Finally Finito: When To Call Done

 

Introduction

The point an artist decides a piece is done is an absolutely mysterious moment. In fact, it’s as mysterious as the moment of inspiration in the first place. Think about it — the artist can work on that piece ad nauseam for the rest of their lives, so what compels them to believe that they’ve finished it? At what point does that happen? And why? Indeed, it’s very strange. But it’s a tremendously important moment, too. It marks the moment when the artist has decided they cannot contribute any more to the piece, but what does that even mean?

How ever it happens, calling “done” is just as important an act as starting the piece. Why? Because when we call done, that’s the moment when we’ve decided to trust our instincts and our skills and, more importantly, we trust our inspiration that birthed it from the start. It’s the moment when we honor that inspiration by saying, “I have fulfilled you to the best of my ability with love and good faith,” and that’s monumental in so many ways!

So let’s talk about calling done. It seems quite a few artists have a hard time with it, deciding when it should happen, either calling done prematurely or not calling done soon enough. It’s truly a tricky balance, but we can find it with practice and wisdom. The thing to remember though is this: There’s never a single clear answer. There’s only the answer that works for you, and everyone is different. So in that spirit, let’s just get right to it!

We Should Like It

While this may seem obvious, it should still be stated: We should like our piece as-is, in entirety, to call it done. Yet that’s a mysterious, instinctive, intuitive call all the same, granted. However, it should be emphasized that “done” isn’t about attaining perfection. That’s fundamentally impossible as only Nature can make a perfect equine and we’re fallible human beings. Don’t go chasing windmills! In truth, there may be some portions you wished were a little different, but you can still accept them anyway — that happens. So instead, calling done should be more about trusting yourself and your skills, and allowing yourself to stop because you truly like the piece as it is. And if you’re very lucky, you’ll absolutely love your piece! Now there’s a gem of an accomplishment! Embrace it!

Know The Limit

We should call done when we’ve reached the limit on the piece. What does that mean? Well, every piece has a finite point after which you’re faced with diminishing returns with every new tool stroke. Yes, every piece has one. Indeed, at that point every aspect should work and harmonize together in a way that no aspect could be further improved by more fiddling, when adding anything more would not make it any better, where just one more tool stroke would detract from it rather than support it, where nothing more needs fixing. It marks the point where you believe your finished work is as good as it’s ever going to get at that moment, when you’ve gone as far as you want to go, as you can go, with every inch of it. Now stop. No—seriously…stop. Just stop. Put the paintbrush or sculpting tool down, and let go. Stop.

Because overworking is a very real thing! What is overworking? It’s when you’ve gone past that critical limit and into the realm of ruining it. How do you ruin it? Well, you erase all the happy accidents that serendipitously happened. You squelch many of its best points in “perfecting” them, or not even recognizing them as already perfect. And you can indeed kill a piece by overworking it! It just snuffs out that inexplicable energy every piece of great art has. Energy? Yes! It’s real! See, an unquantifiable, mysterious energy got injected into the piece in the initial stages of its creation, and it’s now your job as the artist to preserve and protect that energy in its pure form to completion — that’s your prime directive. So be painfully mindful of the piece’s limit! It’s real! Because you’ll ruin your piece, kill it outright, in your pursuit of perfection if you aren’t painfully aware of that very real limitation point. If you have this tendency then or you’re just unsure, think of your piece as done when 90% of the meaning or intention is already in there. Why 90%? Because the viewers aren’t going to notice the remaining 10% you want to agonize over and potentially sabotage yourself with. Or stop twenty minutes before you actually feel the need to finish, that works too. When it comes to art, even equine realism, less can truly be more. Without a doubt, overworking can sap the piece of its spontaneity and life and “organic chaos,” making it instead cold, dull, too clinical, too “tight”…overworked…dead. But when we preserve that transcendent energy, the piece will have an ease and immediacy, a freshness and life to it attainable no other way than through preservation. Because make no mistake: Once that energy is gone—it’s gone forever! So err on the side of stopping a snidge too early than too late. Preserving that energy should be your top priority that overrides everything else because, honestly, there's no point of perfection worth destroying it. It's far far better that your piece be “imperfect” and full of that energy in its pure, potent form than “perfect” and bereft of it, lifeless and overworked.

No More Nagging

Another way to determine “done” is when you look at your piece from every angle and nothing is nagging you about it. You just can’t find anything you dislike about it any longer, no portion of it unpleasantly catches the eye or catches it too much. Even when you come at it with a fresh eye later, still…nothing leaps out at you. At that point, your piece is most likely done.

