Today’s brilliant cobalt blue sky is filled with big, puffy clouds, dark on the bottom and rim-lit with yellow sunrise light. Tiny feather-like light green leaves are showing up on the bare branches, and blossoms of pink and white are filling my favorite tree. Birds are chirping out “Spring is in the air!” and I’m finally able to get back to my porch without a blanket or sweater. Soon bluebonnets will fill nearby farmers’ fields, seducing me and my easel.

Seasons are a good guide for living, since they reflect the cycle of life. Spring is a time to be grateful after the hardships of winter. Gratitude guides my life.

What if we followed the seasons in our lives and our work? Spring is a time for new life, reinvention. Summer is a time to enjoy that reinvention. Fall is a time when the old starts to fade, yet it fades with glory and the most beauty, and winter is a time of death … out with the old, so the new can begin.

My mom used to make us do spring cleaning. It’s a time to open the windows, freshen the old stale air of home, clean out our accumulation of stuff, and throw out or give away what we no longer use.

A Fresh Start

Maybe spring is a time to clean out more than our homes, and to think about what’s working and what in our lives needs to be removed to make for a fresh start.

I like to do an annual personal inventory, and spring is a great time to do it. It’s a good idea to ask yourself if you’re truly happy. Are you doing what you love, or are you stuck in a rut?

Tough Questions

Spring cleaning takes on a new meaning when you make a point to ask yourself these questions…

Am I truly happy? If not, why not? What is getting in the way of my joy? Can I eliminate those things, those people, from my life?

Who am I around who exhausts me, who hurts me, who is not respectful, who does not bring me joy?

What am I not doing that I want to be doing?

Emotional spring cleaning is a great way to change your life. Usually it’s one or two big things that are bringing you down.

Stuck?

“But Eric, I can’t make changes!” you may say. Perhaps you’re stuck in a job you hate, stuck with family who is abusive, with a spouse or partner who brings you down. Maybe you’re caring for an elderly or ill person who needs you.

Yes, life has responsibilities, and we can’t always abandon them. But too often, people stay in place far too long, tell themselves it’s not possible to make a change, wait till their emotional dam bursts, and then do it anyway.

Looking Back

Often, once people escape the ties that bind them — in a healthy way —  I hear them say, “I should have done this years ago. I wasted so much time.”

Looking Inward

I’ve also found that the problems with people and things that bug me the most are usually more about me than them. If I can cut them some slack, not get so worked up, stop letting little things bother me, or try to be a little more understanding of the situation, I find that I am much happier living with things. Attitude is everything. Sometimes that little change can even make the unbearable seem wonderful again.

My pastor says the easy thing to do is walk away — but also that doing it can destroy lives. The hard thing to do is be forgiving, be accepting, be loving, and understand that you’re part of the problem. That changes everything.

What Can You Change?

There are things you can change. You just have to be willing. Jobs, for instance, can be changed. We often feel bound to jobs because we’ve invested so much time, education, and experience, but if a job isn’t working for you anymore, it’s time to move on. It won’t be easy, it won’t be comfortable, and you might even walk away from some secure income. So what?

Which is better? Work another two decades and be unhappy every day, or have less and do what you love?

The question that cuts to the heart of things…

Your doctor has given you 90 days to live.

What will you do with those 90 days?

Perhaps those are the things you should be doing every day.

Are you ready for some emotional spring cleaning?

Are there changes you need to make? Things you need to shed? Things you need to do?

Today is a good day to ponder those changes. Look outwardly and look inward.

Eric Rhoads

You’ve probably seen this, but it might be helpful to read it again:

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
For always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Found in Old Saint Paul’s Church, Baltimore AD 1692
Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

The small sound of pellets of rain has turned into a roar, louder and louder as the rain hits the tin roof in my art studio, where I sit this morning.

Sage-colored leaves frame the light grayish-purple mountain in the distance, under a grayish-yellow ochre sky. Streaks of light suddenly hit the ground, lighting up patches that seem to glow.

Drips pour down the edges of the porch overhang, creating a sheet of water. Wet ground covered in oak leaves and sap green patches of grass lead up to the distant World Famous Artist’s Cabin in the distance. Its dark brown logs are shimmering from the water.

The cabin, which sits among the woods on the back of our rural property outside of Austin, Texas, also has a tin roof, and a porch with two rockers and a porch swing.

Every two weeks or so, almost year-round, the World Famous Artist’s Cabin is occupied by world famous artists (which is how it got its name). These are people we invite for the creation of art instruction videos, and they are so important to us that we just would not feel right putting them up in a hotel when we could share our home and get to know them better.

Driven with Passion

Sometimes in your life, an idea comes to you that has to be done. It’s usually inconvenient, usually a lot of extra work, and often it’s a shiny object that has nothing to do with your plans or your goals.

John Singer Sargent

For me, it was finding a way to change art instruction videos forever. It happened when I was trying to learn more about the techniques of John Singer Sargent, only to learn he never wrote much about painting and the only documentation comes from one of his students. I remember thinking, “If only there had been technology that allowed us to understand how Sargent painted. And even more important, if only we could have deeply probed his brain, to understand what was in his mind.” (Speaking of Sargent, I recently interviewed his grand-nephew and the world’s leading Sargent expert, Richard Ormond.)

The Perfect Position

That’s when I decided I was in the perfect position to do something that went deeper than the typical art instruction videos that had been around. That’s when I decided I needed to capture and document artists in depth, at the highest possible quality. Because, as I often ask myself, “If not me, then who?”

The Artist Legacy

It has turned out to be one of the best parts of my life because I’m interacting with the world’s top artists on the deepest possible level and documenting their technique and their mindset at the moment, helping them leave a legacy that nothing else can provide and a distribution that is unparalleled, something they could never do themselves with any amount of advertising.

Passing the Vault of Lessons

Most artists I approach are somewhat shy, somewhat introverted, and not at all comfortable with the idea of being on camera, yet when I help them understand that they have spent a lifetime figuring things out and that their lessons and mindset will disappear with them, they realize this isn’t at all about the money, it’s about the responsibility of sharing their life lessons. Six hundred years ago, it would be about a master training an apprentice so that apprentice could carry on his knowledge and techniques and then pass it down through the generations. Yet today we can amplify that to the world, and not just to one at a time, making this more powerful than an appearance, a demo, a workshop, or almost anything an artist can do.

There are points in each of our lives where we have to think about these two things…

First, what is it that may be inconvenient and not in your plan, but you must do it because it needs to be done and you’re the only one with the vision and capability to do it?

Second, what is it that you possess, because of your unique life experiences, that no one else in the world possesses? What do you have a responsibility to share with the world?

Resisting the Voices

I spent a lot of years resisting these issues, often telling myself someday and never getting them done. Then the window closed, and I regret not doing them. It’s my belief that God calls out, keeps something in our minds repeatedly, and then closes the door if we don’t listen. Maybe it’s passed to someone else, maybe not, but I’ve learned I need to listen to these things that suddenly appear in my brain.

Shiny Objects

My team tends to call them “Eric’s shiny objects” and even Success Magazine called me the Shiny Object King. Yet, when something is laid on my heart and I feel a responsibility to do it, I’m trying to listen. That may be why I’ve got so much going on, but if you notice, this is all about helping others live their dreams. It’s my goal to be a vessel.

Learning to Listen

You too are a vessel, whether or not you know it or believe it. There is a responsibility you are being given, words ringing in your head that you must listen to. People often mock those who say God speaks to them. I can’t really explain it, but there is a voice in my head. Maybe it’s my conscience, maybe it’s just me talking to myself, but it seems to be random, and not a fit to the rest of my voices. I’m trying to listen because my time left to get things done is unpredictable and I feel a responsibility to spread the passions I possess, to help the world…

• discover painting
• help artists market their work
• document the great artists of our generation before their time runs out
• help others discover something about themselves they did not know was within them.

Finding My Gifts

I once took a class on discovering the gifts we have been given and using those gifts to serve others. Among others who thought they had no gifts, it was an eye-opener to see them discover the gifts they had, and to watch them implement those gifts to help others.

Finding Your Gifts

You too have gifts for the world. If you’ve not discovered them yet, you will. It took me a lot of years. Start by making sure you have quiet time, meditation or prayer time, and make sure it’s not you doing all the talking. Just listen. You don’t have to hear voices. Just be still and think about whatever comes into your mind. It is there you’ll discover an untapped world of deep personal satisfaction, and it’s there you’ll discover your gifts, the things you need to do for others, and the things you must share.

No Platforms

This little thing I call Sunday Coffee is one of the ways I try to share. I also write columns in my magazines, I speak at our conferences, and I teach on my videos. Keep in mind, none of these platforms existed until that voice in my head suggested I create them. I did not know how, I did not have the money, and in some cases I was not sure I even wanted to do them, and yet some turned out to allow me to amplify ways to helps others live their dreams.

Your platforms may be something entirely different. It might be teaching locally, it might be speaking or writing or blogging or something no one has ever thought about.

Recently the voices told me that I needed to get my first art marketing book out in time for the April Plein Air Convention, just a month from now. This was just about five weeks ago, and I will have written it, gotten it edited, proofed, laid out, cover designed, and printed, and have it at the convention. It was a major hassle with all the other things going on, 30 weeks a year of travel, and a business to run, but I felt I needed to listen and do it in spite of how inconvenient it might be, because my voices tell me people need more help with marketing their art.

After my healthy friend Sean had his stroke, I intend to waste no time, knowing any of us could expire at any moment.

Pondering Purpose and Responsibility

I hope today you’ll find a quiet spot and simply listen, and ponder what role you play.

What do you possess that is unique to you?

Where do you have special understanding? Something where no one else has your perspective?

What do you need to share that will make your struggles worthwhile, knowing you’ve helped others avoid them?

What are the voices telling you that you’ve done nothing about?

What passions do you have that you want others to discover?

