcome you are asking for. I try not to look at God as Santa Claus or a “genie in a bottle” for my own gain.

But I do call on God when I have needs for others, or for myself.

Years ago, my accountant called me and said, “Eric, we cannot meet payroll next week. I’ve called everyone who owes us money, and no one is sending anything this week.” So I asked the exact amount, and I got on my knees in my office and I asked God to provide that exact amount. The following day Marty called from one of the big networks and asked if he could prepay next year’s advertising so he could get it on the books for the current year. I told him yes, and when the check arrived, it was the EXACT amount, to the penny. That convinced me of the power of prayer and being specific.

I’m praying for my friends over there, and I’m praying for a swift end to this insanity. You may not believe what I believe, so I don’t want to try to force that on you. But if you would, consider closing your eyes and asking your God to intercede and end this.

Eric Rhoads

Bam, Slam, Crash!

Startled out of a cozy dream, I jump out of bed and quickly look out the window to see a plastic patio chair flying across the backyard like a reckless pilot in an air show, banging into the gnarly twisted oaks, bouncing off the rocks, and bumping across the weeds until it gets stuck at the back fence.

The old screen door is slamming repeatedly as the wind moves it. The trees are rattling and swaying fiercely. You can hear the wind howl like a coyote. Perhaps spring really does roar in like a lion.

The Four Seasons

There is something profound about the seasons and their relationship to life. Spring is new beginnings and birth, summer is life, fall is old age, and winter is the freeze, the end. As I think about spring, I cannot stop thinking about new beginnings, about the excitement of seeing what blooms in life and in business. The seeds get planted at the start of the year, when we set goals and resolutions and the flowers will pop up soon.

I love everything about new beginnings. I love change, even though it’s our nature to resist it. I love to break what’s not broken, to disrupt what needs disrupting.

Making Change

My wife, Laurie, loves to move furniture around, change out rugs, and disrupt our house. I’m always resistant at first, because I’m comfortable, settled, cozy. Yet, the change is always better; it makes me appreciate our home in fresh ways. It’s healthy to have our lives disrupted, even when it’s unpleasant at first.

But it’s hard to be disruptive, because, as my friend Roy Williams says, “It’s hard to read the label when you’re inside the bottle.” Some of us would rather just stay cozy.

Think about disruptions that have occurred in your life that you resisted or did not embrace, but that ended up making your life better. Disruptions are like spring flowers.

“If you had told me I’d…”

Fill in the blank. I hear it all the time.

We eventually embrace what we initially resist. We adapt. And usually, we see improvement in our lives.

But disruption in life, and businesses, rarely comes from ourselves. Our friend Dawn walked into our house last Sunday after church and pointed out a decorating idea we had not thought of. And it was better. But we could not see it because we look at the house every day.

Too Close to See It

Kodak held the patents on the digital camera. They invented it, but the executives of the company resisted it because it was not about film, which was the business they thought they were in.

A friend who was head of digital for the Washington Post claims he told executives that their Internet content would become more popular than their printed newspaper, but they did not believe him. So he was instructed not to publish stories on the Internet until the paper had been out for 24 hours.

Break It

The way to disrupt is to look at the way things are done, find what you hate about it, figure out how to break it, and figure out what would make it better. People on the inside can rarely see what they should be doing, how they should be changing. Instead, people from the outside can disrupt because they see what can be better. Elon Musk, a co-founder of Paypal, looked at rockets and made them better, looked at cars and made them better. Jeff Bezos looked at books, and distribution, and made all of our lives better.

Why does this matter?

Disruption makes things and people better.

My grandfather had a business selling meat slicers, scales, and meat cases. Supermarkets disrupted him, put packaged meat out, and his business died. He could not see it because he was on the inside.

My goal, as a business owner, is to try to break it at every possible opportunity. It’s not easy, because I cannot see what I need. That’s also true in life. I need others to help me see how my life could be better. We all do.

By making a point to seek feedback, even things we don’t want to hear, we get better. We grow. We change, and we make ourselves or our businesses better. And we need to continually do this to ourselves even though we resist.

Are you set in your ways?
Do you need to be disrupted?

Are you stuck and don’t know it?

Do you have someone who can help you disrupt?