Try Some Rules

Some artist employ some rules to call done. For example, once they’ve signed the work, that’s it. It’s officially finished and any remaining flaws simply become part of the work. Or, for instance, some artists simply quit while they’re having fun. The moment it becomes frustrating or a grind is the moment they call “done” and walk away. For others, they don’t try to fix every little flaw but ignore most of them to instead allow themselves only a certain number of flaws per piece, making a mental note of what to avoid in the next work. In fact, you can measure your progression this way in a more quantifiable approach. Yet other artists have a rule never to work from a photograph as that just sets you up for inevitable disappointment. Rather, they just envision what they want to portray and once the piece has attained that, it’s done, mission accomplished. And other artists establish planned mission objectives for a piece, required criteria to meet, to help them decide when it's finished. 

And yet others employ a system that looks like this:

Step 1: Fresh eye the work after not looking at it for a few days, even a few weeks. 

Step 2: Look at some of your favorite works you consider masterful and cogitate what makes them feel complete to you. Does the piece you’re working on now contain those elements, too?

Step 3: Focus on structure, expression, organic chaos, and composition — are they feeling finished or do they have more to say?

Step 4: Ask these hard questions with fruitful results:

• Have you accomplished your goals for the piece in terms of what you wanted to portray or express?
• Does your piece keep the eye engaged? Is the composition balanced and harmonized?
• Are your anatomical and biomechanical points correct? How about breed type, age type, and gender type? What about the points of conformation? How about color genetics? Does you piece read with “organic chaos” or is it too regimented? Check all of that again.
• Are there any hard lines that shouldn’t be there? Areas that are unsmoothed or unblended that should be? Or conversely, are there areas that are too blended or too smoothed that need more definition? Check your textures and intensities again.
• Are areas that need cleanliness and precision actually clean and precise? Does anything need tidying up?
• Does the sculpture or paintwork look great from a distance and up close? 
• Does your piece have an eye-catching “wow factor” to it? Does it have a visual hook?

Let The Piece Speak

This may sound weird, but the piece is like a living thing — it will speak to you very clearly if you listen. As such, it will tell you when it’s done, even before you think it’s finished. But listen to it — always always always listen to the piece first and foremost. It knows what it needs. And, hey, you can listen to it and have a lovely relationship, a nice conversation, as it brings itself to life, or you can fight it and work it to death and kill it. It’s up to you. But just know that all great art is alive, not dead. But you are the sole means in all the universe by which the piece can create itself, so stay open to it so it can direct you to the satisfactory completion of its vessel. It will say done when it’s truly happy with it, when it’s truly all it could ever be, and then kicks you out of the process to fly on its own. That’s a beautiful, poignant, bittersweet moment when it does this…when it says “enough” and goes into the world on its own terms, like a child leaving home to live their own life. So stay open and listen. Indeed, it’s when you stop listening and shut down down conversation with your piece that you tend to lose sight of when to call done and end up spinning your wheels or overworking it. Keep your work alive and thriving by always listening.

The Process Determines Done

On the other hand, sometimes our own process calls done for us out of necessity. It could be that the process has hard points of “stop” that cannot be worked around. For instance, this is common in ceramics or bronze casting. Once that piece is fixed, that’s it.

Or because we can become blind to our work, finding ourselves analyzing rather than arting, hoping that by dissecting our decisions into smaller and smaller pieces we’ll find clarity and real answers when, in truth, by parsing them thusly we actually lose clarity and certainty to become ever more lost in our process. At this point, we no longer trust ourselves and by sheer necessity, we need to call “done” and let go. So when we find that our correction of smaller and smaller areas reaches a point where they’re ineffective or worse, harmful, we’ve reached a terrible point that needs to have an immediate stop. Put the piece down and walk away. You can come back to it much later if you wish, but at that point — stop.

Likewise, maybe our skillset has reached its limit with a piece and we need to develop further to manifest it according to our expectations. So call “done for now” and put the piece on a shelf while your skillset percolates to come back to it later. The point is — yes — you did do your best, but it wasn’t good enough, and that’s okay. It happens. Just call it a day, no biggie. Every artist has had to do that with some piece, at some point. It’s normal. The trick is to realize that this has happened to avoid overworking it and killing the piece outright, to stop before that happens. There’s absolutely no shame in admitting your skillset needs work, ever! In fact, that’s a great point to do some pro-active study and research, to take classes and workshops, and to do some artistic exercises to jumpstart beefing it up.