What is in your mind that seems so big, so overwhelming, that you think someone else should be doing it instead of you? And how can you take a baby step today to begin the process of making it happen?

How You Change the World

You have things deep inside you that truly will change the world. Though you may catch yourself telling yourself that isn’t true, that you don’t have anything special, I don’t believe it and neither should you. The natural defense mechanism in our brains tell us this to protect us, but it’s not protection at all.

If you get into your quiet place and listen, you’ll discover those voices, and if there is nothing there, start asking to understand your purposes, your unique gifts.

You have unbelievable gifts within you, things you don’t even know you have, that have been molded by the experiences in your life. Adversity may have been painful but it’s where many of our gifts come from.

Embrace adversity. Believe that those gifts are there.

Keep listening. The answers will come.

Eric Rhoads

PS: I just returned from an amazing trip to Cuba, which I wrote about here. The best part wasn’t Cuba, it was getting to know some folks deeply from having meals together and painting together for a week. I’ll be doing my summer painters’ retreat again in June in the Adirondacks.

The last few weeks I was honored to share the World Famous Artist’s Cabin with artists Lori McNee, and again with Bill Davidson, Nancie King Mertz, and Thomas Jefferson Kitts. I feel so blessed to be able to get acquainted with these greats.

An update: My buddy Sean is still “locked in” to his body, totally aware, but unable to move or speak. I’m praying that his body will recover and give him ability to communicate and have mobility. Thanks to those of you who donated to help him and his wife survive financially. We’ve got a good start, but their medical bills are so steep that they still need help should you feel willing.

Dark, billowing clouds are dancing overhead and the muted orange sun is streaming rays out over the Atlantic Ocean. Balmy air is met with a quiet breeze as palm fronds playfully move about, swaying from side to side. Cathedral bells ring out and echo off the old historic buildings.

I hear distant music in the streets, the soundtrack of Cuba. I’m up earlier than normal this morning and instead of the usual porch in the backyard, I’m on the upper deck on top of a hotel in Havana.

Last night over dinner one of the painters here with me told me she had once lived in New Orleans, which prompted me to tell her this story.

My Chance to Own a Radio Station

When I was a young man, about 23, I learned of an FM radio license possibly available in a small town outside New Orleans. This was very rare because it was believed that all the radio licenses that could be granted by the FCC were gone. Was it too good to be true?

The process to apply for a license required visiting the community and meeting with 150 or so community leaders and citizens to ascertain their needs, so you could prove to the FCC that you were able to meet those needs.

Doors Slammed in My Face

Upon arrival in this small Louisiana town, we found everyone to be very unfriendly. No one would talk to us. People would slam doors in our faces. But why?

Meet the Boss Man

Finally, we sat down in the city hall of this tiny town, and it was like a movie set. It was sweltering hot, and the clapboard building had wicker chairs and a slow-spinning ceiling fan. The leader of the town kept us waiting for four hours, and after he found that didn’t discourage my partner and me, we entered his office. It was like a scene out of the old TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. This man was dressed like Boss Hogg … white suit, white hat, giant cigar, a half-empty fifth of Jack Daniel’s, and he had his cowboy boots up on the desk when we entered. He did not stand to greet us or shake our hands.

In the deepest Louisiana accent, he said, “I understand you boys want that radio frequency down in these parts.”

“Yes, sir,” I said respectfully.

“There have probably been 200 people down here trying to get that license, but there is something you need to understand. I control things around here. I control all the land and the permits where you would need to build your tower. And I happen to own the one local radio station here. So you boys won’t get a permit to get a picket fence, let alone a tower.”

“But sir, we intend to serve the community, and we won’t impact your radio station. The reason the FCC wants another station here is so there are other people offering service.”

Alligators Await You, Boy

“You think I don’t know that, boy?” he said heatedly. “You boys better be gettin’ out of my town lickety-split. If we catch you talking to any of the people in our town, our officers might just pull you over, find a bag of cocaine under your car seat, and put you in jail. No one comes out of our jail, and the only way out is through the alligators.”

The meeting ended, and not well.

Naively, we continued to try and meet with people, but more doors were slammed in our faces. Now we understood why.

This Isn’t a Movie

By chance we landed at the office of a local attorney who had spent his career trying to bring this man and his brother down because they were so crooked. When we told him what happened, he told us, “Boys, this ain’t the movies. This won’t end well. People who get arrested in this town really do end up with the alligators. I don’t recommend you stay.”

This of course did not stop us; we were determined to get that station. But soon we noticed a squad car following us and we got spooked, so we got in our rental car and drove to our motel in New Orleans, about 30 miles away. This was around two o’clock in the afternoon, and that squad car followed us all the way there and parked right outside our room.

I was more frightened than I’d ever been in my life.

Escape in the Night

Once it got to be bedtime, we turned the lights out, but we stayed awake and alert, and finally that squad car left at two in the morning. If his job was to make a point and scare us, it worked. Once he left, we grabbed our bags, got in our rental car, and went to the airport, where we slept safely until our flight the next morning.

The following morning I phoned our FCC attorney and told him the story. He said, “That’s unfortunate, Eric, but the FCC won’t give you that license unless you have about 200 ascertainment interviews, and even then it’s a long shot. You simply weren’t meant to get this license, and this explains why such a rare license is available. It looks like no one will get that license.”

Then I said something the attorney did not expect.

A Bold Idea

“Let’s go to the FCC with a sworn affidavit from me, telling them about the situation, telling them our lives were threatened, and telling them we can’t build a station tower in that town because they won’t give us a permit. Maybe they would make an exception and move the city of license and not make us do ascertainments?”

He told me the FCC had never done anything like that in their history and that I would be wasting my time.

Just Do It

Though I was young, very insecure, and respected this man tremendously, I told him I would write it up and get it notarized, and I asked if he would present it to the FCC and request a special hearing. Reluctantly, he said he would do it, but it would cost me a lot of money, and he repeated that it wouldn’t work and would be a giant waste of time.

Months passed, and one day I received a call: The FCC had granted me the license.

Following Your Gut

If I had listened to the advice of my attorney, the course of my life would have changed significantly. Because I had a gut feeling, because I did not allow his advice to sway me, because I believed in my own ability to write a convincing argument, I ended up building a station, putting it on the air with one of the best signals covering New Orleans, and eventually selling it at a nice profit. Though a couple of hundred had tried, I prevailed.

Winston Churchill was known for saying, “Never, never, never give up.”

Fool, This Can’t Be Done

I have a lot of crazy ideas, and it is not unusual for people around me to tell me why it’s a bad idea, why it’s not possible, why it won’t work, why we will lose money. Often I’ll assign a project that is seen as folly, or even impossible, and I get the response that it simply can’t be done.

My radar goes up when I hear the words “It’s not possible. It cannot be done,” and I am driven to find a way, and almost every time I’ll work on it until I’ve proven that it can be done.

Most people stop at the first no, or the second no, or sometimes the third. I believe that every project has a large number of “nos” until you get to a “yes,” and the more “nos” there are, the more it’s worth doing.

Consider “NO” as Progress

My friend and former sales trainer Pam Lontos used to demonstrate this principle by stuffing $100 worth of $1 bills into her sleeves and clothes. She’d have a salesperson come up and talk with her, and every time she said no, they would pick a dollar bill from her. She said no many times, and they ended up with a dollar for each one. The point being that you have to be ready to keep asking, no matter how many “no” answers you get.

What are the times when you did not accept “no” that turned out well?

What are the times you regret accepting a negative answer?

People Who Try to Kill Ideas

I’ve discovered that pack mentality tends to default to the negative, not the possibilities. I’ve discovered that when a lot of people tell me something is a bad idea, I realize what a good idea it is after all. I’ve also found that the more negatives there are in the media about something, the more likely it is to happen. Remember how everyone said Jeff Bezos could not succeed with Amazon? He is now the richest man in the world.

This isn’t about money, or about business, it’s about a way to consider living life. It’s about believing in your instincts and following your own vision, your own dream, no matter how many people tell you it’s a bad idea. It might be about your art, your dreams, your goals, a better life.

Giving Up on Dreams

I’ve met dreamers who failed but are glad they tried. I’ve met dreamers who never tried and regret not trying. I’ve been both. I never followed my dream of becoming a Hollywood film actor, and though I’ve never given up, I’ve never really tried because I lacked self-confidence and told myself the odds were against me. I wasn’t following my own advice, so I’ve not given up on this dream, or on some others I’ve told myself were not possible.

Impossible Becomes Possible

Almost everything that is in your head is possible, or will become possible. (No, I can’t wish myself to become 7 feet tall.) When I went into the Internet radio space, I was told by every technology person I interviewed that what I wanted to do was not possible — that physics would not support it. The guy I hired told me it was impossible but he would figure out a way to do it, and he did.

Everything starts with your belief systems. Though we always need to listen to others, we also need to keep in mind that our vision is different from theirs. You can see things others can’t envision.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you…

• It’s impossible
• It costs too much
• It can’t be done
• Physics won’t support it
• No one has ever done it
• You’re too old
• You’re too young
• You don’t have the right education
• You’re not good enough
• If Edison couldn’t do it, why do you think you could?

The voices inside your head are put there so you can change the world. So you can do the impossible.

Your Special Mission

You have been given a purpose, a belief, and though few can see it or understand it, you have special abilities to see what they cannot. Don’t let others discourage you, don’t let others stop you, don’t take no for an answer, ever. The world will change, and what is physically impossible today may not be tomorrow.

Seeing Beyond Others

The great people of our times like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, as well as the greats of the past, were all told what they wanted to do was impossible. Yet they were driven to prove their ideas could happen, and they worked tirelessly to find answers and solutions. They never took no for an answer. Sometimes they are seen as arrogant or tough, which is probably only from frustration when others tell them no and cannot see the world they envision.

Life is richer when you follow the voices in your head and never accept no for an answer.

In what areas of your life do you need to plow forward in spite of negative comments or discouragement?