If you want to get disrupted, listen to your kids. They are willing to point out how we need to change, and I’ve found that they are right more often than not.

We’ve all had terrible things happen to us, disasters, deaths, and other unpleasant things, and we come out on the other side different in some ways. I did not like when my dad died, but I grew up in new ways because of it (which he had told me happened to him when my grandfather died).

Embrace disruption. Embrace change. Seek others who can help you disrupt. Life will be more interesting and invigorating.

After all, comfort is nice, but being stuck isn’t.

Eric Rhoads

PS: If you hang with me this year, you’ll see some very interesting disruptions. I can’t tell you more.

One disruption we were forced into because of COVID was launching virtual conferences to replace our in-person events that were canceled. We learned that thousands of people who could not attend in person love the three-day conferences online. And we are continuing them beyond quarantines because people are getting value. Our next one is PleinAir Live, which is March 9-12. Join us by visiting pleinairlive.com. Disrupt yourself by learning to paint.

Here are some things going on at my company, Streamline Publishing, Inc.

—–

PleinAir Salon Entry Deadline

$30,000 Art Competition/Deadline: February 28, 2022

Enter this monthly online competition to win cash prizes and recognition. Monthly category winners will be entered into the annual competition, where the Grand Prize is $15,000 cash and the cover of PleinAir Magazine.

Enter one of our 18 categories in plein air and studio painting.

Learn more. 

3rd Annual PleinAir Live Virtual Conference

Virtual Event: March 9-12, 2022

Beginner’s Day: March 9

March 6 is the last day to save up to $300 on a ticket.

Replays available if you can’t make the date.

PleinAir Magazine presents PleinAir Live, a 4-day online training event featuring 30 of the world’s top landscape and plein air artists doing demonstrations and presentations. Join thousands of artists from around the world to take your work to the next level and learn about the plein air lifestyle and how to become a part of it.

Learn more. 

9th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo

In-Person Event: May 16-20

Location: Santa Fe, NM

Basics Course: May 16

Kevin Macpherson Pre-Convention Workshop: May 16-17

Main Event: 17-20

March 17 is the last day to save $400 on a ticket. 

Plein Air Magazine presents the 9th Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo, a gathering of plein air artists and over 60 top instructors teaching on multiple stages in multiple mediums. Daily painting at a group in iconic locations. Giant Expo Hall of plein air-specific art materials. Art Marketing Boot Camp. Attendance limited.

Learn more. 

11th Annual Publisher’s Invitational Paint Out in the Adirondacks

Artist Retreat: June 11-18, 2022

Location: Paul Smith’s College Near Saranac Lake, NY

Join Eric Rhoads, publisher of Inside Art, PleinAir, and more, for a one-week artist retreat, painting in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. Paint with the group or alone, all meals and lodging provided. Meet new friends, paint multiple pieces daily. All meals together, plus group events, cocktail parties, singing and music, portrait painting, and more. A great way to get better fast or to learn the ropes of plein air painting. This is not a workshop or training event.

Learn more.

7th Annual Fall Color Week

Artist Retreat: October 6-13, 2022

Location: Acadia National Park, Maine

Join Eric Rhoads, publisher of Inside Art, PleinAir, and more, for a one-week artist retreat, painting in the beautiful fall color during peak color week at Acadia National Park in Maine. Paint with the group or alone, all meals and lodging provided. Meet new friends, paint multiple pieces daily. All meals together, plus group events, cocktail parties, lobster dinner, singing and music, portrait painting, and more. A great way to get better fast or to learn the ropes of plein air painting. This is not a workshop or training event.

Learn More.

Paint Russia

Painting Trip and Tour: September 15-29, 2022

Location: Russia

A rare opportunity to paint in the cities and countryside of Russia, along with sightseeing, museum visits (including a private entry into the Hermitage Museum), art studio visits, visits to the two great art academies, and painting with Russian masters. The trip starts in St. Petersburg, then to the small villages inland, then to Moscow, and ends with the village and exact paint spots painted by the great Russian masters like Repin, Serov, Levitan, and others. Hosted by Eric Rhoads. Limited to 50 people. Join the waiting list. This is a one-time trip; it will not be repeated.

Learn More.