Another Set Of Eyes

Some artists think about their piece with the viewer in mind. In this, they ask themselves if another person would really notice a fiddly tweak? If not, then stop. Or if the casual viewer would deem the work done, that’s sufficient to call done to avoid that perfectionist or overworking trap. And there’s this: People probably aren’t even going to notice the things you would consider flaws! They’ll just think they’re part of the work and be happy with it. Like my wedding cake — the baker dropped the box full of sugar flowers meant to be decorating it and stomped off in a huff, leaving the wedding manager with that hot potato. Bless her, she jammed some of the still-intact flowers upright in the cake, bursting out like hatching aliens, thinking that was sufficient. Boy was I shocked to see my wedding cake for the first time! But the fact is that my guests thought that the cake was supposed to be that way! They just thought it was supposed to be as eccentric as I am. And ultimately — they didn’t care! The cake was delicious and that’s what they cared about, not how it looked. And it’s that same way with our art. Ultimately, people will be more invested in how our art makes them feel and less concerned with how it looks insofar as the flaws we may see. They’ll just see the whole piece and fall in love with it regardless! So ease up on yourself and the flaws you perceive in your work as chances are, you’re the only one seeing them.

And remember that the you of today is going to notice the errors the you of yesterday made — you are ever-evolving in your artistic savvy. So show yourself some grace, give yourself some leeway. Look at your piece after putting it away for a few days, or from different angles, or backwards in a mirror for some new views. If you find yourself constantly wanting to futz with it without end, it’s time to stop outright.

Instinct

Learning to stop takes skill and practice, but most of all, it takes instinct. That innate intuition, that attunement to the piece, that tells you to stop when you’ve reached that limit. Indeed, most of what artists do with their work is instinctive and intuitive. Sure, there are artists who plan their works to the nth degree, but many just jump into head first and figure it out as they go, more or less, doing things that feel right to them. And they continue until their instinct tells them they can do no more, that all that could be done has been done, and it’s time to stop and let the work go. In this, it takes some emotional detachment from the piece to stop and let it go, and that comes easy to some, less easily for others. In this, some can be very adroit calling done whereas other aren’t so skilled at it, which can be a problem for them.

Truly, one of the biggest problems with arting is knowing instinctively when to stop! And see, if you simply strive for perfection, you’ll inevitably become your own worst critic so that all the great stuff about your work disappears in your eyes and only the errors leap out at you, giving you a skewed sense of your abilities and the nature of the work. But the best art comes not from the conscious mind, but from a deeper place, the soul. Now — yes — you need your conscious mind for motor control and coordination. Yet it is your conscious mind that obsesses over perfection, too, and stresses over every minute detail. In contrast, your soul knows the truth of things — it knows the true nature of the piece, where the real feeling is coming from, from where the piece was birthed, and from where your arting instincts arise. So at the end of the day, which would you rather satisfy? Your hyper-critical conscious mind that doesn’t quite tell you the truth? Or your soul that truly knows and beams with authenticity? Indeed, if your soul is happy with your piece — that’s enough. The piece may not be “perfect,” but if your soul loves it, it’s somehow completely perfect, isn’t it?

Ultimately then, calling “done” may just come down to an intuitive, instinctive feeling, something that can actually serve you better than intellect when it comes to arting because so much about art is done from the soul. And there’s something profoundly beautiful with that, isn’t there? And so stopping, calling done, can be an equally beautiful moment, too, yes?

The Click

Or perhaps the piece is done when everything simply “clicks” into place, when each portion is a series of perfect clicks adding up into one big click with the very last touch. What’s a “click”? It’s that nebulous moment when that portion seems just right. It’s hard to describe beyond that, but it just feels right. Like it was supposed to be that way all along — that the piece wanted it that way and you had to find the right configuration, the right combination to unlock that rightness. And you just know it in your guts, like the cosmos was dictating things. You become a vessel and the piece flows through you into clicked rightness in your hands. This is how I personally work, with this series of clicks, until the final moment, that final touch, that final click that locks it all into place together perfectly. That’s when I call “done.” 

But this is intuitive and instinctive and mysterious because it often goes beyond being what is barebones necessary to be correct and into a realm of “what is needed.” See, there’s a difference between what is required and what is needed, and the click operates in the latter layer. So how I work is first attain what is required—check. Then beyond that, I work to attain what the piece needs, what it wants and needs on its own terms, and that’s found through the click. And how do I know when I’ve attained that click? I just know in my guts, and it’s instantaneous and immediate, too. There’s no waffling — you just know. It’s like falling in love — you just know.