What Are Your Voices Saying?

If you tell yourself, “But I’m different, I truly can’t do this,” you are underestimating your own abilities. You have things inside you that will come out at the right time, when you need them, and you’ll surprise even yourself.

Use this week to dream, and to move forward on your dream because you know in your heart your ideas, your vision, CAN be done. Oh, you’ll still have self-doubt. When you catch yourself doubting, kick it out of your head and tell yourself, “That’s unlike me. Of course I can do this.”

You will find a way.

Eric Rhoads

PS: I was told it would be impossible to take a group of 100 artists to Cuba to paint. I was told both governments would never allow it, yet it happened, two years ago. Then I was told it could not be repeated. But right now I’m in Cuba with a group of painters, and today we’ll be painting all over Havana. Wish us luck. Internet is spotty, but watch my Facebook page for photos and video this week, or once I get back.

Nestled in my art studio this morning, my bare feet wrapped under a blanket, which covers me keeping the chill off. The whir of a small space heater trying to play its part. Chilled raindrops slowly and methodically pinging on the metal roof above me.

Looking at my blessings each day, my daily exercise of finding three things to be grateful for, I recall the days when painting occurred in a back bedroom with the paint smelling up the whole house, which eventually pushed me into a small corner of the garage. Countless hours were spent there bundled up in the winters and in t-shirts and shorts in the summers since there was no climate control. Yet my passion to paint overcame any inconvenience. And frankly, I know even those conditions were a luxury compared to most.

A Dream Art Studio

The dream of one day having a studio of my own, with ample space for my friends to visit and paint models on Wednesday nights, came true about seven years ago when we moved to this very spot. The little 16×20 brown clapboard cabin sits behind the house overlooking the winding oaks and distant purple hills; its porch has a fireplace to warm me on days when I move my easel there.

A Room of Memories

The tall ceiling comes to a peak, making the small space feel bigger, and every square inch of wall space is covered with framed plein air studies I’ve painted on my art retreats and fine art trips all over the world. Within view … a lighthouse and colorful trees painted on fall color week, a nocturne (night) painting done in Bruggen, a waterfall done in the Adirondacks in one of the same spots many Hudson River School painters painted, a Native American painted in Santa Fe, and a rock scene painted with my friend Joe McGurl.These and hundreds of paintings are my lifetime memories of trips, painting with friends, painting models, and living the plein air lifestyle. Unlike tens of thousands of photos, which may someday be lost on discarded hard drives, paintings are much harder to throw away. One can only hope they find good homes with my kids, grandkids, and their grandkids.

A Family Celebration

Speaking of kids, last week I found myself with tears streaming down my cheeks as I searched old photos of my children at different ages so I could could post some old pictures on Facebook in celebration of their sixteenth. I had no idea the impact this momentous celebration would have on my heart; it was a sobering moment realizing that with driver’s licenses we will begin the separation process, soon to be followed by college, then the rest of life.

When I think about how little time they have in their nest, I started thinking about what lessons they still need to learn. One can only hope our own behavior and actions have left them with the tools they need for a quality life.

A Different Kind of To-Do List

I decided to make a list of traits I hope my children will adopt that will serve them well, so I can think about ways I might help them develop some of these important traits before they fly. Though the list is personal, the thing that led me to this is that lessons cannot just be random. We need to be deliberate. Though much of parenting is accidental, which is why our bad traits are also absorbed and become part of our legacy, we need to put ourselves in a position where they can observe these lessons in action.

Making a Point

An example: I recently picked out a pair of sunglasses when we were all in a store buying some things together. I handed the glasses to my wife to add to the the items she was purchasing. Because her hands were full she put them in her purse fully intending to pay for them, only to discover when we returned home that she had not paid for them. Though a return to the store was inconvenient, and though I could have phoned them to give my credit card, I piled the family into the car, made the drive, and together we went in to pay for them. The clerk was amazed and said “this never happens,” and then let us know how much they appreciated our honesty. Having the kids hear those words was important.

What They Don’t Know Can Help Them

My kids would rather sit on their screens, texting their friends, than go out on an adventure. Visits to museums are met with whining, yet usually the kids are grateful at the end of the experience. They don’t know what they don’t know; therefore it’s easier to let them stay home. But then, that isn’t good parenting.

What is on your list for your kids, grown or young, or grandkids, or nieces and nephews?  What lessons do they need to learn?

What things do they need to be exposed to in order to open their minds? What things do you need to drag them to, that they don’t want to do, that they might enjoy?

What traits have given you an advantage, which need to be instilled in your kids? What traits have hurt you along the way, which you can help them avoid?

Breaking Bread Plays a Powerful Role

When I was a child, we sat for dinner as a family every night, starting with a prayer of gratitude. Later in years, we gather as a family on Sunday nights for dinner. Everyone is welcome. I’ve come to realize that dinner is about sharing stories of our day, our lessons, and also a chance to listen. It’s something we don’t do enough of anymore. Busy lives and homework tend to lead to random meals. Yet in spite of how difficult it is to gather as a family, this is the glue that holds families together, helps them hear the stories of the past, the lessons of our day or week, and that gives us a chance to reconnect on a deeper level, and maybe help each one feel heard.

Life’s Lessons

These phases of life, monumental birthdays, play an important role reminding us of our own role, our own purpose, what we are grateful for, and what we have yet to accomplish. Though it was a week of celebration, it was also a stark reminder that time travel exists and that it’s moving fast, and though parenting lasts forever and lessons continue, we have much to get done.

What will you do this week to impart lessons to friends, family, and others, which are important for them to hear or experience?

It’s my hope that your week will be richly blessed and that new lessons are learned that we can pass to others to make them better, stronger, more resilient, and have more open and caring hearts.

Eric Rhoads

I’m shivering — my flesh has goosebumps. Frost and shiny reflections of ice on my porch take me outside long enough to grab a couple of fallen trees for the fire to warm my skin.

Nestled away in their cozy covers, the family sleeps while I sit in my favorite recliner, one my wife found along the road. We took it down to its solid bones, adding new muscles and a fresh skin.

Snap, crackle, and pop accompany the flames, the only sounds present other than the tapping of little doggy paws on the wooden floor of this old stone Texas ranch house as Tucker, our new 11-year-old rescue, paces awaiting breakfast.

Touching Memories

Wrapped in history — an Afghan blanket knitted by my grandmother “Mema” and given to me on my 17th birthday, keeps me warm emotionally and physically. Knowing her delicate and frail hands infused each strand of yarn with her love makes me tear up when I think about how much she is missed and how much she touched my life with important lessons.

Thinking back, there are those who are in our lives, and those who touch our lives. There is a difference. Someone can be in your life for a great length of time and not leave their mark, while a brief encounter with someone else can have a profound effect.

Some impact is premeditated, some is accidental (though I’m convinced there are no real accidents).

Angel Drops

Looking through a microscope at my own history, I can point to brief moments where an impact was made by the angels dropped into the winding country road of life. Looking back, I can see moments where someone briefly appeared, dropped off a lesson at the exact right time, then departed.

I can also see times when someone kept putting the same message into my life, over and over until the timing was right for me to hear it. As I say in my Art Marketing Boot Camp, it is repetition that sells products. The same is true for lessons, especially when there are teenagers involved.

Grandmother Calling

When we were kids living at 5311 Indiana Avenue in Fort Wayne, Indiana, our phone (Kenmore 7463) would ring and Mema would say, “I just wanted you to know that Billy Graham is on TV right now on Channel 15.” She must have done it a hundred times, and though I rolled my eyes because I thought I had better things to do, she never stopped … and I miss those calls today. Somewhere in the middle of it all, the repetition helped me understand the importance of what she was trying to tell me.

At the fire I’m tending, the flames are now reduced to embers and will soon burn out. We all need to fan embers to bring new flames and new passions. It is that repetition of messages that brings out the flames. But sometimes a fire starts with only a brief spark.

These angels may have a specific lesson to give, but mostly they help others discover what is inside of themselves, and help them see things in themselves that they couldn’t see before. These angels offer encouragement, build confidence, and help us become better.

Any Life Left?

Actor Will Smith has a viral video that asks, “Are the people around you contributing to your life, making you feel better about yourself, or are they sucking the life out of you?” He asks, “With whom are you spending your time?”

Rarely do we know the impact of our words, whether they are encouraging, hopeful, sharing ideas — or snuffing out the flames.

Random Meeting

Years ago, I was visiting a radio convention and I was stopped by a man I didn’t recognize. He introduced himself, told me that we had worked together very briefly, and that I had said one thing to him in passing that had encouraged him to go out and buy his own radio station. He told me he had never considered it or believed he could do it, but my words of encouragement gave him the confidence, and today he is a station owner with several radio stations. He told me I had changed his life, yet I had not even remembered saying it.

Did you ever say something to someone and then wonder where those words came from? Something just came out of your mouth, unplanned? You just blurted it out?

Unpredictable Words

I’m convinced that we are vessels, placed in circumstances at certain times when angels are needed, and that those words that fall into our brains, unpremeditated, are placed on our lips to help people in need of those words at those times.

It probably sounds crazy. I get that. Yet the more years I’m alive, the more things I experience that I cannot begin to understand, and sometimes I believe we are the angels, or perhaps they are speaking through us.

I also think those words that come to us can be from a positive source — or a negative source. It’s like the little devil on the left shoulder and the angel on the right shoulder. Both enter our heads, and we have to have enough discernment to ask ourselves, “Are my words going to be used for good or evil?”

Sometimes our messengers help us see a bad situation that we would rather not see, rather not face. Yet negative messages, no matter how helpful, are rarely received well. This is where relationships end, especially with those who want to avoid those who snuff out their flames. It’s a delicate balance.

