So many artists fail at their businesses and here are the reasons why.

Hey friends,

Are you a hobbyist painter working in an uncreative environment that would love to turn your art hobby into a viable business and be your own boss?
So that you can stop working in an uncreative environment, trading time for money?

If this is you, you should read further.

Growing up, I spent most of my free time drawing, sketching and designing gorgeous clothes for my dolls.

In my young, naïve mind, I knew I was going to be an artist or a designer one day. 

When I discovered painting in my twenties, a door of opportunities opened up for me. First of all, I felt obsessed, I wanted to paint every spare moment, and that got me thinking about how I can pivot my hobby into a business.

After a long journey in the restaurant industry, my uninspiring job was taking a toll on my mental health, dissatisfied with my career choice, I had it,  I knew it was time for a change. 

I had an artist streak with an entrepreneurial mind, I wanted to be a full-time artist with a viable art business. 

I also knew it wasn’t going to be an easy transition because I was aware that many artists have failed before me. But my determination led me to set out steps to defy the odds.

How did I know that the Starving Artist myth does not apply to me? Well, I did a research study on the artists that I have met.

Why do most artists fail?

In the art industry, I have met many artists, and most of them do their craft as a part-time hustle because they do not have the confidence to rely solely on their craft. 

The ones that are doing art as a full-time business, most of them are having a hard time making ends meet but not without a lack of talent.  

I have noticed, the ones that fail to have a successful, viable business are lacking mindset skills, perpetual habits, and marketing skills.

From my business point of view, their problems are manageable and solvable. 

Looking back at my career, the biggest needle movers are the 7 Essential Habits that brought me success, the ones that I have set up to defy the odds, and I know it will help you too. 

If you are thinking of turning your side hustle or your hobby into a viable business, I have created a guide to help you to discover the possibility. This guide will bring you from thinking of doing to taking action.

Grab your Guide Below.

I hope you will take action today and go for your dreams and live an inspired, motivated, and creative life with financial independence.

With Creative Joy,
Ting Yuen

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Hello there,
Most of us do suffer from self-confidence. It is prevalent in the world.

I grew up without my parents since I was 7, so most things I have learned in life at a very young age is about survival. I faked myself through school, self-confidence, bullying, racism, you name it, but I was independent and courageous, or perhaps I was just blissfully ignorant.

What my independence taught me is that our mind is a powerful tool. Whatever we believe in becomes our reality.

Years ago, when I've decided that I was going to make a living from my art. My only support system was my husband, Paul. He believed in my art, and was and still is my biggest fan, even when I was completely unsure of what my outcome would be.

When the opportunity to open our own "Art Gallery" presented itself, we did just that. 
 
As I reflect back, when Paul and I took the leap of faith to open our own art gallery, what got us there, was courage not so much confidence.

But I wanted to be a successful working artist so badly that I wasn't going to give up the opportunity to become one when it was time to prove that I can.

I believe confidence is earned by doing things that you are afraid of, or have no knowledge about, but you do it anyway and that takes Courage. 

For example, if Paul and I didn't stick our necks out there, to feel the discomfort of opening our first art gallery and me, having to be the face of the business, I wouldn't be here today to tell the story and to encourage you to explore the possibility.

Courage plays an enormous role in the success of our business, confidence came later.

So, my creative friend, it doesn't matter how you grow up or what you went through in life. It is up to you as an individual to find a way to gain confidence.

If you want to be a successful artist or entrepreneur, you have to believe that it is possible, but you need to build your courage to become just that because your mind creates your reality.

Your upbringing may have shaped your lack of confidence, but if you want to, you have the power to change it. If you grew up with a lack of self-confidence and you self doubt yourself incessantly, doesn't mean you can't change that thought. And it doesn't mean that you will never be able to accomplish your goals.

Negative thoughts are perceptions, and they are not reality. They cripple us, and they make us question our self-worth.

Which, leads me to the importance of confidence. When you have self-confidence, it shows in the way you create your art, and it also shows how you represent yourself to your peers and your audience.

When you create, you have to trust your knowledge and intuition, but you also need the courage to make mistakes and learn from them.

Confidence takes positive self-reflection. Remember, your art is the way you see the world, which is a truly unique expression. You are the only one with that particular energy, and you are the only one that creates in that voice.

So how do you compare yourself with others? If you think your art is not good enough, the only way to combat that is to keep practicing. With practice, you can get better and better, as your craft improves, so will your confidence.

Confidence is something that you need to do for yourself. It is essential for your livelihood and, you must work at it.