No, Not The Final Say — The Only Say

Calling “done” is a highly personal determination by the artist predicated on their Eye, their inspiration, their motivations, and their skill level. And everyone is different! Someone else could walk in the door and make suggestions of what to alter to “improve” the piece but the fact is that their determination is based on their own Eye, inspirations, motivations, and skill level, right? Likewise, a thousand people could walk through that door with their own baggage and each will have their own opinion about if the piece is truly done or not, too. It can get truly ridiculous. So the important point here is: Only the artist gets to call done, no one else. Really, if this moment is as important as the moment of inspiration, it’s an equally creative moment, isn’t it? It’s part of the art process, part of the creation of the piece, right? That being the case, only one person gets to take part in that moment: The artist themselves. That’s it, that’s all. No one else. Everything else is just noise. Never forget that. Only you get to call done with your piece — remember that, always.

Conclusion

The fact of the matter is that you improve faster the more works you finish imperfectly rather than spinning your wheels on one piece to get it “perfect.” So volume counts, and counts big time. That’s the smart long game. That in mind then, it’s better to call “done” and take what you’ve learned to the next piece rather than grind away at one indefinitely. Rehashing hardly ever generates evolution! We need new pieces, new opportunities to learn and apply our upgraded skills to feed our advancement. “Each piece is practice for the next,” said Ed Gonzales, and he is absolutely right.

And there’s a timing to a work, much like music. It has a rhythm, a pace to it and it has that limit, that end, and we must be instinctively sensitive to it to know when to stop. Just know that a “divine dissatisfaction,” as Martha Graham phrased it, will plague you with each piece you create, but that’s okay. In its own way, it keeps us hungry and advancing, challenging ourselves to improve and stretch. If we were always self-satisfied, we’d wouldn’t grow, would we?

But even so, for some it can be really challenging to know when to stop. In fact, it can take a great deal of strength for them to call “done.” Honestly, after investing all the time and energy and passion into a piece, they find it can be quite hard to stop and let go. And that’s okay, too. Nevertheless, call done we must. One way or ‘nuther, we must. In fact, our piece is depending on us to call done at some point! I wants to join the world on its own terms and it can only do that when we stop and let it go. So close your eyes, take a deep breath, muster your gumption and say, “I have done my level best and gone as far as I can go; I have fulfilled my inspiration in good faith and love and it’s time to let go.” Then open your heart, loosen your grasp…and let it go. And it will get easier over time. The more works you complete, the easier it’ll become to find that critical limit and recognize it for what it is. Learning to call done may be instinctive, but it can be honed and sensitized with practice. So this is a great opportunity to do some artistic exercises to put it to work, isn’t it? Do some sketching, some small works, and maybe some maquettes and quick studies to sensitize your ability to call done. Your art will thank you for it.

“Great is the art of beginning; but greater is the art of ending.”

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Finally Finito: When To Call Done

The Fame Game

So you made it! And you made it big! Whooo hoo! Good for you! You did it! You worked hard, you did your best, you made so many sacrifices, you were smart about things, you lucked out, and you’re now basking in the well-earned fame all your diligence and savvy brought you! It feels great, doesn’t it? Being acknowledged, appreciated, and praised — as it should! All those kudos and pats on the back — it’s an amazing feeling, isn’t it?! And the sky’s the limit now! Doors will open for you and new opportunities will present themselves, all you have to do is reach for them! So dive in and grab those brass rings by the handful! They’re yours to take! Snatch away!

Just be careful what you wish for.

See, fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Why? Because it doesn’t come for free. There’s a price to be paid, one that can chop you right off at the knees if you aren’t prepared. Fame is a funny thing. It can certainly lift you up, but just as quickly it can smash you down, and in ways you never anticipated. Why? Because people are people and that’s the tricky bit. So in the interest of navigating these new waters, let’s talk about these tricky bits to hopefully plot safer waters, because truly, just plunging into the fame game head first can get you into big trouble.

The Fate Of Hate

So you’re famous now and so you might be expecting lots of adoring limelight and congratulations. Which you will get, most happily! But you’re also going to get hate now. Be ready for it. Because here’s the hard truth: What sets you apart will make you a target. Have you noticed that anywhere someone shines a little brighter there’s always someone there to tarnish that shine? That where someone is living their passion someone is there to tear it down? That’s just the way of it — be ready. Haters are just gonna hate. The sad fact is that with some people, someone else's success, joy, and proficiency just makes them really uncomfortable and so the easy way for that to vent is through negativity. Just read the comments section of any highly successful creative — yikes. What’s more, some people just derive their energy from negativity, for whatever reason it's their life force, their default. Like there's a guy who's made a great, exciting living being a master with the yo-yo, yet the grief he gets on a daily basis because of it is truly astonishing! And Elyse Myers (@elysemyers) on TikTok talks about the terrible toll fame had on her mental health entirely because of hateful comments. Indeed, if social media has proven anything without a doubt, it's that this dynamic is a universal constant, one we can never escape. Truly, "everyone is a critic,” and so much so we could gauge our gains by how many haters show up to blast us. So yeah...now you have a perpetual comments section you cannot turn off that'll follow you everywhere you go.