A Painful Letter

Several years ago, I felt the need to write a letter to a family member because I saw things going on that he did not see. They were, in my opinion, so harmful to him, and I loved him so much, that I felt he needed to know, even at the risk of losing my relationship with him, to save him from such deep pain and the coming train wreck. After I hit the send button, I knew there was no turning back. The result was not what I had expected. He did take the action recommended, but he has not spoken to me since, and years have now passed. I miss him terribly, and I’m not convinced it was worth the sacrifice of not having him in my life. Now I wonder if it would have been better for him to face the train wreck and learn the harder lesson on his own, without my pointing it out.

A well-meaning push to help someone avoid pain may seem like a good thing to do, yet pain and adversity are often what others need. Adversity is what results in growth and turning points. I had not considered that, and only hope that time will eventually heal the wounds.

Words can cut like powerful swords and create deep wounds, or they can be be like glowing bricks that build greatness in others.

Which words will you use?

What do you see in others that they do not see in themselves, and how can you help them see it?

E-Words

I’m convinced more than ever that the only kinds of words that flow from our lips should be words of love and encouragement. Yes, there are times when discipline or correction is needed, and times when someone needs to be pushed off the tracks before the train of adversity crushes them, yet it all has to be done with love and care.

I’ve also discovered that the only words that penetrate the shield of the human brain are positive words, and they sometimes have to be used to help someone discover something in themselves.

Cutting Words

Families and relationships only break because of negative words that have come from our lips, negative actions, usually in a moment of deep passion or anger. Those words never leave us and become our story. Though we all should learn the magic of forgiveness, our egos get in our way.

Words linger inside our spirits. Words bounce around inside our heads for a lifetime, and each time they bounce, they either make us feel better or feel worse. Over time the impact of those words reverberating builds us up or tears us down. I carried words that I found hurtful with me for decades, and I did not heal till I shed them and forgave the speaker of those words.

The words “I’m truly deeply sorry that I’ve hurt you, and I beg your forgiveness” can repair decades of hurt, even though they are the hardest words for us to say.

Valentine’s Day Massacre

As I write this, words I’ve spoken that have caused damage come to mind, words where forgiveness is needed. What about you? As you read this, are you realizing words that you’ve spoken that cut down others like the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre? Are there words where you were cut down, words you allowed to hurt you? Can you forgive and move on, or make a call and try to heal the wound?

Are You Reflecting?

I’ve also realized that certain people have only negative bullets loaded in their verbal arsenal, and no matter how much we crave their love, crave for them to change, they will not. Often avoidance is best, yet sometimes it’s not possible. We cannot change others, only ourselves. Yet you can make a decision right now. Are you going to spend the rest of your life as a reflector or a deflector? When negative arrows are shot at you, do you reflect them and shoot negative arrows back? Do you let those negative arrows penetrate you? Or do you approach them with love, and simply deflect them so they don’t rule your life?

The only arrows we should carry in our quiver should be golden arrows, and when people shoot dark, negative words, we should not pick them up and put them in our own quiver.

Hurt Me, I’ll Hurt You Back

Human nature, our reptilian brain, wants to hurt others when they hurt us. It’s built into our DNA, but to evolve to a higher level, we must resist the urge to return pain. We simply need to tell ourselves that they must really be hurting, must have deep anger because someone hurt them along the way, and pray that they one day evolve to a loving and giving spirit.

It’s so natural. I can have a family member scold me or yell at me and allow it to ruin my day, and push those negative boulders downhill to others, which in turn ruins their day and makes them push the pain along even further. Eventually those boulders will build, and grow, and create damage of epic proportions, impacting hundreds of others.

Crushing Others with Your Bad Day

Or, when I’m wounded, I can stop that boulder, take a few minutes to understand what I might have done to create that anger, and not push that boulder any further. Sometimes I have to take a walk, or go out into the wilderness and let out a primal scream to stop pushing. But if I push it forward, I’m hurting others even though I’m really just trying to heal my own pain.

That’s why our words matter.

Are you pushing along negative boulders that will roll down the mountain and crush others along the way? Or are you pushing out warm sunlight that encourages and warms the soul?

How do people feel when they leave your presence?

Today, let’s practice. After all, small steps lead to big actions. So, ask yourself…

• Who in my life needs to know I believe in them? Who can I encourage?
• Who needs to see something in themselves that I see and they don’t see, something that will help them soar?
• Who have I wounded who needs my sincere apology?
• Who do I need to forgive so I can let go of the negatives inside myself?
• Who shoots only negative arrows? Who do I need to avoid?
• Who is there who shoots negative arrows and I can’t avoid them — but I can decide to return only positive arrows?
• What wounds from the past am I clinging to that I need to let go of, that are getting in the way of my progress?
• Who can I turn to that I know is always encouraging, and how can I spend more time receiving their encouragement?
• Who desperately needs to hear words of encouragement from me?

If you think about what you’re grateful for every day, then think about three people a day you can reach out to and tell them how much you appreciate them, how much they mean to you. Or leave them with some words of encouragement. Your own life will change for the better. Before long the negative clouds will disappear from over your head and you’ll be flooded in warm sunlight.

This week, my plan is to put only positive arrows in my word quiver, even in negative circumstances. My goal is to find a way to deal with those negative circumstances with positive words. It will be harder, but it will make a massive difference in outcomes.

If you’ve read this little Sunday Coffee note this far, I am grateful for your time. I want you to know that I believe in you. Even though we may not know one another, I want you to know that your big, impossible dreams are not impossible, and that giant walls of adversity can be overcome. Even if for some reason they cannot because it’s too late, know that the words you use to change the outlook of others will change your own outlook and make the unbearable more bearable.

Imagine how your life would change if you made just one change in the type of words you use.

Warmly,

Eric Rhoads

EricRhoads.com

PS: If you received this because someone else has sent it to you, I do this every Sunday morning, and it can come to your inbox directly if you subscribe in the sidebar. Mark it as “important.” If ever you cannot find it, it might have ended up in a spam or promotions folder. Simply take it out and mark it as “not spam.” That will help make sure you’re seeing it. I also post it on my Facebook page each week. I hope you’ll follow me there. It’s a good place to see more pictures of our new dog, Tucker, pictures of our insanely crazy life, and a chance to interact a little more. And of course, I welcome your comments below. And I’m always flattered when people pass this along to others because they felt they might enjoy it.

This soft Sunday morning on the back porch sees a deep and thick fog covering intense backlight from the rising sun, creating a tunnel like those in a movie scene where they “walk into the light.” Color is absent; the yard is reduced to shades of gray. Distant gnarled and twisted oak branches are silhouetted and are lighter in the distance, darker and bigger as they come close. This morning would be a good painter’s lesson on perspective, atmosphere, and values (the scale of light to dark).

The morning is nearly silent, sound dampened by dense fog. Birds gossip in stereo. The old swing hangs still and low to the ground, as if waiting for its next rider.

I’m wringing my my hands from the chill, but my mug radiates heat to warm my fingers between keyboard strokes.

Like every Sunday morning, when I try to sit quietly and give honor to my past week, today I reflect on a difficult but important moment, something over which I scoured my brain for new lessons on life. As good as these lessons were, they were hard.

A Difficult Week

Last week I mentioned that I was heading to Portland to visit my friend who had had a stroke that left him unable to speak, unable to move anything but his eyes, and those only up and down.

Upon leaving I told my wife that I was dreading this trip because I knew it would be painful for my friend and for me, yet I was looking forward to being there for him, because that’s what friends do.

Stressed About What to Say

For the entire plane ride, I ruminated about different scenarios in my mind. What do I say? How do I say it? I can’t ask questions, I can only monologue. Do I give him encouragement? Is it false hope, or can he possibly recover?

Upon arrival I was greeted by one of my other close friends, Jackson, who drove down to Portland from Seattle to support me and to be there for our friend Sean. We discussed all the approaches we might take and finally decided none of that mattered, that the only thing that mattered was showing up, being there for a friend, and his knowing we loved him enough to make the trip. All we could do was let him know we supported him, we loved him, and we believed in his ability to fight the biggest fight of his life.

A Gold Nugget Moment

My time with Sean was brief, maybe 20 or 30 minutes, because he becomes exhausted easily, and because he had to be prepared for another surgery that afternoon. And though what I said would be too personal to share here, I feel that was among the most important 20 minutes of my life, and the two days of travel for 20 minutes with him and his wife was well worth the time and the money.

What Would You Do?

I learned a lot on this trip. A lot about my friend, a lot about strokes, a lot about his wife, a lot about what happens to people in this situation, and a lot about myself. This experience made me turn inward and ask myself what I might do if I were totally lucid but trapped inside a body that couldn’t move or communicate. Ultimately, no matter how hard I try, I can’t answer that question. Though I think I would have the will and the fight to continue, it’s really impossible to know.

A Flood of Appreciation

What I do know, however, is that I felt a flood of appreciation for each breath I take, for each step, for the warmth of the sun on my face as I was walking over to the hospital, and even appreciation for every ache and pain, every word I can utter, because I know my friend cannot experience any of that.

I also realized that life boils down to brief moments.

As I take inventory of the best, most memorable times in my life, it’s not decades or years or even special months or weeks. It’s a collection of brief moments.

Celebration of Memories

I’ve had so many wonderful moments I can celebrate. The moment I realized I was in love with my wife. The moment we married. The moment our triplets were born. The moment we celebrated their first birthday. The moment we put them in preschool. And so many more.

Moments, I realized, don’t usually happen randomly. Though there are random and memorable moments, some of the best come from an orchestrated effort.

For instance, the effort to go visit my friend, which will remain among the most special moments of my life. The effort of my good buddy Jackson, who spent the two days with me catching up on our lives, our families. And laughing and joking like old friends do, which is something our friend, lying in a hospital bed, would encourage and appreciate.

I can’t begin to document all the special moments. Many are forgotten, but they come up again through reminders as I talk with an old friend or my wife.

What I Should Have Done

My regret, however, is not taking the time to create new special moments with my good friend, whom I had not seen in person for over three years and talked to only occasionally. In hindsight, I wish I had made the effort to get on a plane and spend a weekend with him while he was well and strong. I had considered it, but did nothing about it because of all the usual excuses, like time or expense.