As an artist, you need to be resilient. You are incredibly brave to put your art out to the world and let the world see you in the most vulnerable way. The art critics and your audience are going to react, the way they react is out of your control, but the way you let their words influence your thoughts is in your control.

I find construction criticism useful. It doesn't mean I am going to change the way I create, although if the advice is valid, I learn from it, and if it is not valid, I just let it be an opinion, it gets discarded.

So my fellow artist, keep your thought positive and discard the negative. Negative thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. Do not be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes can be your greatest asset, allow your mistakes to teach you on how to become a better artist.

Be a confident artist, in yourself and in the way you create art. When you are assertive, your aura will shine and, so will your art. The wonderful thing about self-confidence is that it is learnable because your mind is powerful.

P/S If you find this article helpful, I would really appreciate it, if you would share it with your friends and family, I will be forever grateful.

With Creative Joy,
Ting

Hello friends, Last year Paul and I made a dramatic change in our lives to sell our house and to conduct our business via the internet while searching for a new gallery and home location.

It has proven possible but limited. Paul and I have experienced ways to work remotely but after a prolonged and unplanned year due to Covid, we have reached our patience threshold.

The experiences I had during this year of working remotely has somewhat been frustrating.

First of all, in regards to doing art, carrying canvases along with me is not ideal and I can't do any mixed medium art which would require too much inventory and space.

I have also been designing a business course for artists, which has been do-able because it is the most versatile business that I can conduct with just a laptop. Although it doesn't come without frustrations as I am missing some important notes and books which are in my "self-storage".

Due to the Covid 19, plans have to be flexible especially when it comes to shopping for our new gallery and house location, which again, our list is very specific. 

When our plans led us to eastern Canada, we had to abandon our work and leave. So that breaks the momentum of my course creation.

After a month of location shopping, the business modules that I have been working on were put aside. Finally, I have found myself getting forgetful and frustrated with my nomadic lifestyle.

My advice to you nomadic business people is that we do need to be grounded, and a little stability will help us to move things forward faster and more effectively. Momentum is important for the success of our business. 

I am to announce that Paul and I have since found a house. We still have one more month to go before we are all set up and get right back to work. I am so looking forward to creating my art courses and meeting new people in my new community. 

It will be another adventure, Paul and I have decided, that our new town, Digby Nova Scotia is where we are going to set up and conduct our business for a long while.

When the pandemic is over, we will have to fulfill our wanderlust by traveling the world and not moving around so much. 

I know a lot of you have started working remotely since Covid 19, please tell me what have your experiences been like? What are your frustrations? What are your likes and dislikes?

P/S If you would like to follow us on our journey, please sign up for our newsletter below : ​https://www.tingyuenart.com/sign-up-and-follow-us-on-our-new-journey.html

With Creative Joy,
Ting 

I create art to inspire you to live the life you are meant to live, because when we are true to ourselves, we will find fulfillment in everything that we do.

Sometimes being true to yourself may take some deep soul searching and dramatic measures, but do not let the inconveniences stop you.

Hello friends, for the past year my husband, Paul, and I have led a transient life. We have been living out of our backpacks and a briefcase for a year now. Our transient lifestyle was partially planned, but due to Covid 19, our care-free lifestyle became our prolonged reality.

I have been wearing the same set of clothing for the past 12 months, which consist of two dressier tops, a fleece top, a couple pair of yoga pants, two pair of pants, 2 shorts, 1 dress, three t-shirts, and the essentials. I have also not worn any makeup for over a year now, which I love.

We conduct our art business via the internet and we have a briefcase with important documents that we carry with us wherever we go. For my creative outlet, I also carry with me a set of paint and some canvases.

Before the pandemic, my hubby, Paul, and I have always lived a nomadic life because we have wanderlust souls, we love adventures and new places. No matter how difficult it is to pack up and carve out a new life for ourselves, we only see it as a small inconvenience for our next adventure. 

Each new path brought us something unique. The experiences vary and each one has it's beauty, excitement, and challenges but each challenge brought us wisdom.

My best friend, Paul, and I believe that life is a gift and we need to live this life to our fullest potential and with courage. And we owe it to ourselves to nurture that.

Last year, when Paul and I made our big announcement to sell our house and carve out a new business and personal life, many of you wrote to me that our decision has spurred you to make the dramatic changes in your life as well.

I know your soul's desires may be very different from mine, but each one is valid. So we do have to listen to our heart's whispers carefully. I believe if we design our life according to those wishes, we will then live a life with no regrets.

Tell me, have you found your soul's purpose? I would love to hear from you.

With Creative Joy,
Ting