So keep things in perspective. Always remember that haters just won’t like your successes, your accomplishments, your happiness, or your growth and evolution. Everything that fame will gift you are the very things your haters will pot shot so be prepared for mixed blessings. Also learn to dampen down that negative bias hardwired into our heads — focus on the positive! Indeed, when we ignore the piles of praise in lieu of that one negative comment, aren’t we seeing things from a skewed perspective? And are we honoring all that praise properly? You will never please everyone all the time, so just stop trying to pretzel yourself trying to do so. Let people have their negative reactions while you remain detached — just toss your curls and get back to work practicing the joy that feeds your soul so wonderfully. Something to think about. (I also recommend reading my previous blog posts Pickled Art and The Critic In The Creative Space for more discussion on these topics.)

Your New Life As The Other

So what does all this mean, practically speaking? Well, everything you say and do now will come under a different lens, one that can be filtered through a negative bias by those who have no interest in what’s best for you. Your words will also have more weight and your actions more potency simply because people will be paying keener attention to them and often with a filet knife in hand, ready to dissect and disembowel. People will also now spin what you say and do to fit their idea of you, an idea that’s typically incomplete or mistaken, and which definitely has no clue about who you really are and, frankly, doesn’t really care to know. As such, people are going to start talking about you, whether behind you back or in public or in earshot, and not all of it will be flattering — carelessly or even on purpose. In fact, it can be downright mean-spirited or thoughtless, and it’s absolutely devastating and traumatizing. Protect yourself with coping mechanisms and distance because our community has a mean streak, an undercurrent of cruelty that you’ll simply have to reconcile to protect your creative joy. Remember, people are people so try to rise above it.

This is because you’re now The Other, no longer “one of the people,” no longer the “little guy,” you’re now one of Them, you’re one of the popular crowd now. And in a community that’s primed already by exclusion — a lot of us are already outsiders and misfits in “real life” — that Otherness can be regarded in a problematic way. For instance, a lot of what you say and do now as a result of your fame will be thought of as you becoming egotistical, narcissistic, arrogant, “too big for your britches,” or “getting uppity” about things when all you’re doing is rationally protecting yourself and your interests, or even just trying to help. For instance, I’ve been called all manner of nasty things from “narcissist” to “arrogant” to “know it all jerk” simply for writing helpful articles and blog posts intended to help other artists realize their potential. Did I let that stop me? Nope. I simply wrote more. And another popular artist was lambasted for being “too big for her britches” and “snooty” for casting some of her work in bronze. Did that stop her? Absolutely not.

Boiled down then, your Otherness will precede you wherever you go, online or in life, so tread carefully and thoughtfully and, above all, be sensitive to how intimidating you’ve probably become to other folks. The thing is, while fame sure feels good to us, in others it can generate an intimidation factor that can really put a monkey wrench in your interactions. That's because while you may not have changed, people’s perception of you sure has! Stay mindful of that. And hey, I’m not immune either — I can get really awkward, shy, and aloof around those I fangirl over only because I’m so starstruck. It’s very a human reaction.

Infatuation with Objectification

In order to hatefully deride someone and their accomplishments, we first have to strip them of their humanity, don’t we? We have to dehumanize them first. And that can only happen when they’ve been objectified, something that unfortunately comes part and parcel with being The Other. Honestly, it’s alarming just how quickly and easily objectification happens because while what sets you apart will make you a target, it’ll also give others license to objectify you. No longer a real person but turned into a thing, people will then talk about you and your work with zero sensitivity or thoughtfulness, even in public, even in your presence, and may even lit into outright bashing. Why? Well, because haters are just going to hate, but even with the average person, you’re now no longer a real human being but some abstract idea and that can erase barriers of politeness and empathy rather quickly. Indeed, at WRC years ago, some random lady plunked herself down at my show table and proceeded to rip into my work unabashedly, loudly proclaiming the many of my pieces were "crap." No joke. It was surreal! Then again, people may even identify you with some rather unpleasant associations to boot. For example, many have a rather negative idea of a “BNA” or “Big Name Artist,” the term itself even betraying its pejorative past. Indeed, BNA is actually a derogatory term originally born as an insult and not as a descriptive. This is why you can still often hear that underlying resentment in those who drop the term. 