Though I’m not one to look back with too many regrets, I have decided that I need more moments with those who are important in my life … my wife, my kids, my special friends.

I’m also in a state of heightened awareness that one moment could bring you or me down. Therefore the gift my friend unknowingly gave me is a harsh reminder that I cannot wait to get more important things done and make the most of life.

Embracing What We Have

I need to use the gift of time and health for the things that will hopefully change the worlds where my passions lie.

I realized that though I’m active, and busy, and doing a lot, I’m simply not doing enough. I don’t want to look back, trapped in a body unable to speak, or six feet under, knowing that important things that required my special skills did not get done.

In Search of Understanding

I sometimes wonder how people like Steve Jobs or Elon Musk accomplish so many things and change the world so much. They have special gifts, incredible vision, and ideas beyond what others could even think of. They believed in their ideas and their passion and executed their visions and were driven to make the impossible happen. I wonder how they got so much done, and I’m going to start to study people like this to understand how I can do more.

I’m not here today to be morbid. I sit here on the porch in celebration that my own problems are small, that my own aches don’t matter, that I’m still blessed to breathe, move, and live. I’m grateful for that gift, and not one moment can be wasted.

Each of us, including you, possesses a special gift.

Discovering Your Passion

It took me decades to discover a passion for art and to realize that my primary goal in life is to help others discover and embrace painting, sculpting, or any form of art-making, or even collecting or appreciation.

Don’t Wait for Answers

Though I teach artists how to market, how to set goals, and how to plan, all of which are important, I also have to say that random events have always led me to the things I need to be doing. The key is action. One can’t sit around and wait for answers, because they don’t come from waiting, they come from action — any action that then leads you to something you never knew you would discover.

Accidental Magic

My entry into radio was not premeditated, but accidental, at a time I did not know what I wanted to do. The same is true for my entry into painting, and later creating art magazines, art retreats, and conventions. Even my art marketing classes started as an accident. But they all happened because I was taking actions that led me to discovery of these things.

A Deeper Purpose

This week in Portland, my friend said he had discovered Sunday Coffee and asked me why I did it, why I bothered to take the time, since it wasn’t really about art and was not about promoting my business. I paused, hesitated, and said, “I think it’s about helping others think about things they might not have thought about, and discover things inside themselves that they don’t realize are there, and hopefully help them believe in themselves so they can make their own lives as good as they can be.”

Pick Just One Thing

If you had just one thing you needed to get done, needed to accomplish, and you had to get it done now, so you knew it would get done before your unexpected last breath, what would that one thing be? What are the baby steps you can take to make that thing happen?

What is your special gift? You may not know what it is, but those close to you can tell you things about yourself and your special gifts that you probably don’t realize you have. And then, how can you use that gift to change the world around you?

An Agreement Together

Let’s make an agreement. Let’s not waste one more minute on things that don’t provide moments, memories, or good value to ourselves and those around us. You and I both know that it could have been your good friend instead of mine, or it could be us. Our time may be long or short, but since we don’t know, let’s make each tick of the clock one tick closer to greatness.

Here is some great wisdom from the movie trailer for 15:17 to Paris.

Once you discover who you really are, you begin to discover you have been given authority over your life
But you can only do that through the struggle of life
Most people are born to struggle
Most people go through life avoiding pain
When you’re working on a dream, at some time a transition takes place
You learn how to leap higher
You start challenging yourself to dig deeper
Something in you that you never activated lies dormant in there
Don’t try taking shortcuts
Do what you know is right
You’ve been chosen for this great work

Respectfully,

Eric Rhoads

PS: I know this is a tough ask. Especially since you don’t know my friend. While I was in Portland, I learned that he had used up all his comp time and is no longer getting paid by his employer. That is not evil or unexpected, it just is what it is.

Secondly, his stroke came the very day he and his wife closed on a new house. Now they can’t make the house payments, and all of their small savings is going to hospital bills. And they need to be able to afford to make their small house payments.

His wife is an artist who has been trying to launch her own art career but now finds herself with bills that will burn all of their savings, and it’s looking like she will have to find a way to care for her husband in facilities, probably for the rest of his life. Insurance can’t cover everything.

If you would find it in your heart to give just a couple of dollars, together we could help an artist and her husband get through some of their massive expenses. No pressure from me. And don’t put yourself out; I don’t want to take food off your table. I know every dollar is precious. But if you can afford a couple of bucks, anything will help: https://www.gofundme.com/share/similar-campaigns/sean-demory-stroke-medical-expenses

PPS: Early valentines day greetings to everyone! Have a great day! It’s gonna be a big day for us because we always get about 200 registrations that day since its our last day for early bird price on the Plein Air Convention. So wish us luck with the mad rush 🙂

A warm orange glow dances across the blades of grass and lights up the trunks of my oak trees on this crisp morning. The warming sun and my hot coffee have removed the chill here on the back porch. I’m wondering if spring has begun or if it’s only a teaser before the cold Arctic blasts return. I’m hopeful it will be an early spring, not uncommon here in Austin, and a great time to paint fields of blue and orange when the Texas bluebonnet season arrives.

Most of my mornings start out thinking about three things I’m grateful for. Today it’s breathing in the fresh air, the ability to walk through the yard, and the gift of saying “I love you” to my wife and kids. Sadly, as I ponder last week, these gifts are reinforced.

A Cryptic Text

I knew something was wrong when I received a text from one of my closest friends that read, “Eric, it’s Jen please call me. I’m using Sean’s phone.”

The grim voice on the other side told me that Sean had suffered a massive brain-stem stroke, was on a respirator, and was paralyzed completely, only able to move his eyes.

One of my dearest friends, Sean has worked for me three times. I gave him his first job at age 19, when I was just 22, and we’ve been close since 1978. Sean loved his job in radio and always resisted the idea of someday retiring. I remember him telling me that to him, retirement would be like death, because it would keep him from what he loved doing.

Now, Sean is facing the biggest challenge of his life. I’ll be on an airplane to visit with him this week. But his stroke serves as a reminder that everything can change in a split second, and that when you and I look back, we want to make sure, if we are able, that we are doing what we love every second of our lives.

Please Let Me Work!

A few years ago I met Rick, an artist who had owned a giant business, and who had sold it for a large amount of money. After selling it, he told me, “I can never spend all this money, and every day I wake up bored and wishing I was still running my business because I loved being there with my employees and my clients. I’ve realized that is more valuable than money. I may be rich, but I would rather be going to work every day.” Though Rick is thankful he discovered painting, he misses running the business he built, his true passion.

A Giant Smile on My Dead Face

Though I have never really considered retirement or even slowing down, Rick’s situation reinforced my decision to work forever. I cannot imagine taking my active brain and giving it no outlet for my ideas. I too would be bored, so I decided that my goal is to be carried out from my desk, at a very, very old age, with a big smile on my face because I was doing what I loved. Or maybe it will be in my studio, or painting plein air, which I always find time to to do.

So Why Do I Think Retirement Is a Bad Idea?

Giving up eight hours a day, five days a week, for 40 or more years is a giant sacrifice. My belief is that those 80,000 hours should used only doing something you love, or on a mission you are so driven to accomplish that it never seems like work. The very idea of just showing up, burning 80,000 hours doing something you despise, seems very wrong.

I know many people do it. Some feel trapped because of financial pressures or because they feel they can’t find anything else. Some make the best of it, others show up every day hating their work and looking forward to the day they retire.

Of course, there are also people who don’t have a choice, who have to retire due to age restrictions in the company or industry they work in. Or maybe health conditions force them out, like the surgeon whose hands can no longer operate, or the construction worker whose body can no longer lift heavy materials.

The Reality of Work

I discovered the hard way that boredom, the lack of excitement and energy, is what drives the desire to escape. I’m a living example. When my business celebrated 20 years, I realized I had repeated one year of experience 20 times. I was bored out of my mind. (Thankfully, I had painting to keep me challenged.)

But when I made a conscious effort to reinvent myself, something magical happened. The boredom went away and I was again excited about every day, because once again I was doing what I loved. Though reinvention took me two or three very hard and intense years, now my to-do list of things I hope will change the world could keep me excited for the next 30 years or more.

No More Golf, Please!

Retiring friends tell me all the things they look forward to doing, things like sleeping in and more golf or tennis. Yet I usually get a call at the one-year mark. “I’m thinking about going back to work. I’ve never been so bored. Got anything?” Most tell me they wish they had never retired.

Chained to Their Jobs

Most of the people I know have worked in jobs they’ve never loved and been so reliant on the income that they were unwilling to take chances and find what they do love. Though paid well, with great benefits, they spent a good part of their lives looking forward to retirement. It’s why I tell my kids to find something you love, and make your interests or your hobby your work. “If you are unhappy more than 51 percent of the time, you’re in the wrong job, and it’s better if you’re not unhappy more than 5 percent of the time.”

I’d Rather Just Paint

Just yesterday a friend told me he was trying to decide it he would stay with his company for another five years. When I asked what he wanted to do, he told me, “I could probably muster up the strength for another five, but it would be hard. I’d rather be painting.” I told him he had answered his own question. But his reluctance was the money … could he survive? It seems that is always what handcuffs us to our jobs.

A good way to bring clarity is to ask, “If you got hit by a bus today, would you be happy that you’ve done what you want to do?” The answer is usually no. And if it is, maybe it’s time to pursue your dream.

What Is Worse Than Retirement?

During Christmas week I encountered a friend who had been retired about five years. When I asked what he was doing with his time, he said, “Other than investing, absolutely nothing. I have no hobbies, I don’t play golf. I tend to read a lot and think about when I was a somebody.” When I asked him if he was happy, he said, “I wish I was still working. I should never have retired.”

I’m not anti-retirement, I just hate to see great minds go to waste by sitting around. People were not put on earth to be unproductive and to let their brains atrophy. We all need a purpose, and if we can find a mission or a project or something we can get excited about and it requires retiring to do so, I’m all for it.

Now if you’re the person who wants to sit and rock for the rest of your life, I’m not judging, more power to you. I’m simply saying it’s not right for me.

An Untapped Resource

The world has missed a huge opportunity by putting people out to pasture when they reach retirement age. Though some have health or memory issues, most are vibrant, healthy, and have a lot of life left in them. Best of all, their mature brains are very wise and capable of doing great things. It saddens me that our culture seems to think someone over 65 is of little value anymore, when in fact this is where you find the best work ethic and the most experience. I’d like to see the world embrace this untapped resource.

No E-Mails, Please 🙂

So before you send me an e-mail to tell me about how busy and productive you are and that you are living your dream, you are, well, the point. Living the dream is what this little missive is all about. If you’re retired and your brain is engaged and you’re doing what you love, then retirement is what it should be.

Being Curious

As a young man of about 12 I remember wondering what I would do for the rest of my life. Though I had a lot of interests, none struck me as a lifetime role. I was very concerned that I had not figured it out, and the pressure seemed to be mounting, even at that age. But then, because I was curious, I found radio, got on the air, and ended up as a DJ in some big cities, which led me to station ownership and beyond. Of course, that was my first career and I’ve had many since, each of which I loved, and each of which had its time in my life.

The one critical factor is never waking up and dreading work. Yes, I’ve had a lot of those days, but the majority have not been a chore. That is the ultimate measuring stick.

I’ve had to turn to God on a regular basis to find out what’s next, to find a purpose bigger than myself — which is why I’m on this path to help people discover painting. But I have always found it.

Being Stuck

At 17 I was working at Challenge-Cook Brothers, a cement truck factory. I had to be there at 5 a.m., the factory was loud and hot, and the work was back-breaking. My co-workers, most of whom were in their 50s, used to talk about how much they hated their jobs, how much they could not wait to retire. It was one of the first important lessons for me. I too was complaining to myself, but I decided instead to seek ways to make the work fun and challenging, which resulted in inventing some new processes to save the company time and money. It was also a lesson in knowing I did not want to be doing this for the next 30 years of my life.

Being Trapped

Amazingly, most of the people I worked with were smart people who felt trapped. Trapped by house payments, trapped by families to support, and we talked about dreams they had been afraid to pursue because they might lose everything. Though I had not been in their shoes, it was an eye-opener: most would never know if they could have succeeded because they did not try.

The Message to the Rest of Us

My dear friend’s tragedy led me to think about never wasting another day and trying to survive, and to stay as healthy as possible so it might not happen to me. And though I seem to get a lot done, it’s a reminder that big dreams are yet to be accomplished, more people need to be helped through my work, and we should never waste a single second because that second might be our last.

Make Your Kids and Grandkids Read This

One day you’re 17 and you have dreams. Then suddenly, it seems like overnight, you’re married, then having kids, then your kids are going to college, then your career is nearing its end, and often, too often, there is much to do and it seems the time left is short. My grandmother used to tell me this, and I never believed her, until it happened to me.

Life is never long enough. Never ever spend a day doing what you don’t love. Yes, of course you have to do your taxes, go to school and learn, but once you’re in the world, you are responsible for your life. How you burn those 80,000 hours determines if you look back and say it was worthwhile or a waste. Don’t let anyone force their dreams on you. Don’t pursue anything unless it’s your dream. And if you don’t yet know your dream, be curious, try everything, and you might stumble into your life’s work. But if you don’t try different things and instead just wait and hope, you might end up forced into a dead end job that traps you.

Choose big dreams and chance them. You are perfectly capable, no special advantage required. Sweat overcomes advantage. I know kids with rich parents who never did a thing with their lives, and poor kids who became billionaires because they worked harder than everyone else.

It’s not about money. Money is only a tool; it helps, but it’s not happiness. Again, I know unhappy billionaires. Life is about rich experiences, making great memories, and changing the world with your ideas. Yes, YOUR ideas. There is no substitute for hard work. Smart is nice, but smart without application isn’t smart at all.

Find a Passion

I’m driven to write this today because I keep running into miserable people who are bored and feel trapped. Action and curiosity will work to your benefit. If you have time, try something new, go to an event you know nothing about, volunteer, find something to get excited about. If your body moves and your brain works, you still have a gift to contribute.

That’s why I love painting, and especially plein air painting. It’s an engaged community, you can make loads of friends, you can be outdoors with others, you can travel the area or the world, and you can be creative. It truly is the new golf. Best of all, you have something to challenge you (it’s not easy, but anyone can learn it), and if you want, you can make some extra money or even a great living once you get good at it.

Be productive. Be happy. Do what excites you. You won’t regret it.

What about you? Are you bored? Are you spending your time doing what you love? If not, why not? Don’t wait even one more day.

Purple-gray hills are peeking over the tops of the trees of my very rough, unkempt, natural backyard, which is filled with gnarly live oak trees, prehistoric limestone rocks, sage-colored prickly pear cactus, and dusty orange and rich green cedar trees.

Sneezing wildly as I sit in the open air on the long, covered back porch, I can’t take it any longer and move inside. No, it’s not my cold; that’s gone. It’s the cedar, part of a well kept secret in Austin, Texas. It’s called “Cedar Fever,” and it’s an allergy most of us get it after living here three years or more. Usually it begins around Christmas and lasts until early spring.

Though I prefer to sit on the porch on Sunday mornings, listening to the sounds of birds, distant barking dogs, and the rustling of treetops, I’ve walked down the little path through the tall grasses with dried leaves crunching under my feet as I made my way to my little studio building.

My Little Studio in the Trees

The studio is a 12 x 16-foot building, with a porch of almost the same size, tin roof, and dark brown slatboards. I’ve got a fireplace on the porch for sitting out on cold days, though lately it’s been too cold, even with the fire. Last week we had a couple of rare 16-degree days — an opportune time for the heat to go out in our house and a chance to appreciate what we had.

I feel blessed with our little slice of paradise in the woods surrounding Austin (they call it a “green belt”). I started to say I also feel lucky, and there is some luck involved, but I think too many people hope to get lucky instead of making their own luck.

Is Luck on Your Side?

I hear about luck a lot. Probably every week some artist tells me that they’re having bad luck selling paintings — that they’ve had some years where they have been very lucky, and others where their luck has run out.

Perhaps there is an element of luck we all experience. I suppose if you put yourself out there enough times, you’ll have some good results and some bad. But it’s hard to raise a family or pay bills on luck alone.

The Cycles of Art Sales

Art sales do ebb and flow based on economic conditions. Dozens of artists pine for the good old days before 2008, when they couldn’t paint enough and their incomes were soaring. Then it dried up for most of them, and for many galleries. With the simultaneous growth of online shopping, it was the perfect storm.

There Is No Such Thing as Luck

Dan Kennedy, a marketing guru I follow, once said that there is no such thing as luck in business and that though some may accidentally do something right and have some success from time to time, great success is based on understanding the principles of great marketing. He points out numerous stories of those who flourished during recessions or the Great Depression, and that those who embrace good marketing essentials can succeed in any economy.

Though I believe he is right, it crossed my mind that it might not be true in the art world, because problem “boulders” roll downhill and crush those in the way. Before 2008, people were getting huge mortgages and houses they could not afford and money to fund furnishings and paintings. When that ended, the massive purchasing dried up.

When I asked Kennedy about this, he said most people had been riding a success wave and that because they had not employed the right marketing essentials, they were vulnerable once that wave ended. I suppose that wave was luck … just riding the wave of a great economy.

Surfing When There Are No Waves

A great marketer, therefore, isn’t someone who can just ride a wave when the world is flush with cash, when people walk in the door with wads of money to spend. It’s the person who knows how to employ strategy to succeed and how to be flush with cash even when times are their worst. Plus, those who understand great marketing essentials will make considerably more during a wave.

A couple of weeks ago, when I was in Santa Fe, the dealers there mentioned that business hasn’t been this good in years — and they had big smiles on their faces, which made me believe they were not blowing smoke. I’m hearing from some artists that things are getting much better, though many are still not seeing the success they want.

It’s hard to know what will happen with the U.S. economy, though all the indicators are looking very strong. It’s very possible that you, if you sell art (or anything else), may be able to surf a wave again.

Artists Ready for Anything

Yet if I can prepare artists (or others) to catch the wave when it’s strong, and to keep riding high when things are horrific, then I will have prepared them for anything. Because we all have to survive no matter what the economy is doing, and you should never have to be vulnerable again. You see, there are always people buying art, even when the economy is bad. There are just fewer of them, and it’s important to be one of the artists those few are buying.

A wise mentor, my dad (who turned 91 last week), reminds me constantly that you shouldn’t increase your lifestyle spending when times are good because you may need that cash when times change. But you should also use those times when you’re flush with cash to build your knowledge and awareness.

A War Chest for the Unexpected

It reminds me that artists who ride the wave will gain a great advantage by keeping a war chest of ad dollars that will help them capture art market spending when others are unable to do so. I once wrote about a gallery that was built during a recession because of this principle.

But … all the cash in the world is of no value to those who don’t know how to use the essential tools of marketing. It seems to me that we are doing a lovely job of training thousands of highly accomplished artists in schools and ateliers today, yet few, if any, are teaching marketing essentials. Frankly, few professions have the vision to teach these business essentials. Even doctors get great training but stumble when they try to go out on their own because no one ever teaches them how to run a business. Artists who are selling art are running a business, though few like to admit that. Anyone who is self-employed in any craft is running a business.

My Struggle to Learn Marketing

Some people think that marketing comes naturally to me, and that I have a “talent” for marketing, but that isn’t true. I struggled for years because I misunderstood marketing and had to learn it by trial and error. And I didn’t like it; I would rather have been doing something else. Though I had some great mentors in marketing, it was not until I flicked the switch in my head that I finally told myself I had to master the art of marketing or I’d never eat consistently. Once I made that decision to begin a lifetime of getting better at marketing, I started to see a shift in my income. It was a slight shift in the beginning, but it grew over time, the better I got and the more things built on themselves.