Ultimately then, now all the filters will come off and people are just going to tear into you and your work as though you have no feelings or insecurities or fragilities and, well, no humanity. And trust me — you’re going to hear it eventually no matter how well you try to insulate yourself. Most things are within our earshot nowadays with social media and the grapevine. So be ready with those coping mechanisms and detachment. And again the best reaction is to simply get back to work. Indeed, that’s always the right answer. In response to hate, practice joy!

The Obsession with Opinions

Everyone is in love with their own opinions. It’s a love affair as old as time. Most of all though,  you won’t find a more potent passion than between a hater and their own opinion! Oh, boy — do they indulge them. And if you notice, many haters will rationalize their poor behavior as “it’s just my opinion” as if that released them of accountability — and that tends to work more than it should. But because of the “it’s just my opinion” manipulation, the practice of hate is pervasive, almost inevitable. Why? Well, because the fact is many will resent your fame and since you’ve already been objectified and turned into an Other, you’re now the perfect target. So in this way, everyone and their dog will now have an opinion about you and your work, which is fine — it’s human nature after all. Just be ready for the onslaught, especially the negative onslaught. So learn to embrace the positive responses with gratitude and grace then let the negativity flow well away like water off a duck’s back. Really, just flat out ignore the negativity, don’t respond to it whether with your actions or in your heart. Unless you see a viable route to educate someone on a factual point, just let it all go completely. Oh heck...let it all go if you have to. Do whatever you need to do to stay sane. "I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free," said Georgia O'Keefe.

Looking at the big picture then, too many people confuse an opinion with a fact, and neither should you. Let people have their opinions — they’re going to have them regardless and you’ll never escape them. In response, just become really good at filtering them and sloughing off those that don’t serve your goals. This is actually a survival skill you’ll have to develop because if you don’t, you’re going to become mired in the sea of opinion out there and lose yourself and your sanity in those choppy waters. The hard fact is you’re never going to please everyone all the time, especially your haters, so just let that pipe dream go. The best plan then is to remember who you are and what your art is about then navigate your own course confidently and joyfully, in the process learning which opinions will ferry you along and which will sink you, and make peace with that.

Thirteen Survival Skills

So what can we do to pilot those rough waters when fame and success spill into our lap? Well, here are thirteen pointers that best seat you into your new throne to keep your reign a happy one…

First, fame can blind you so stay grounded. Don’t forget who you are, why you’re doing your art, and remember the joy it brings you. Hold that closest to your heart at all times because it’ll serve you well should you hit rough waters. What’s more, stay down to Earth, feet on the ground, head out of the clouds, and all that. Fame and success are exciting, but keep your feet flat on the floor — you can go for the wild ride and still wear a seat belt! And remember this too, our niche is obsessed with what’s new so once you hit that limelight, learn to share it graciously. And lift up your peers because they met their own challenges with high style, gumption, and courage, too. Above all, always be gracious, humble, and friendly, and thank everyone for the compliments they pay you. Indeed, learn to take a compliment well and never be dismissive or indifferent. It probably took a lot of courage for someone to pay you a compliment so honor it with sincerity, kindness, and gratitude. And try not to self-deprecate too much as some people can interpret that as not taking their compliment seriously. 

Second, look at your newfound fame and success and consider what pieces did that for you — then make those pieces your new nonnegotiable baseline. Not that your work always has to match their nature, but absolutely, your work should now match that quality every single time, no matter how inconsequential the piece. No seriously — every single time. Consistency is key — don’t cut corners or ride on your fame! Without a doubt, you’re only as good as the last piece you created. Likewise, seek consistency in your policies and how you apply them, and even consistency with the tone of your social media presence. Appearing as a loose cannon, unbalanced, or unreasonable can backblow on you rather badly now. 

Third, you’re going to have to work harder now on your art to innovate, expand your skillset, and develop your talents. Don’t be a “one hit wonder” — you have piles of great work inside of you so dig deep to pop it out! We’re all dying to see! 

Fourth, advertise your famous pieces to garner more followers, subscribers, collectors, and connections. Make your fame work for you! Let the world know who you are and what you’re capable of doing. You’ve earned the kudos with your hard work, sacrifice, and talent — you've got the spotlight now, show the world what cha got! In other words, it’s okay to be proud of your accomplishments and it’s a healthy and positive message to convey.

Fifth, use social media to humanize yourself to counteract the pervasive objectification you’re going to encounter. Let people get to know you with all your adorable quirks and humor, vulnerabilities and fragilities. You’re human, so let that shine through in all the beauty that is you. Show the world the fuller depth of your wonderful self to re-humanize yourself to both chisel away at the intimidation factor and the objectification that’s stripped you of your humanity. So find some common ground and build from there. Practice good diplomacy and social graces, too, and seek positive connections, especially with those you suspect might be shy or intimidated. 

Sixth, solidify and revise your policies and sales practices as needed. Don’t be afraid to even rewrite them from scratch as people banging down your door can warrant new ones. When formulating them, too, keep your boundaries front and center and be very clear with yourself about your limitations and tolerance levels. Think about your pricing, too. If you need some guidance on all this, asking the advice of other established artists, or studying their practices and policies is a great idea. 

Seventh, don’t forget about those who helped you get where you are — ever. Each fan, diehard collector, friend, colleague, company, helper, showholder, podcaster, or family member that pushed you along to where you are now should never be forgotten. You didn’t do this alone. But by the same token, know your self-worth. Indeed, too many artists wait for validation from the world at large as if that could fill the void, but the truth is, you should value yourself first. Now every artist struggles with self-worth...it's part and parcel of being an artist and in some ways, your art is part of that struggle. We also wrestle with doubts, questioning ourselves so much. Are you worthy of your biggest, wildest dreams? Is what you're doing worthwhile? Is it even good enough? Does your work stand up to the effort needed to reach that big goal? Do you even deserve your success? And the answer to all that is always "yes." Yes — because you've rightly earned it. Yes — because you continue to do so with your best effort. Yes — because you know that all it takes is just a bit of moxie to achieve great things. Yes — because realizing your inspirations is good for your soul. You art is going to take you on an unfolding, open-horizon adventure but just be sure that what you're doing is always in service to your self-worth, too. You are enough and trust that you are.

Eighth, keep things in perspective. Fame and success can go right to your head, but never take it or yourself too seriously. Don’t become the legend in your own living room or the emperor with no clothes. Learn to shake things off, laugh at things, take things with a grain of salt, take a hit with composure, and savor the limelight with poise. On the other hand, remember that we never have an objective view of ourselves either and fame can really mess with that. Like that "horrible thing" you see in the mirror full of self-hate and self-repudiation? That doesn't exist. Well, it exists, but only in your head. It's not what many other people think of you, even now when you're at the top of your game. And you aren't a fraud either. You rightfully earned the kudos with your hard work and mad skills. And you aren't a one-hit wonder either. You have loads of great work inside of you just waiting patiently to get out. So boot that imposter syndrome to the curb — the only fraud in the room is that part of you that still thinks you're a loser and a charlatan. Because, look, we all have insecurity complexes. Every one of us, even the most super successful and famous among us. We're fragile and vulnerable human beings, and frankly, it's important to embrace that even more as our fame grows. But the pretty awful thing about fame is that it'll just take your self-doubt, ramp it up to eleven and then break the knob off, leaving you in your most vulnerable state but out in the open, unarmed and diving for cover. So the name of the fame game then becomes one of management through self-affirmation, self-love, and self-checking with a hefty dose of humor and some psychological distance from it all. Indeed, when we can step back and see The Big Picture of our lives, we gain a perspective that can keep us grounded and centered.

Ninth, treat what comes out of your mouth and off your keyboard with a lot more care because you can no longer just say whatever you want anymore. No seriously, you can’t. It’s a sure fire way to instantly implode all the standing you’ve earned. Indeed, I’ve seen decades old good reputations — beloved reputations — completely nuke themselves with a single bad post. Fame simply inoculates your words with a lot of added power, and one wrong comment out of your mouth can blowback with inordinate force now. “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction” only applies to physics, not fame! Fame amplifies everything. So watch what you say and how you say it as it’ll have a lot more weight now. And always remember, never give someone ammunition they can fire back at you.

Tenth, never forget where you came from. As Wilson Mizner said, “Be kind to everyone on the way up; you’ll meet the same people on the way down.“ And with that never forget that it’s easy to get to the top but harder still to stay there — it takes dedication, hard work, vision, consistency, and good standing to stay on that crest so don’t let things slide. And don't ride on your fame either. You're only as good as the last piece you finished and every new piece is your comeback. Absolutely, as RuPaul tells us, now more than ever, “You betta work!” 