‘Can I Help Artists with Marketing?’ I Wondered

Frankly, I had all this knowledge from decades of good and bad experience that I was putting to use for my own business. Then one day I was speaking with some artists who asked me for advice, and they told me I should be teaching artists, which frankly had never crossed my mind. I decided to try it and made a presentation at a small art event that was met with good reviews.

Then, when I launched the Plein Air Convention, I thought it might be a nice add-on for artists, but the convention already had all of the time scheduled. So I added it at 6:30 in the morning, thinking that only a few serious people who wanted to learn marketing would show up. I was blown away by the interest when most of the people at the convention showed up, and I’ve been doing Art Marketing Boot Camp since then.

Watching People Thrive

Because of the success so many artists are having as a result of attending the classes or watching the videos, I’m now encouraged that any artist can become a world-renowned brand — or at least big enough and well known enough that they dominate sales in top shows and get sought after by top galleries. Or, for those who don’t want that but just want to add an extra $1,000 a month, that too is possible. I’m trying to teach principles so artists can live their dreams and, most importantly, have consistent income even when times are bad.

How Do I Start?

The question I get most is, “Eric, I want to market, but where do I begin?” The very first thing is to have a strategy before you implement any tactics. Most people think that if they buy an ad, or do some posts on Instagram, that will build their career. But that’s like getting in the car and driving, hoping you’ll show up somewhere interesting.

Start with a Yellow Pad

The absolute first step is to define exactly, in detail, what you want your life to look like. You start with your must-have essentials, like how much to pay your bills and meet your monthly needs. And then start your dreaming process: where you want to be in two years, five years, 10 years, and for the rest of your life. This then helps you define your strategy, and from the strategy, you create specific tactics. It’s important to know the difference between strategy and tactics.

Frankly, whether you’re an artist or anything else, this is an essential first step. You have to define your life before you start shooting arrows at random targets — that won’t get you to where you want to be.

Which Kind of Artist Are You?

There are two kinds of artists … those who paint for pleasure and only for themselves, and those who sell their artwork or someday hope to. It doesn’t matter if the art is representational, abstract, installation art, photography, or selling potholders or handmade aprons on Etsy. It’s all art, and if the intent is to sell it, artists would serve themselves well to learn some of the core essentials of marketing. There are lots of people who teach it, myself included, and lots of styles and ideas, and any study of marketing and sales will benefit anyone who wants to sell something.

Prevailing Over Depression

The other essential is your mindset. Most of us tend to have a pack mentality, which means we believe what others are telling us. If all the artists out there tell us business is bad, nothing is selling, the world of art is coming to an end, we tend to believe it. A young man named Kellogg heard all of those things as he was starting his new company when the Great Depression hit. Had he listened and given up, his family would not be reaping the rewards of decades of dominance in the cereal category. You have to be an independent thinker and believe there is always someone who will buy your art, no matter how grim things look. With that mindset, you won’t stop trying. Though it won’t be as easy as when you’re riding a wave, and though you do have to work harder during lean times, you will prevail. But the time to learn about marketing is before things get bad.

It’s Horrible. No, It’s Wonderful

In just the last two weeks I’ve talked to several artists. Some of them told me how awful business is, how they are not selling, how they are having trouble surviving, and how every artist they know is experiencing the same thing. Others I spoke to in the same week told me that their art sales are booming, that it’s better than it’s ever been, even better than before 2008, and that all their friends are experiencing the same thing.

The optimists were not artists who were “better.” Almost everyone who told me one or the other of these things was a high-quality artist, and some were in the same styles or genres of art and the same regions.

Making 2018 Soar

Since we’re still early in the year, there is ample time to impact your success in 2018 and beyond. Start with your mindset, move to your needs, then start to focus on your dreams, and define what you want the rest of your life to look like … whether you’re young or old. Then study like a madman … others who know marketing can save you decades of experimentation and pain. A few hours invested to watch a video or read a book once in a while can help you take control.

I’ve Changed My Mind

When I was a younger man, I used to think that if you dream it, it will come true. Though I still believe mindset is the most important starting point, I have realized that the ship doesn’t move unless you put coal in the furnace, and unless you learn to steer it, it will just drift and you’ll go in whatever directions the waves push you. You have to have a destination and a chart to get you there, and you have to always be prepared for course correction in the times you get off course.

Jumping in Head First

In the last five years I’ve seen a massive change in my own life because I immersed myself in new learning in the areas I felt I needed to master in order to accomplish my dreams (most of which are not financial in themselves but require money to accomplish, such as the museum I want to build). You can become a master at anything with about two years of intense study.

Five years ago I started buying every course I could get my hands on or could afford. I started reading every book I could find on the subjects I wanted to master. I read four books over the Christmas break, and usually about two or three a month. I listen to probably 20 podcasts in most months, and I attend probably three or four educational events a year. Though I’d rather sit around and hope that things will happen, and though I’d rather not spend money I often can’t afford to spend, and time I can’t afford to spend, I know the necessity of immersion when I want to learn and master new things.

I don’t want to be so presumptions as to tell you what you need to learn, or what is important for you in your life. Only you know those answers. But I do know a lot of people who know what they want but don’t know how to get there, who get frozen with fear.

Little Bitty Steps

Big goals are overwhelming. Tony Robbins would say to start small. Rather than saying “I need to lose 30 pounds,” set a smaller, less overwhelming goal, like “I’m going to take a walk every day.” This is true for all goals. Rather than saying you want to be known at the level of a famous artist like Joe McGurl, which would be overwhelming to consider, start out by telling yourself “I’m going to study one hour a week.” Then do something like read a book, watch a video, or paint one extra hour.

Repetition Not Only Sells Products, It Sells Your Brain

I honestly can’t say that you or I will become exactly what we dream. But I can say that if you shoot for it, you and I will get further ahead than we are now, and any progress is better than no progress. I do believe that if you tell yourself something over and over, you will start out doubting it, then will begin doubting it less and start seeing indicators that it might be possible, and if you keep telling yourself it’s going to happen, your subconscious mind starts leading you in that direction. I have found this to be true in my own life, and I know lots of others who tell me it’s happened to them.

Woohoo! I Get to Buy Something Cool!

The greatest satisfaction of my entire life, other than my family, has been coaching artists, teaching them the principles of marketing, and seeing their lives change. Just a week or so ago I sent out a note about an artist who followed something I created and exceeded her annual goals because of it, and bought a new truck. When I called her she told me, “I did not believe it would work, but I was desperate to make something work and thought, what do I have to lose?”

Are You Sick Enough to Make Changes Yet?

I want you to have exactly the life you imagine, and I have belief in you, no matter how horrible your circumstances were when you grew up or what they are now. I know that when things get bad enough and you get sick enough of those circumstances, and when you decide to change your story and move in a new direction, you will get there. The only thing it requires is determination to start down a new path, strong desire to get to where you really want to be, a strong, motivating reason that the new life you dream of will accomplish something important in your eyes, and taking action, which involves learning and taking some baby steps every day.

Not only do I want you to live your passion, your dream, I want you to be ready to ride this coming big wave, and to be able to thrive when the wave ends and economic downturns occur. Because it’s as predictable as the sunset.

What is one baby step you will take toward defining your dreams?

What one thing can you do today … right now …  to move you in the right direction?

What one little thing can you do every day for just five minutes that will move you toward your dream?

What is one thing you can watch or read to help move you forward?

Baby steps, my friends. Baby steps. Because babies grow into adults and do great things, and I know that is deep inside of you.

I’m here to help, if I can.

Eric Rhoads

PS: A couple of months back I wrote about the pressure I was getting from my family to get a dog. Yesterday we adopted Tucker, an 11-year-old terrier who is cute as a button and had to leave his home because he did not get along with a new baby. Our family is filled with joy over this new family member. I’ve posted some pictures on my Facebook page if you scroll down a bit. Though I’m restricted by Facebook by the number of friends I’m allowed, you can still follow me (I hope you will).

My palms were sweating. Should I go in, should I not? Do I belong here? “Maybe this is only for special people,” I was thinking.

The sounds of noisy Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale were silenced as the glass doors slowly closed behind me. Immediately I was overwhelmed, seeing walls and walls of shimmering gold-framed paintings that matched any in a museum. This art was different from any I had found in a gallery before, and though I had an untrained eye, I could tell it was somehow better, higher quality than anything I had seen.

The Silver-Haired Dealer

Suddenly an elegant woman in her 60s approached me. Her long silver hair shimmered in the light streaming through the window. “I’m Pauline,” she said, “and I want to tell you you’re welcome here and can take as much time as you want. A lot of people are not used to art and have a lot of questions, and I want you to know there is no such thing as a silly question. Please ask at any time.”

Immediately my shoulders relaxed. She was right, I was totally intimidated in this environment because I knew nothing about art. I felt out of place in any art gallery, but especially this one, which had a lot of older art.

I wandered freely and soon was staring for long periods of time at the amazing paintings in her collection. I found myself in a trance.

The Passing of Time

I’m not sure how much time had passed, but I’ll bet I walked around gazing at the museum-quality pieces in the gallery for more than an hour. Every time I was about to leave, something else caught my eye and I’d stay longer.

Just as I was about to go, even after saying, “Thank you and goodbye,” this long-experienced art dealer thanked me for coming in and said, “Was there anything in particular that caught your eye?”

“As a matter of fact, there are two things that I fell in love with, but I don’t know anything about buying or collecting art and I’d be totally intimidated to buy anything this good.”

She walked me over to the paintings and told me the stories of the artists and the artwork, and, because I was looking for a special anniversary gift, I ended up walking out having committed to purchase both paintings, planning to pick them up a couple of days later. Both were small — one was an English countryside painting of a cottage, the other a couple of costumed figures in Venice.