Eleventh, learn how to navigate failure. Here’s the thing — you’re going to faceplant at some point, you’re just going to screw up. Your fame may have shot you right to the top, but that also means you have a long way to fall. Because every artist — every single artist — has a bad art day once and awhile. And hey, the truth is that we have to make a lot of bad art in order to make good art as we learn and evolve. Heck, many artists will tell you that they make a lot of mediocre art in the pursuit of making that one great piece from time to time. So hey, it’s okay to make bad art — it’s the process of growth and the mercurial nature of the arting beast. Learn to compose yourself and reconcile with that because the public, especially your haters, certainly won’t. Oh wow, they won’t! Every “bad” piece you ever create will garner a very public spotlight and will be dragged with inordinate fervor and people will dogpile. After the dust settles, you have to learn how to be okay through all that and learn how to maintain your creative joy to keep going. Brené Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert have given life-changing talks on this very thing that I heartily encourage you watch — no seriously, watch them:

The Power Of Vulnerability by Brené Brown

Why Your Critics Aren’t The Ones Who Count by Brené Brown 

Success, Failure, And the Drive to Keep Creating by Elizabeth Gilbert

Your Elusive Creative Genius by Elizabeth Gilbert

Twelfth, remember this bit of wisdom: If someone isn’t your collector, be careful how much attention you pay them, how much power you give them. If you notice, there are plenty of people who’ll chime in about you, your work, how you run your business — whatever — but they aren’t your collectors. In fact, some will tell you straight up they never intend to be. So don’t focus on them, they aren’t your people. But sometimes that’s easier said than done, right? Artists tend to be naturally sensitive so while the malcontents aren’t the ones we should be listening to, they can sure consume an inordinate amount of our energy. (So many distracting voices in our heads!) So focus on your work and what’s right and joyful for you, strategically and aggressively. Absolutely and always, the Truth is in your work. Getting shamed or distracted by their nastiness is a grody rabbit hole. Stay outta there. Just always remember: The Truth is in your work. You are your best and most important advocate so believe in your Vision and what you're achieving — trust yourself. Focus positivity on your art with militant determination, steadfast optimism, and, above all, tactical humor, and you can muscle your way through it.

Thirteenth, learn to ignore haters or those who would deride you, just flat-out ignore the negativity and find a way to work past it. Don't even read the comments or just turn them off. Instead, do the thing that brings you joy, and do it to the nth degree. Indeed, "do what you feel in your heart to be right — for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't," advised Eleanor Roosevelt. (I recommend my previous blog post Moving Forwards With Fear for more discussion on similar topics.) Because if it beautifully drives your soul — do it, and then do more of it without apology, doubt, or hesitation. If you're going to be damned for something, might as well be something you love doing, right?

Wrap Up

Never forget that just as quickly as fame came, it can vaporize, too. This doesn’t mean that every piece has “to count” because — wow — that’s a lot of pressure, but it does mean you’ve got to maintain perspective on your fame and how it responds to your creative journey. Stay centered and never forget who you are and what your art is all about and, most importantly, never lose sight of the joy it gives you. Put another way, always remember to “come home” as Elizabeth Gilbert would say.

Because fame is very much like a double-edged sword, isn’t it? It can slice through barriers just as quickly as it can slice through you. It has the power to build and the power to destroy, asking us to wield it with wisdom, thoughtfulness, and no small amount of good humor. Yet as we grow, perhaps a better way to think of fame is as a bridge, as a means to build connection because it can open doors and provide a platform not available otherwise. In this way, we can use fame to expand our potential and opportunities, and to build new relationships that enrich our experience, our arts, and our entire community. In short, we can morph our fame, including all the negative energy that comes with it, into a positive output that benefits not only us, but also our collective experience. Really, if we stop feeding off our fame only for limelight adoration and start using it as a means to inject something reaffirming back into the community, we can do a lot of good with it. And it doesn’t have to be something involved, just great interactions with shy, intimidated fans or using it to fuel unprecedented artist growth is enough. Indeed, learning to take all that energy — good and bad — and converting it into a new kind that we can put to work is the best means to manage the whole crazy fame game. Because once you learn how to manage it, you’ve got your fame by the tail and it can never whip around to bite you again. And that’s what we want — all the benefits of fame without the trauma it can bring. 

Just stay realistic about it all: The haters will continue to hate and naysayers will continue to bash and people will keep churning out their opinions, but you’ll have found a new centered self to ride all that out with poise and wisdom, a new, sturdier boat to pilot those choppy waters. Do that and fame no longer becomes an imposing focus but simply a strange, curious, almost absurd facet of your larger experience as your attention again returns to your arting where it really belongs. Once that happens, you’ve truly risen above it all in the most meaningful way and you can get back to work with joy and conviction. As such, your fame can best serve you now and you’ll have done it with grace, tactfulness, and good humor, certainly winning the fame game in fine style!

The price of fame is the cultivation of tolerance. 

~ Mwanandeke Kindembo

The Fame Game