Pondering My Purchases

Over the next two days, I could not stop thinking about those paintings, I loved them both very much, yet, as silly as this sounds, I could not stop worrying about the responsibility of owning such fine historic pieces of art.

Was I ready to become a collector?

Was I capable of properly caring for paintings that were well over 100 years old?

Was I willing, and responsible enough, to be the caretaker of these fine works of art, knowing that they needed to live on for generations?

I even worried about them because of the neighborhood I lived in, which was OK, but had seen some break-ins. Would these paintings get stolen?

Upon showing up at the gallery to collect them, I told Pauline that I was backing out. I simply was too nervous about the responsibility, and though she was very gracious and let me out of the sale, she also tried to address my concerns.

Stuck in My Brain

A few more days went by, and I could not get those paintings out of my head. Though I was afraid to set foot in that gallery again for fear I might not be welcome, I went back, and ended up paying cash for the landscape painting.

Today, 28 years later, I regret not having bought both, and I no longer own the one due to a change in my family situation.

That art dealer, Pauline Pocock, has since passed on (her son carries her legacy forward), and I’ve always regretted not listening to her. Though I had been intimidated by the responsibility of ownership, I should have listened to her about the joys of ownership as well as the potential increase in value. Both of those paintings would be worth a lot today, and living with the one I had was wonderful.

Galleries Create Barriers

Like it or not, there has always been a barrier between consumers and art galleries. Though not all people are intimidated by galleries, many still are, and that is often rooted in feeling insignificant because they know nothing about art. I have a billionaire friend — who has a significant collection — who once told me, “I won’t go into any art gallery. They intimidate the heck out of me.” Yet this is a man who managed thousands of employees and did amazing business deals galore.

Another Life Goal

Though I’ve told you of my goal of teaching 1 million people to paint, one of my other life missions is to help people feel more comfortable around art, to help them consider the idea of entering a museum or an art gallery. To help them feel at ease, and to know there is no special secret code you have to know to be around art.

Dragging a Friend to a Museum

Recently I was in New York on some non-art-related business and I took a colleague of mine to a museum to kill some time between meetings. He wasn’t really happy about it, but knew I loved art and went along with it. I showed him some of my favorite things, told him some stories about the art or the artists, and he was fascinated. This man told me, “Eric, I haven’t been in a museum since I was in grade school. I’ve never even considered going into a museum. It’s not on my radar. But since I’m in town this weekend, I’m going to go back. I had no idea what I was missing.”

A single visit can open someone’s eyes to the world of art, and some will become interested at a deeper level and may become collectors.

Though my kids often would whine when I dragged them to museums, the outcome was usually positive and they didn’t want to leave at the end of the day. Almost every podcast interview I do with artists reveals a family member or friend who took them to a museum or bought them an art lesson, leading to a lifetime in the art world.

What about you?

When was the last time you dragged someone into a museum kicking and screaming?

Though I hate to admit it, art isn’t on the radar of most people, yet that discovery can be life-changing.

What if each of you (about 40,000 now) dragged four people to a museum in 2018? 160,000 lives would be touched, and you could help them get comfortable by educating them.

Museums are dying for fresh faces. If we don’t do this for them, who will?

Eric Rhoads

PS: I don’t ever want to see a world without art galleries. Though more things are moving to digital, the paintings I recently saw in the galleries as I visited Santa Fe would not have spoken to me, would not have stood out, would not have given me the same impact or desire had I just looked at them online. Galleries play a critically important role of showing art, introducing us to new artists, and helping others find great art. So, take someone to a gallery, too.

The dark, narrow spiral stairway was so tight that my shoulders rubbed against the walls as I climbed. The surrounding walls were gray, with crumbling plaster that hadn’t been painted for over a hundred years. The thump of my feet on the worn wooden steps echoed against the walls. Looking up, I could see a small landing, an old wooden door cracked barely open, and a blinding light streaming through the crack.

Arriving at the top, I walked into a room so small there was barely space for a single metal-framed bed and a modest wooden chair. I had to squeeze to scoot in and shut the door.

I Can Hear Pain

An eerie feeling fell over me as I stood staring at the bed, which was flooded with streams of pink afternoon light through the wavy glass of the old window. Closing my eyes, I could hear the groaning, the crying, the wailing, and the footsteps of caregivers tending to the patient, who spent his final days suffering on the very mattress I was staring at in disbelief.

The myth, the stories, the romance all came alive at that moment, when I realized the man had lived and died in this simple, humble room.

I was shaken, and it all became real to me at that moment. I stood quietly and stared while I soberly envisioned the last moments of his life.

Minutes later, I was walking through the streets of this small village in a trance, passing scenes immortalized in paint … a courthouse, a cafe, a church, a field … until I reached the grave of this man and of his brother, who died of grief shortly after. The markers on the simple grave were for Vincent and Theo Van Gogh.

My visit to Auvers-sur-Oise made Van Gogh come alive for me like never before.

A Miserable Artistic Existence

Every artist I know is aware of the the tragic story of this starving artist, the man who painted with passion, misunderstood because he did not follow the style of the day, the man who struggled, starved, and led what many think was a miserable existence and a life of addiction to alcohol. Some say he was insane.

Biographers know about the life of Van Gogh through his letters, where his angst and pain were revealed in detail. And we as artists hold him in high esteem as someone we admire because of his passion, his struggle, and his suffering. Van Gogh has become a sort of role model for those of us who call ourselves artists.

The Struggle

Painting and sculpting are hard. Though the techniques can be learned with practice, the search for one’s own voice is where the struggle lies. Like a good country song, it is the pain, and life experiences, that help us find our voice, help us express what is truly inside us, help us go beyond rendering to become true artists.

Deep Painting Passion

In a soon-to-be-released podcast with Alvaro Castagnet, the world-famous watercolor artist, he passionately told me that technique, though important, is not what makes great art. It’s the mood, the feeling, the reflection of our lives, and not doing what’s been done a thousand times before. It’s standing out and finding your unique self. Vincent Van Gogh is the poster child for painting something beyond rendering a pretty scene.

The Bravery to Feed Your Own Soul

Van Gogh broke through. He had the bravery to do something that fed his own soul. Although he knew how to do pleasing paintings that matched the times, Vincent instead followed his own spirit. He could have conformed and would have struggled less and made a living. Yet, to him, there really was no choice but to paint from his heart and passion. Though it is believed Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, and it was not until his sister-in-law, Theo’s widow, was an elderly woman that his work was released, sold, and became appreciated, he ultimately became world-renowned only because he followed his own muse.

Van Gogh is indeed a role model because he painted for himself and did not paint to please others. He wasn’t thinking, “This one’s going to be a big seller,” he was trying to please no one but himself. I learned this about Van Gogh from artist Dena Peterson, who had to paint like Van Gogh for the movie Loving Vincent, and who studied all of his letters for the production of the movie and the recent release of her video How to Paint Like Van Gogh.

No More Little Red Barns

In my art marketing video series I speak about the well meaning galleries that ask for more paintings of little red barns, knowing they sell well — which is fine, if that’s what you’re passionate about and pleases you. But it is my belief that there has to be a bigger purpose to your art than sales alone. Your painting is your voice, and one that could live on for generations beyond you, telling your story, communicating your ideas. Other than writers, who else can say their work can have such a long-term impact?

Amazing Historical Paintings

Just this week while I was in Santa Fe planning for April’s Plein Air Convention, I visited several galleries, some with historical paintings that looked as fresh as the day they were painted. Each of them told a story, evoking emotion in their viewers. Like rare first editions of books, these works carry high price tags, because so few artists have ever perfected their craft through a lifetime of study and experimentation, painted to please themselves, and painted with mood, emotion, and story. Those who are caregivers of these paintings own the best art has to offer.

Emotional Breakthrough

Whether you’re a painter, a sculptor, a musician, a writer, or frankly, someone in any position, including parenting, those who are remembered are those who strive to be the best in their craft, who communicate with powerful and emotional stories, and who please others most because they have pleased themselves with a passion for perfection.

These traits lie within each of us, waiting to be discovered.

What if, next time you pick up your brush, your clay, your tools, you push your limits, squash the little voice in your head that is holding you to the past, and seek to be free?

Paint like no one will ever see it, so the only person you’re pleasing is yourself. You’ll have breakthroughs unlike any you could otherwise experience.

Paint your joy, your pain, your fear, your angst, your faith, and your anger. Paint what hasn’t been done. Seek your own self in your work.

Will you try? Will you be willing to take chances, to ruin good paintings, to make mistakes, to be bold and find new approaches? This is your year to break through beyond the average, beyond the expected.

I know it’s in each of us, including you.

Eric Rhoads

PS: This was an amazing week for me. I was in Santa Fe in preparation for the convention and I had the privilege to see a lot of art and meet a lot of art dealers. What made it especially amazing is that the overall mood is excellent. Everyone reports that their art sales are booming. That’s good for all of us. I want to thank Joe Anna Arnett and James Asher for showing us all the cool painting locations and introducing us to so many dealers.

It was also a good week because we made three big announcements having to do with our future. First, PleinAir Magazine Editor Steve Doherty is retiring. I’ve written something about Steve here. I’m deeply grateful for his time with us.

Though Steve is impossible to replace, we managed to hire an new editor for PleinAir Magazine with more than 20 years of experience in art publishing. Kelly Kane has served previously as Editor-in-Chief of Watercolor Artist magazine and Content Director for The Artist’s Magazine, Drawing, Acrylic Artist, and Pastel Journal. She has interviewed many of the preeminent artists of our time and written numerous articles about painting, drawing, art education, and art history.

Another big deal is that we launched a new weekly newsletter called American Watercolor™. We have been seeing a renaissance in watercolor painting and decided to show our commitment with a new publication. Because Kelly is deeply connected in watercolor circles, she is also the newsletter’s editor.